Our bitey boy

[I've copied this post over from the Q&A forum where I accidentally put it yesterday.]

We have two cockatiels - Severus, who is our 2 year old male, and Odo, his (misnamed) 1 year old female friend. We're finding that letting them out is becoming increasingly difficult. Odo is relatively good, just very active and clingy with the family. Sev, however, will bite - hard - anything that comes anywhere hear his face or feet, including human body parts that he has chosen to sit really close to. He likes to climb up and sort of hang from our chests so he can whistle almost into our mouths, but the moment a lip moves he grabs it. My husband and the children refuse to handle him now because he's so quick to bite. He doesn't chase or lunge at us, he's just permanently narky.

He is incessantly courting poor Odo, who has had enough of him. The two of them often start brawling when they're out because she wants to play and explore and he insists on following her and getting in her face. Trying to separate them for playtime just results in Sev throwing himself against the cage bars trying to get to her. He's broken feathers more than once because of it so we've given up and let them stay together. I suspect Odo would be happy to have some alone time though.

I know it's normal for them to be snappy, but his behaviour is way beyond anything I've seen from other 'tiels I've met. I can't do anything about his sexual frustration for at least another 6 months, when Odo might be old enough to breed. And he's like this all the time, not just for a few months of the year.

Neither of them tolerate being petted but they will both step up. I'd like to be able to have them join the family for playtime without having to worry about someone moving the wrong way near Sev. What can we do? Might he grow out of this behaviour?

While we've had bitey males, Lilibet, your experience is outside mine. The only suggestion I could make would be to separate the two- Sev's activity might be set off by the sight of a hen...

Unfortunately that's very much a male thing for cockatiels to do and more people wants a male over females but personally I prefer females better because of this very issue. And like Mike already mentioned, your best bet is separate them for good!

Oh dear. Separating them is tricky - we only have one room that we can keep the birds in. They'd have to be within sight of each other, and I can't see that working. I have to do something though. I'll keep thinking on it. Maybe I can come up with something else (outside aviary for the naughty boy?).

And yes, I like the girls much more than boys. The girls I've had have been sweet natured little things. Unfortunately virtually nobody here sexes their young cockatiels so it's pot luck what you get to bring home.

Thank you both.

well im not very sure, but it sounds like ur girl needs a break. i too think you should seperate them. see if your birds are okay like that, and figure out whether odo wont mind being alone. some birds dont like being seperated, even if their mate annoying them. if that dusnt work, could you take them out one at time? maybe severus will learn a lesson!!