Normal?

[Hamrick]

It's day two for...."nameless" birdy. (I still can't decide on a name.)
He's a cockatiel and is used to being around 9 or 10 others.
He seemed pretty well adjusted yesterday but now he acts different. I thought he might just miss the other birds.
Anyway, I had him out earlier and he didn't want to move or do anything. He would let me pet him, he'd step up, and he was paying attention to noises outside the room but he never made a peep or walked around...he only walked from hand to hand and up my arm twice. Also he flew a few feet once because he thought he was going to fall off my hand.
Also he makes a noise sometimes that sounds (and looks) like he's eating, but he isn't. It reminds me of a human grinding their teeth. He did this a couple times yesterday, today when he was on a playgym perch for a minute or so, and for a few seconds when I was holding him. Could he be nervous or bored? I didn't think he was bored because he didn't seem interested in anything around him.
Overall he just doesn't seem very active for his age, or at all. Maybe he's tired. Then again he'll get excited by something every once in a while and climb everywhere.
I think he's probably just adjusting...everything here is new.


Any thoughts?

 

[itzmered]

It may take awhile for him to adjust to his new home. Everything is new and scary to him. The sound you are hearing is beak grinding and they do that when they are happy.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

It's day two for...."nameless" birdy. (I still can't decide on a name.)
He's a cockatiel and is used to being around 9 or 10 others.
He seemed pretty well adjusted yesterday but now he acts different. I thought he might just miss the other birds.
Anyway, I had him out earlier and he didn't want to move or do anything. He would let me pet him, he'd step up, and he was paying attention to noises outside the room but he never made a peep or walked around...he only walked from hand to hand and up my arm twice. Also he flew a few feet once because he thought he was going to fall off my hand.
Also he makes a noise sometimes that sounds (and looks) like he's eating, but he isn't. It reminds me of a human grinding their teeth. He did this a couple times yesterday, today when he was on a playgym perch for a minute or so, and for a few seconds when I was holding him. Could he be nervous or bored? I didn't think he was bored because he didn't seem interested in anything around him.
Overall he just doesn't seem very active for his age, or at all. Maybe he's tired. Then again he'll get excited by something every once in a while and climb everywhere.
I think he's probably just adjusting...everything here is new.


Any thoughts?

It sounds like he is doing well for just his second day there. He will do more as he gets comfortable and relaxed. The beak grinding is good, my tiels do that when the are content and relaxed.

 

[Renae]

He's grinding his beak which means he's content.

I just got a new 'tiel as well and he's not quite settled in and is also used to being with other birds.. sometimes it's scary because you don't see them eat/drink when it's likely they're eating and drinking while you're not around. He'll settle in, may just take him a few days, it differs between Cockatiels, some settle in straight away, others can take days, even a week or so.

 

[Hamrick]

It sounds like he is doing well for just his second day there. He will do more as he gets comfortable and relaxed. The beak grinding is good, my tiels do that when the are content and relaxed.

Well I'm glad he's doing it then, though its a bit like nails on a chalkboard to me.
I think he's doing well too. I learned that he doesn't want to be bothered while he's sleepy though... He was half asleep when I reached in his cage (to take out some uneaten food and a toy that I don't want him playing with unsupervised) and he tried to bite me. I know he's not rough, so I let him and he just pecked me and looked at my finger with a "that was pointless" kind of look.

 

[JLcribber]

You said he came from a flock of 8 or 9 Tiels. That means he is from a true flock which he does not have any more. He will and does feel vulnerable because they derive a lot of their comfort and security from that flock. (Safety in numbers).

 

[Sharpie]

Give him some time- it sounds like he's got a big adjustment to make and it will take a few weeks before he's really settled in.

 

[Chicklette]

Right now he is extremely scared and wondering where his flock is, that is a massive change for him. Teil’s are very skittish by nature so it takes them longer to adjust then other birds. He just needs some time to adjust. Talk softly to him, let him sleep when he wants. Don’t pressure him to do something he doesn’t want to do. That will make him more afraid. They sleep a lot to adjust to their new home. But everything seems normal so don’t worry, it’s normal.

So just give the little one a while to settle in and he will be okay.