It's been a whole month and I still can't bond with my cockatiel

[H.Hikaru]

I'm a fairly new bird owner, Let's say my first cockatiel name was Mistel.

He was easy to bond with and very clingy. It took me only 3 weeks to have him asking for petting or confidently go outside his cage and play. However, I had to leave him for 6 days so I asked my other family member to take care of him but just right in the morning after I left, he escaped. So after I returned and put some effort finding him, I decided to gave up looking (my family's house located near forest and farm so I believe the Mistel is gone for good).

So then I got myself another cockatiel, his name is Kyle.

Kyle loves singing, making weird sound (such as motorcycle noise or talking with his face inside his food bowl) , and basically just chirping and tilt his head. When I sit like 2meters away from him, he will start singing and play in his cage, sometime looking at me and sing too. But then when I put his cage close to me (like 30cm away) he will be very quiet and just looking at me with his head tilted or just relaxing and chilling (yeah with the beak clicking noise like when a bird is bout to sleep). Then when I'm off to work (only at monday and friday) he will start squeaking loudly (like asking for attention or asking me where I'm going).

Now, this is the one I'm really confused about. With all that, whenever I tried to interact with him, he will avoid my hand. Sometime he is willing to approach my hand to get the treat i'm offering him, he will perch on my hand too, BUT the next day I tried the same he acted like he is scared of me. Then when I open his cage he doesn't want to go out even if I left (yes I installed camera in the room as well), he refuse to go outside, just stay in his cage and relaxing.

What am I supposed to do with him?

P.S : He also still doesn't want to eat vegetables no matter how many variation I tried. I even tried all the things that youtubers like Birdtricks, ElleandTheBirds, The parrot teacher, ParrotAwesomeness, Flying Fids, etc suggested. But he just threw the vegetables away and when his seeds ran out he will ask for more loudly. I need tips on that too, should I ignore his demand? should I trick him to eat it? I don't know..

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

every bird is different with unique personalities.
Just like bird-people.


You got really lucky with your previous bird.
And so sorry that Mistel escaped.

You are just going to have to work harder with Kyle to gain trust and make friends.
Maybe if you are sure he is eating okay don't worry to much about diet yet.

 

[TenthDoctor34]

I wouldn't give up, some birds bond quicker than others and it can just take other birds time. Kyle might just need longer.

 

[Free as a bird]

I'm a fairly new bird owner, Let's say my first cockatiel name was Mistel.

He was easy to bond with and very clingy. It took me only 3 weeks to have him asking for petting or confidently go outside his cage and play. However, I had to leave him for 6 days so I asked my other family member to take care of him but just right in the morning after I left, he escaped. So after I returned and put some effort finding him, I decided to gave up looking (my family's house located near forest and farm so I believe the Mistel is gone for good).

So then I got myself another cockatiel, his name is Kyle.

Kyle loves singing, making weird sound (such as motorcycle noise or talking with his face inside his food bowl) , and basically just chirping and tilt his head. When I sit like 2meters away from him, he will start singing and play in his cage, sometime looking at me and sing too. But then when I put his cage close to me (like 30cm away) he will be very quiet and just looking at me with his head tilted or just relaxing and chilling (yeah with the beak clicking noise like when a bird is bout to sleep). Then when I'm off to work (only at monday and friday) he will start squeaking loudly (like asking for attention or asking me where I'm going).

Now, this is the one I'm really confused about. With all that, whenever I tried to interact with him, he will avoid my hand. Sometime he is willing to approach my hand to get the treat i'm offering him, he will perch on my hand too, BUT the next day I tried the same he acted like he is scared of me. Then when I open his cage he doesn't want to go out even if I left (yes I installed camera in the room as well), he refuse to go outside, just stay in his cage and relaxing.

What am I supposed to do with him?

P.S : He also still doesn't want to eat vegetables no matter how many variation I tried. I even tried all the things that youtubers like Birdtricks, ElleandTheBirds, The parrot teacher, ParrotAwesomeness, Flying Fids, etc suggested. But he just threw the vegetables away and when his seeds ran out he will ask for more loudly. I need tips on that too, should I ignore his demand? should I trick him to eat it? I don't know..

Keep getting him to eat from your hand as much as possible. He's scared of your hand and suspicious of you at this stage. Slowly get it used to the hand by feeding him directly from your hand.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Keep getting him to eat from your hand as much as possible. He's scared of your hand and suspicious of you at this stage. Slowly get it used to the hand by feeding him directly from your hand.

Yes! This! My budgie still isn’t super tame, even after 5 months, but I have gotten her to eat from my hand a few times. Patience is key! Work with the bird on their terms and pace, don’t rush or force things, and persistence will keep you golden!

And whatever you do, DO NOT make the mistake I did, with Rico… because I rushed things way too much in the beginning, which caused setback, trust issues, and aggression. Those problems have mellowed out, over time with training and desensitization, but he still isn’t super trusting of some things. I got really that he’s even tame and loves me back.

 

[Free as a bird]

Yes! This! My budgie still isn’t super tame, even after 5 months, but I have gotten her to eat from my hand a few times. Patience is key! Work with the bird on their terms and pace, don’t rush or force things, and persistence will keep you golden!

And whatever you do, DO NOT make the mistake I did, with Rico… because I rushed things way too much in the beginning, which caused setback, trust issues, and aggression. Those problems have mellowed out, over time with training and desensitization, but he still isn’t super trusting of some things. I got really that he’s even tame and loves me back.

I made that mistake with my tiel Rocky that just passed away. I tried to force a harness onto her and broke the trust a bit. Since then I just put the harness away as I see my other tiel is even more spooked by its presence.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

I made that mistake with my tiel Rocky that just passed away. I tried to force a harness onto her and broke the trust a bit. Since then I just put the harness away as I see my other tiel is even more spooked by its presence.

Yeah, I accidentally pushed Rico too far with the harness, so I stopped using it. He loves being outside, but despises the harness. So, I just take him outside in a travel cage. He looks a little purple in the sunlight lol

 

[Free as a bird]

Yeah, I accidentally pushed Rico too far with the harness, so I stopped using it. He loves being outside, but despises the harness. So, I just take him outside in a travel cage. He looks a little purple in the sunlight lol

See my tiels/tiel are opposite. One died recently but they were always so edgy when I took them outside in the travel cage. If they see or hear another bird they get spooked. I can just see it in their body language that they don't like being out there in the little carry cage

 

[Rico_Tiel]

See my tiels/tiel are opposite. One died recently but they were always so edgy when I took them outside in the travel cage. If they see or hear another bird they get spooked. I can just see it in their body language that they don't like being out there in the little carry cage

Rico was like that too, when I first started taking him out. I just hung out with him, let him soak in the sunshine, kept food and water in there, and rewarded him with treats. He only gets startled by big birds (ravens and the very rare eagle or magpie) flying overhead. And my excited reaction to seeing such birds, probably doesn’t ease his worry.