Django - the angry Cockatiel

[inkedandloud]

Ok, so I've had Django the cockatiel for just under a week now. I bought him from a local store, good rep, and he is roughly 12 weeks old! Hand reared (I was told).

He is content in his cage, eating and drinking, playing with his toys and is very vocal first thing in the morning (which sucks at the weekend, but nicer to wake up to than one of the dogs jumping on my head).

I have been sitting by the cage, talking to him, talking on the phone near the cage, whistling and pretty much just trying to get him used to my voice!

I have had the cage door open a couple of times, but he doesn't seem to want to venture out yet. I have also been feeding him millet on the branch which he seems delighted with. The only problem I am having is that if my hand moves ever so slightly when feeding him, or if I put my hand too close to the cage, he strikes! Not sure whether this is just lack of familiarity of if he might just be truly evil (doubtful). He hasn't managed to bite me yet, but I haven't moved my hand away too quickly as I don't want him to think I am afraid of him or startle him!

Although the idea of a chunk of finger missing isn't that appealing I will admit, I am willing to try anything to bond with the little guy! The millet is good, and he does seem to approach the bars when I talk to him! Is this just a case of being patient and persistent?

 

[MonicaMc]

Just a case of being patient. Everything is new and different to him, so he needs some time to adjust. He hasn't been in your home for very long and it can take weeks, if not months for birds to settle in.

Try to move slowly so as to not startle him, and just talk to him, tell him what you are doing as you do it, so he learns what's going on.

 

[Captsteve]

Well, first I would change his name to something like cuddle bear! He is just living up to his name! lol

Just kidding.

Keep doing what you are doing and don't be afraid of getting nipped. It will happen and is not that bad. Now if he was a Macaw... They have a real can opener on their face.

This will take a little time, he was just ripped from the only life he knew and is still trying to figure out the order of things.

 

[inkedandloud]

Funny you should say that Captsteve, I was cleaning out his cage this weekend when he decided to escape and fly into the window! I stayed calm, walked over and scooped him up off the window ledge, at which point he decided I was going to cook him or something dreadful and clamped down on my finger! Got him back into the cage and then spent the next 5 minutes with my mangled finger under the cold tap. All the while he was narrowing his eyes at me and grumbling.
Despite that minor setback, he has been a lot more vocal lately!

Just going to be very patient.
And maybe invest in some gloves :').

 

[SilverSage]

Hm, does he actually bite when he strikes at you? In my experience cockatiels tend to me very showy with trying to shred fingers, but don't usually do it if they are tame. I had a sweetheart cockatiel who would his and lunge and the second you actually touched your finger to his chest he was all step up and snuggle! This may not be the case with yours, but it could be that the "scooping up" was really startling to him. Also, keep in mind that every time a beak closes on your finger doesn't mean it will hurt. Birds use their beaks as hands a LOT.

 

[Captsteve]

My Too likes to mouth, ehem beak my fingers. when he starts putting pressure on I tell him gentle and he lets up.

But back to your bird. Yes, you scared the tar outta him! First you invaded his space then, like the big scary monster you are you scooped him up to eat him and pick your teeth with his bones.

Sit and quietly talk to him and give him treats. He will come around and soon will allow you the privilege of cleaning his cage and maybe even being his personal perch. lol

 

[inkedandloud]

To be honest, I haven't put my hand inside the cage, the only time I have had my hand near was to change the water and fed him some millet! The cage has a removal bottom so its just a case of lifting the top of and not putting my hands inside. I didn't want to go invading his nest!
I wouldn't mind but I was singing an Elvis song to him when I scooped him up to try and settle him down, because who doesn't love Elvis?!
Clearly he is more of a Shania Twain fan or something. Maybe that's why he bit.

I have the feeling if I let him lunge at my fingers he would definitely not be going in for a cuddle.

I will just keep doing what I am doing with sitting near and chatting to him, and maybe avoiding trying to finger tame him just yet.

 

[Fae88]

I am in a similar boat with my now 13 week old Tiel Bruno. I will have officially had him for a week tomorrow. But my guy WASENT hand raised, so from what I have been reading it may take even longer to tame him than your typical hand raised Cockatiel.

I do exactly as you do. I only put my hands in the cage to change out food and water dishes. I DID stick my hand in there today to adjust his toys (which he has no idea how to use). He has yet to strike but he does hiss and lunge when my hands are fully in the cage.

I also sit next to his cage and just talk sweetly to him. Which usually lures him to the front. But he has zero interest in taking a treat from my hand. When I offer it he usually retreats to the back corner of his cage and gives me his back. Which from what I read, is the ultimate Cockatiel F you! Lol

So I really don't have any advice. Just want to say you are not alone!

 

[inkedandloud]

Oh thanks so much Fae88!
Its nice to know I don't have an evil bird, even though I am pretty sure he has been narrowing his eyes at me.
Guess we need to just be patient! :')
You've put my mind at rest!!

 

[gracebowen]

Old thread I know. SilverSage that is exactly what Jet does. Do you think it's ok to just go on and have him step up and bring him out? I was but haven't lately.

 

[Minimaker]

Have you tried clicker training him at all Grace? I ordered this video and it was geared more towards smaller birds than mine although the principles are pretty much the same I guess:Taming Training Tricks Volume 11 Clicker Parrot Bird How to Video Birdtricks | eBay

It's so amazing what they can be trained to do. I was so shocked to see what they could get a tiny little parakeet to do, they tricks they can learn that stimulate their minds and bodies. They trained a few birds on the smaller side that had not been worked with much so it was basically starting from scratch. The birds come to associate you with food and working for treats keep them near you and then the bond begins to form. Working for treats keeps them busy and active which means a healthy mind. In the wild they search and work all day for their food, in our homes we give them a bowl full every day and they don't get the stimulation of having to look for or find anything like they would if they were free in the wild. Trick training helps keep them busy and entertained. They still get their food, they don't go hungry, and they learn to want to be with you because you are handing them food. I think it has helped us with our birds when we use it. We don't follow it regularly like we should but the principles are there so we can when we want to. It's tedious slow work to train them but the payoff is incredible.

 

[veimar]

Tiels can bite really bad actually... It's not to scare you, but don't be surprised and, arghh, you might need to use gloves sometimes. I rescued a wild 2 yo tiel last summer from a hoarder who never handled and never let his birds out of their tiny cage, and oh did he bite! The worst bird bites I ever got were from him. Since I'm a pianist and needed to keep my fingers, I had to use gloves at first (I had skin colored very slim suede gloves that kinda looked like hands so he bit them vehemently) LOL
But now he is the sweetest lap and shoulder puppy! I cannot even recall when he bit me last time.. He still nibbles at my hand when I try to get him out of the cage (he hates that), but he hasn't bit me for months, and I don't think he ever will. He is my only bird who allowed me to put harness on him without almost any training, and he loves going to walks with me in it.
So, patience, patience and patience - your bird will come along! It just might take some time. My tiel was very cage-bound, so I had to keep him cage-free all the day to get used to open space. If yours smashed into things you might wanna consider to clip him. I had to clip mine on day one after he smashed into the wall so hard that his wings were bleeding. Now he is almost fully flighted (he's molting) and I don't think he needs to be clipped again.
Just allow Django to settle in - for some birds it will take longer...