Obsessed with my shoulder!

[GreyWarden]

Hello all! I brought my cockatiel Milo home this week, and he's settling in really well. However, whenever he's out he only wants to be on my shoulder. He'll sit up there forever, grinding his little beak and sometimes falling asleep. If you try to get him down he'll run to the other shoulder or hiss at you. I want him to get a little more exercise since it doesn't seem like the plays with any of the toys in his cage and he's usually sitting on the same perch, but he's obsessed with my shoulder! How do I make him see other things can be fun as well? He won't take any treats, I've tried millet and a few fruits so far and he'll just hiss at them or nip at it and walk away, so I'm not sure how to train him.

 

[MauiWendy]

Hello all! I brought my cockatiel Milo home this week, and he's settling in really well. However, whenever he's out he only wants to be on my shoulder. He'll sit up there forever, grinding his little beak and sometimes falling asleep. If you try to get him down he'll run to the other shoulder or hiss at you. I want him to get a little more exercise since it doesn't seem like the plays with any of the toys in his cage and he's usually sitting on the same perch, but he's obsessed with my shoulder! How do I make him see other things can be fun as well? He won't take any treats, I've tried millet and a few fruits so far and he'll just hiss at them or nip at it and walk away, so I'm not sure how to train him.

Congrats! Going on to your should is a privalage and should be on your terms only. Since you don’t know this bird very well he hasn’t earned this right. He should only be up there when you know you are in control and you can trust him. So as a suggestion why not get him a stand and teach him to step up from it on to your hand. Reward him with something you know he likes. Millet is like birdie candy, I’m surprised he doesn’t like it. He may not be used to fruit so I can see why he may oppose to it. If he is hissing he is not comfortable with the situation, and that can turn in to a biting situation. You may need to back off and just observe him, see what he likes and withhold it so you can use it to reward his good behavior. I hope this makes sense and it’s only a suggestion. Good luck.

 

[GreyWarden]

Congrats! Going on to your should is a privalage and should be on your terms only. Since you don’t know this bird very well he hasn’t earned this right. He should only be up there when you know you are in control and you can trust him. So as a suggestion why not get him a stand and teach him to step up from it on to your hand. Reward him with something you know he likes. Millet is like birdie candy, I’m surprised he doesn’t like it. He may not be used to fruit so I can see why he may oppose to it. If he is hissing he is not comfortable with the situation, and that can turn in to a biting situation. You may need to back off and just observe him, see what he likes and withhold it so you can use it to reward his good behavior. I hope this makes sense and it’s only a suggestion. Good luck.

Thank you! I visited him at the breeders about once or twice a week for three months (he was really slow to wean lol) and he would always sit on my shoulder so I think he just got used to it and now that's all he wants to do! I'll have to keep trying other fruits/veggies because so far he won't take anything...

 

[MauiWendy]

Thank you! I visited him at the breeders about once or twice a week for three months (he was really slow to wean lol) and he would always sit on my shoulder so I think he just got used to it and now that's all he wants to do! I'll have to keep trying other fruits/veggies because so far he won't take anything...

Give him time to settle in. As long as he is eating his food and drinking water, give him a couple of weeks. Never force, you will only undo the trust you have. Take it slow, give him time to adjust to his new surroundings, sights and sounds.

 

[sunnysmom]

Give him some time still. And some birds aren't big players. My cockatiel didn't "play" very much but loved to "help" me with things. Like if I was reading a magazine, he would sit on my lap and chew the edges. Or if I looked at mail, I'd give him the junk mail pile and he's chew those. So in time, maybe try engaging him in things that you are doing.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

It’s great that he trusts you so much that his favorite thing to do is hang out with you! In time he will venture down to see what you are doing and will want to play with everything you are touching, so if you start fiddling with his toys, that might entice him. To get him used to your hands, you can drop a little millet berry in his food cup every time you walk by, and eventually he might take a nibble from a long spray of millet that you are holding. When he’s comfortable, you can start making the millet spray shorter and shorter. Eventually you could start target training.

 

[Lady Jane]

I would not worry about your bird sitting on your shoulder. You are lucky! I do not put human words to bird actions such as obsessed. He just found a place he likes better than any where else. Now try and have another place that draws his attention so he can spend time there like a nice bird stand with lots of goodies for him to play with and eat.

 

[Monica]

Highly agree with Tiel Feathers! It's okay that he's not taking millet now, just leave a few "berries" in the food dish and once he starts nibbling on it, he might change his mind! I also had a tiel at one point in time that didn't know what millet was! And this was an adult cockatiel of unknown age! I would even leave millet hanging in her cage and she'd never touch it... She didn't change her mind until she saw other tiels eating it and had to try it out for herself! And she decided it was pretty tasty!

Also agree with Lady Jane. Your tiel really enjoys your shoulder and finds it a comfortable place. It's possible that maybe your tiel hasn't settled in quite yet and wants extra comfort from you while telling you that he doesn't want to come down!


My first tiel (and only young one at that) came home at 5 months old. I think I would have probably been happy if she was happy enough to sit on my shoulder for hours on end back then! But instead, she wanted into *everything*! She's always been an explorer (17 years later... that hasn't changed!) and I've come across wires that she's chewed or some other mischief she enjoyed getting into... I remember the first time my family had pizza delivered and she was *so* intent on getting in/on the box! Hot pizza plus birdy? Nope! Ended up having to lock her up for her safety and health!


So like the others have said, give him some time.