Cockatiel won't step up

chris686

New member
Jun 14, 2013
24
0
Florida
Parrots
Pico the green cheek ;
Boomer the cockatiel
My cockatiel, Boomer, has recently started being against stepping up, though the behavior is odd, and I'm not sure what I did to trigger it.

While he won't step up, he wants to be next to me at all times. He's not clipped, so when I try to get him to step up, it ends up with him flying around the room a few times and landing on the suitable perch furthest away from me. If I go sit down, he will fly to my shoulder, THEN he will step up and basically do whatever I ask.

He will step up, get down, and let me touch him wherever I'd like, even completely covering him with my hand and giving him scratches.

He used to be very obedient, though this behavior seems to coincide with his wings growing back and him becoming confident in his flying ability. I've been seriously debating clipping his wings again, but I don't want to if I can avoid it. My green cheek is full flight also, and she'll always step up, step down, and is even picking up on the phrase "Go home" where she will fly back to her cage on command (Though sometimes not without a fight, of course :)).

I'm trying step up, step down exercises with millet, which is his favorite, but even then, he doesn't cooperate. If it helps, he's around 8-9 months old now.

edit:
I've had him for 6 months now, also.
 
Last edited:

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
It's a tough decision to make. I've been there before and I ended up clipping. But that's just me, especially boys! Girls aren't as bad about it and I leave them be.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I don't clip at all, and have found it rather easy to get flighted birds to come to me without fear or issues, even if not tame.


Can you get a video for us how you are trying to get him to step up? Or maybe explain it in as great of detail as you can?
 

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