Cockatiel woes

[AviMom]

Hello everyone.
I've read a lot of similar posts to mine. I've watched all the YouTube videos I can find, and I still can't get one of my tiels to bond with me. I got him from a breeder at age 2 months. He's now 5 months old (not positive it's male, but breeder said male). Anyway, he will step up, will accept treats from my hand, I am clicker /target training, ....but he basically hates me.
He's fearful, stubborn, and the breeder clipped his wings.
I work with him, and he will hop to me during training, but he's just really shy, and also runs from me on the perch or cage until he decides to engage. (Very hard to get him to engage)
I remain hopeful that one day, he will find a comfort level and Break out of his fearfulness.
I love him so much, and want to interact with him like my other 2 tiels.
Any advice?

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Give him time , every bird has their own personality , One of my Cockatoos the male is shy . The female is outgoing and enjoys being in on all the activity. I don't think he hates you, but rather chooses to do things on his terms. Love him for who he is. Birds like to copy what the other flock mates are doing . Monkey see monkey do , he's still very young . I would let him watch as you interact with your other Tiels. He may decide that it's safe to follow the flock and join in on all the activity.

 

[CeciliaZ]

Give him time - let him adjust. I think part of the problem is already in your post - "he's fearful, stubborn and the breeder clipped his wings." He needs to learn to trust you and not be fearful. Don't rush his training. When he runs from you - give him some space. Approach him later. Tiels are flock oriented...I have 5 - although they do not all get along all the time - they do like to be around each other.
My birds are all fully feathered and not clipped.

 

[cassiesdad]

Good advice already given.

You never know...sometimes birds just will be less receptive to people no matter what.

Our three tiels have widely differing opinions of people...one loves any person who comes by (Sunshine) another likes people on his own schedule (Igor) and Mocha thinks people waste good oxygen by breathing it...

 

[AviMom]

Thank you for your responses. They mean a lot to me. I know you're right in just giving him time. I just can' help but feel he's missing out on so much fun.
Kata, (Avatar) I hand raised and is so sweet. She loves to cuddle, loves to fly and get head rubs. Tyrion is my problem child I first posted about.
I also keep my roommates cockatiel with mine now (3 total). From December until the beginning of March, that poor baby was in a small cage with a perch, a swing way too small for him, and one toy. He was being fed parakeet seed, and barely got any attention. (Long story)
Now, hes got a HUGE cage to live in, cage mates, and gets out to play about 4 hours a day. This sweet Angel has discovered his wings and learned what flying is all about, has learned several tricks including flight return, and gives kisses every chance he gets. Hes so happy, so loving, enjoys head scratches and cuddling.... and from his chop diet, is so healthy now, he almost glows. I guess it' from fostering animals in the past I try to do all I can for my birds to thrive and live happy, healthy lives.
I hope Tyrion comes around, and hope he doesn' share Mocha's view on people, lol.

 

[Garet]

Wing clipping can be very traumatic for birds. While it's true, not all birds dislike being clipped, a lot are more sensitive than others. Your bird sounds like my Mims when she first came to me. She was clipped when she was younger and basically afraid of everything. By clipping (especially if it's a severe clip), the breeder basically took away his stability and his ability to get away. Depending on how he was handled, being clipped could have been a very traumatizing experience for the little guy, too.

All you can do is love and support him. Positive experiences all the way.

 

[cassiesdad]

hope he doesn' share Mocha's view on people, lol.

Mocha was adopted from a rescue, and they didn't have much info on his background. He's always been a crusty soul...not wanting anything to do with people. He immediately bonded with Igor Tiel (both are boys), and have remained close for now seven-odd years.
I've never felt the need to "force" him into a relationship that he really doesn't want. I like my birds to be "free thinkers"...if they want to interact with people...great! If not, well..my house is their home also..they are free to move about without us bothering them.

 

[AviMom]

I like the way you think. I'd never force a bird to do anything it doesnt want to....i also have parakeets, lol.

