Taming a Traumatized 'Tiel?

[Cockatoo]

I recently rescued a middle aged cockatiel from some horrific conditions. She watched her cagemates get killed by a cat, was grabbed violently on several occasions, and is completely terrified of human hands. She tolerates me putting my face near the cage, and sometimes will even whistle with me, but the moment my hand comes up, she's hissing and scrambling away. The only time she will tolerate my hand is when I slowly come towards the cage carrying her favorite treat, a Wheat Thin. But even then, she acts extremely scared. Is there any hope in taming her? It breaks my heart to see her living in such constant fear...

 

[aether-drifter]

Poor Baby! Thank you for rescuing her.
There is definitely hope, but it could be a long process. I would start by just spending a lot of time around her, talking and whistling, and getting her used to your hands very gradually. Maybe try resting them near her cage, while talking reassuringly, at first -- a few times a day for short sessions. When she gets used to that, start moving closer until your hands are touching the cage, then eventually put them inside (with a treat). In time, she will probably come around. But obviously it can't be rushed.

 

[MonicaMc]

What about millet? And her favorite seeds?

I've been able to gradually get my most skittish tiel used to me - to a degree. My goal really wasn't to tame him though, just get him more used to my presence, and I accomplished this by feeding him - and the rest of the flock, by hand, first thing in the morning. I gave them the choice to come to me for food, and in time, their confidence and trust in me grew. He's still skittish, but not like he used to be.

 

[Cockatoo]

I think her fear of humans outweighs her love of food. But she is beginning to stay still whenever I put a Wheat Thin in her cage, which is a big milestone. And instead of hissing when I come near, sometimes she fluffs up her feathers, totally relaxed.
But thanks soooo much for the tips!

 

[ct92404]

What you are doing is admirable. You really have a good heart to rescue this poor bird. It can be tricky to tame any animal, but dealing with one that is even more scared of humans because it was abused is really hard. Birds already have a natural instinctive fear of humans, but it's easier to tame a new bird because its first real contact with people is a good one, with you. So it learns that humans are friendly. But in your case, this poor bird was abused and so now it thinks that people are dangerous and scary. I can imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking it would be for you.

Sometimes I really wish there was a way to talk to animals. It would be so nice if there was some way to tell your bird "I'm NOT like the other ones you were with. I won't hurt you. I love you and I'm going to take care of you." Animals can understand in a limited way, with the tone of your voice, your body language, and how you treat them. But a lot of times they don't understand what's going on. When they get scared even though you're just trying to help them, you feel helpless and frustrated.

I really wish I could tell you what to do. Good luck, and I hope things work out.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

Try clicker and target training. There are lots of video on YouTube on how to teach a cockatiel to learn target training. And websites like birdtricks and goodbirdinc have some good advice for you.

And it will take some time until a new parrot will starts to trust you, just take it slow and your cockatiel will starts to trust you.

Good luck