Hi guys I'm looking for some serious help. I bought a cockatiel from this horrible petstore (will never go again) and he is 7 months old. He is not tamed or trained in anyway and I have no idea how to go about doing so. I have zero experience taming any bird and I'm looking for step by step instructions on what to do to tame him. Many people say to use treats however he will not accept any treats no matter what they are. He won't eat veggies either. He hisses constantly and bites to the point of drawing blood. He seems to see my hand as evil and won't let me near him. I've had him for a month now and hes ok with my shoulder once I get him up there but thats about it. Even changing his food/water is a 'fun' time. I can't even walk by his cage without him throwing a fit.
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Untrained untamed aggressive cockatiel
- Thread starter Sunnybirb
- Start date
Garet
Rollerblading along the road
It sounds less like aggression and more like a mixture of hormones/fear/him attempting to protect his only safe place (the cage). Even the bird who's bonded to me won't let me put my hand in her cage without attacking me. I need to get her out of the room in order to safely change her food and water without stressing her out.
Pet store birds often have horrible experiences with people (being grabbed and manhandled, having people poke the glass to get a reaction, ect). You gotta work slow with your hands. Put them near his cage while talking softly- not in a threatening way, mind you. Just have them there and work on gradually bringing them closer over time. Listen to him when he hisses- that's him giving you a warning before he flat-out bites you. They will often give you a warning before attacking like that.
What worked with my tiel was just sitting by her cage and allowing her to grow accustomed to me. I left the door open, talked sweetly to her, let her watch me as I did stuff on the computer. Eventually, she realized I wasn't scary and could be trusted to handle her.
Hand-offering treats should be done gradually. If he doesn't trust your hand or will bite you, try using a long spoon or a fork.
As far as vegetables go, I have a hard time with mine. What worked was coating vegetables in seeds and essentially tricking the bird into eating them. Dangling wet spinach leaves from the top of the cage is also an option.
If this is a hormonal issue, you can try putting him to bed earlier. Cockatiels need about 10 hours of total darkness. It might not help entirely, since he's a birdie teenager, but it might help make him a little less grouchy.
Just remember that all birds will bite, no matter how much they love you or how comfortable they feel with you. It's just a part of what makes a bird a bird.
Pet store birds often have horrible experiences with people (being grabbed and manhandled, having people poke the glass to get a reaction, ect). You gotta work slow with your hands. Put them near his cage while talking softly- not in a threatening way, mind you. Just have them there and work on gradually bringing them closer over time. Listen to him when he hisses- that's him giving you a warning before he flat-out bites you. They will often give you a warning before attacking like that.
What worked with my tiel was just sitting by her cage and allowing her to grow accustomed to me. I left the door open, talked sweetly to her, let her watch me as I did stuff on the computer. Eventually, she realized I wasn't scary and could be trusted to handle her.
Hand-offering treats should be done gradually. If he doesn't trust your hand or will bite you, try using a long spoon or a fork.
As far as vegetables go, I have a hard time with mine. What worked was coating vegetables in seeds and essentially tricking the bird into eating them. Dangling wet spinach leaves from the top of the cage is also an option.
If this is a hormonal issue, you can try putting him to bed earlier. Cockatiels need about 10 hours of total darkness. It might not help entirely, since he's a birdie teenager, but it might help make him a little less grouchy.
Just remember that all birds will bite, no matter how much they love you or how comfortable they feel with you. It's just a part of what makes a bird a bird.
What is the size of the cage? A month might seem like a long time to us, but it’s like 3 seconds to them. Don’t try to rush progress. Let it evolve on its own.
Garet’s advice about just hanging around with your little buddy and being sweet to him or her is bang on. I have done that with all my birds when getting to know them and help settling them in. They’ve been either adopted or rehomed to me. Slow and steady. Let the bird dictate the progress between you two and what he or she will accept.
Garet’s advice about just hanging around with your little buddy and being sweet to him or her is bang on. I have done that with all my birds when getting to know them and help settling them in. They’ve been either adopted or rehomed to me. Slow and steady. Let the bird dictate the progress between you two and what he or she will accept.
Don’t chase. Just move really slowly. Sit by the cage and read to your bird. That way you aren’t staring right at her (that’s scary) but she is getting used to you. Drop a treat in the dish every so often. Tell her it is a treat. (She will learn the word)
Also is the cage against a wall? If not, move it so it is. You can cover the sides and back for now, with only the front open so the bird feels more secure.
I have a couple threads on here about my tiels and working with them to lower the screaming. I also wrote one recently called Bird Time vs People Time. Basically it says birds have their own timetable but please go read it. It will help you understand how your bird thinks.
You need to have more patience than you’ve ever had in your life. You don’t know what your bird is working to overcome but every message you give her — how fast you move, how quietly you speak, how you invite her to join you — either helps her trust you or moves her away from trusting you.
After she calms down a bit, attach a perch to the outside of the cage. Open the door, continue to sit and read aloud and let her come to you.
Tiels are pretty mellow so you should have success. Good luck!
Also is the cage against a wall? If not, move it so it is. You can cover the sides and back for now, with only the front open so the bird feels more secure.
I have a couple threads on here about my tiels and working with them to lower the screaming. I also wrote one recently called Bird Time vs People Time. Basically it says birds have their own timetable but please go read it. It will help you understand how your bird thinks.
You need to have more patience than you’ve ever had in your life. You don’t know what your bird is working to overcome but every message you give her — how fast you move, how quietly you speak, how you invite her to join you — either helps her trust you or moves her away from trusting you.
After she calms down a bit, attach a perch to the outside of the cage. Open the door, continue to sit and read aloud and let her come to you.
Tiels are pretty mellow so you should have success. Good luck!
Sometimes I read aloud from this forum, complete with animation.
orphansparrow
Rollerblading along the road
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You've gotten great advice here. I'd love to hear any updates when you think of it! 
Good luck!
Good luck!
Monica
Cruising the avenue
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Only sit next to your bird's cage if he's comfortable with it. If he's not, back away some.
Have you tried offering millet through the cage bars?
Have you tried offering millet through the cage bars?
