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Help! Sudden change in behaviour

n’s tiel

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So I have had my cockatiel for about 8 months now so he’ll be about 10-12 months old I believe.

So far we have had no problems; he likes sitting on my hand and eating some Millet and loves when I scratch his head. He isn’t too affectionate but likes a bit of fuss.

He usually wakes me up in the morning with some singing which gets louder when I take his cover off and he can see the outside birds out the window!

However, the last two mornings, he’s not been singing at all. He’s been making a single quiet sound every minute or so and he has become mega aggressive. He doesn’t want my hand anywhere near the cage and wants to bite me. When I try to give him millet he lunged at me and he just stays in the corner of his cage when I take my hand out, going to a big preening toy and staying there. He hisses and bites when my hand is anywhere within his cage.

he is my first bird so i’m really worried, I don’t understand what’s wrong with him and i’m scared there’s a deeper problem so any help would be appreciated!

Thanks guys. :)
 

Tiel Feathers

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It sounds like he has reached puberty and he considers his cage a nest. How big is his cage? Are you sure you have a male? Make sure his cage is big enough, and that there isn’t anywhere in his cage that he can consider a nest. Rearranging the cage and taking out that toy might help. One of my girls likes to get nesty in the bottom of her cage, so when it’s that time of year, I put shortened dowel perches in the bottom of her cage so it’s uninhabitable and they just roll around under her.
 

sunnysmom

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Other than aggression, is everything else ok? He's eating? Normal droppings? He's probably hormonal if so. It will pass. How much sleep does he get?
 

n’s tiel

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Other than aggression, is everything else ok? He's eating? Normal droppings? He's probably hormonal if so. It will pass. How much sleep does he get?
Yeah everything else completely the same, his poo is fine and he sleeps the same each night under a sheet so no disturbances :( so worried as ive never owned a bird before and its such a sudden change
 

n’s tiel

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It sounds like he has reached puberty and he considers his cage a nest. How big is his cage? Are you sure you have a male? Make sure his cage is big enough, and that there isn’t anywhere in his cage that he can consider a nest. Rearranging the cage and taking out that toy might help. One of my girls likes to get nesty in the bottom of her cage, so when it’s that time of year, I put shortened dowel perches in the bottom of her cage so it’s uninhabitable and they just roll around under her.
I’ve taken the toy out and no change yet - his cage is about 25x30x25 so it’s a decent size for one bird especially when he’s out for a few hours each day. I’m not 100% I have a male as he’s my first bird so i’m not proficient in sexing etc but he displays a lot of male behaviours and the pet shop who sold him said he was male.
He doesn’t spend too long on the bottom of his cage and usually only goes there if he’s dropped a treat etc. There’s nowhere he can truly see as a nest I don’t think - it’s pretty open there’s no hidden / covered spaces and his toys are switched up pretty often so he doesn’t get bored but like I say i’m not used to bird ownership so i’m not 100% sure what he would consider a nest?
Does this mean he’s going to be this way forever or just for a bit?! So worried about it all!
 

JLcribber

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Hormones are a biological function that run on a cycle. Once started they must run their course. You can Minimize its effects as much as you can but you can not prevent it or turn it off. The cycle can last anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks depending on the husbandry.

Some insightful reading for you.
 

Tara81

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The photo of your bird does indicate he is a male :) I think he will be okay after his hormones settle down. You can make sure he gets 12-13 hours of sleep every night, re-arrange his cage more often (every 2-3 days now), and move his cage to make him feel like it is not ideal to raise babies (which might help with his hormones a little). Maybe he won't be as hormonal while out of the cage as well.
 
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