 

[AviMom]

You may have hit the nail on the head. I feel the clipping may have been very traumatic since it was the day I brought him to his new home as well. He'd had a huge aviary before, and was a great flier. A lot of adjusting for him I guess. I didnt do much with him for two weeks after I got him, only sit his cage beside me, talk to him, offer treats threw the cage bars, etc. After that id open his cage when i had the other birds out until he started coming out on his own, and even then i could tell his cage was his safe place. I got him to step up on a perch first, then my hand, and he's never bitten me, or hissed at me since the first day when i got him home. I guess he really has come a long way.
Now, I encourage him to fly. He loves the cage or perch, so I'll have him step up, take a few steps away, and tap the cage top, or perch and say "hop", or "fly". When he does, I say "yay", or "good" and reward him. If he does happen to sail to the floor, I call him and offer my hand and say step up. He will come to me and I always return him to his "safe" place.
I know it will just take time....i guess I just wish his safe place was with me, but it' the cage, perch or parakeet cage even. I don't take it personally....he hates the parakeets too, lol.

 

[AviMom]

This is sleepy Tyrion, with his little chop covered face

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Mocha was adopted from a rescue, and they didn't have much info on his background. He's always been a crusty soul...not wanting anything to do with people. He immediately bonded with Igor Tiel (both are boys), and have remained close for now seven-odd years.
I've never felt the need to "force" him into a relationship that he really doesn't want. I like my birds to be "free thinkers"...if they want to interact with people...great! If not, well..my house is their home also..they are free to move about without us bothering them.

@cassiesdad My exact feelings you couldn't have been any more sensible and to the point . Sometimes less is truly more, keeping it simple short and sweet, tends to lift the burden of having to adhere to a example of how it must be . I feel at my best 'with let it be" , just by letting go of those expatiations allows things to naturally fall into place especially the animals, they pick-up on their surroundings it's inherent in their DNA .
On a personal note this is how I have always been with my animals, I don't do textbook ...I "feel" my way with them. I always had success by allowing...

 

[Just-passn-thru]

This is sleepy Tyrion, with his little chop covered face

He's so cute that's an adorable picture

 

[Garet]

He will come to me and I always return him to his "safe" place.
I know it will just take time....i guess I just wish his safe place was with me, but it' the cage, perch or parakeet cage even. I don't take it personally....he hates the parakeets too, lol.

Hey, it's okay! The fact that he's trusting you to help him is a very good sign. A bird's trust builds up slowly. Humans are strange and big and groom their friends with their weird talon-looking things. Any other animal reaching for them with their claws would be a death sentence. Unfortunately, we humans didn't have the common sense to evolve beaks, so we have to rely on what we have.

I think you and your tiel will do just fine, as long as you remember not to take any setbacks personally.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I have a feeling that in a few weeks you’ll be posting about all of the progress he has made, because it sounds like you take great care of your birds!

 

[Monica]

Do you know what mutation Tyrion's parents are? Or any tail pictures?


Sounds to me like Tyrion is his/her own little bird and is not like Kata, and that's okay! It's never too late to teach an old bird new tricks, and Tyrion is just a baby! He's got *years* ahead of him to learn! Perhaps watching Kata will help him learn in time - same goes for the other tiel!

 

[AviMom]

Tyrion update. Making baby steps today....yay!!

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Tyrion update. Making baby steps today....yay!! View attachment 274870

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[AviMom]

giggle! Love the graphics (emoticons?)
All I know is Tyrion is a pearl. Got him first from the same breeder I got Kata from, but hand raised Kata.
It felt so great to have Tyrion sit (relaxed) on my finger, nibbling millet, while I softly talked to him. Finally felt like he's starting to understand I just want to be his friend. (Sighing happily)

 

[Catherine89]

Awe what a beautiful teil. My female still doesn’t like to be to touched. She will sit on my finger only long enough for me to put her on the rope perch, but it took a long time to get her to that point. My male on the other hand is completely different loved to be held and his head stritchs. All bird at different. It looks like your making progress all ready , just be patient and keep it up. Soon your little buddy will gladly get on your finger .

 

[Tara81]

Time and patience is all you need I think once his wing feathers grow back I'm sure he will gain much more confidence!