Some detailed tips for taming a new cockatiel?

CakeMarie

New member
May 27, 2018
26
0
West virginia in a cute little apartment with the
Parrots
A noble cockatiel named hohenheim!
Once we get our own house, well adopt a cockatoo!
Heya everybody!
Wanted to updated you guys that hohenheim is just fine :) thankfully. He's been very happy, whistling to me if I try to leave the room, inching toward me to his cage and eats millet from my hand now!
I was wondering if I could have a few tips for taming him? I'm slowing trying to get him used to my hands for step up but he is just a little wary still. Patience patience!
Also, do cockatiels sleep heavy? Or are they light sleepers? I'm a night owl who just lounges around quietly but making food at night may wake him up? I starve to save his sleep haha. Just kidding but yeah :p
Thank you❤
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 14, 2016
15,045
8,742
Cleveland area
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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
Great news!

Here is som reading that we recommend.


http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html


Yes, cockatiels are reputed to be light sleepers. They're prone to "night flaps", or sudden panics that cause them to flap frantically. I bet some cockatiel experts may be along to comment.

I once did an extended babysitting for a cockatiel wayyyyy back in the day. Nothing was more terrifying than the sound of little wings beating against bars at night. I tried nightlights, no nightlights, covers, no covers, even music...

Here's some reading...

https://byrumsbirdrescue.weebly.com/bird-bloggin/cockatiel-night-frights

Good luck!
 

AmyMyBlueFront

Well-known member
Apr 14, 2015
6,315
Media
4
3,034
Connecticut
Parrots
Amy a Blue Front 'Zon
Jonesy a Goffins 'Too who had to be rehomed :-(

And a Normal Grey Cockatiel named BB who came home with me on 5/20/2016.
Ms Gail hit the nail on the head. Teils do get spooked fairly easily and night frights. Taming just takes time and paitients. Don't rush him he'll come around just shower him with TLC :D


Jim
 

EllenD

New member
Aug 20, 2016
3,979
65
State College, PA
Parrots
Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
He'll come around as far as the taming and bonding process goes, you just got him and you have not "earned his trust" yet, he's still settling-in, but once you do earn his trust, everything else will simply fall into place...The most important thing that you need to remember and keep in-mind is that you must go at HIS PACE, not yours...

As far as the cockatiel "night-frights" and you possibly keeping him up at night, do be sure to cover him with a dark-colored sheet/blanket, if you're not already. That usually helps quite a bit in keeping them asleep while you're still up and about...

***Do you have a "sleeping-cage" for your cockatiel? Something to think seriously about, as it may solve this issue completely for you...All of my guys have their "main-cages" in my living room/dining room /kitchen area (my main-floor is all open) so that they are in the area that I usually am when I'm home (and have stands in all of the other rooms so they can come along whenever I'm somewhere else)...However, they each have their own "sleeping-cage" in my bedroom, and when it's bedtime they all go upstairs and into their "sleeping-cages", they get a little nighttime treat, we say goodnight, and they all get covered. Then I go back downstairs and watch TV or whatever I'm doing down there, that way I don't keep them awake. And when I come upstairs to bed later they don't ever seem to wake-up at all, just as long as I make sure that I've got everything ready to go, like the alarm already set and on, the lights are all out but the one on my nightstand, etc., so I can just brush my teeth, come in my bedroom, crawl into bed, and turn out the light and go to sleep.

I have 4 larger birds (larger than my Budgies I should say, who all live in a very large, indoor aviary together and sleep there as well), so I have 4 "sleeping-cages" in my bedroom. Their sleeping-cages should be a fraction of the size that their "main-cages" are, just large enough that they can open their wings fully...for a Cockatiel, like my Duff, their sleeping cage only needs to be the size of regular, square Budgie/Cockatiel cage, like the kind you can buy at Petco or any pet shop for around $30-$40. They have one perch in their sleeping-cages, and each also have a swing (Duff actually always sleeps on her swing), and then a water dish. That's it. No toys, no food. It's strictly for them to sleep in during the night, that's it. And in the morning when we all get-up I uncover them all and let them out at the same time, and they all fly downstairs to their main-cages and wait for their breakfast...well, all but Duff, who cannot fly due to a blood-feather incident last year that resulted in me having to yank it out of the bone to stop her from bleeding to death, and resulted in her not ever growing back that primary flight-feather, so she can't ever fly again :( So she hitches a ride downstairs with me!

You might think about trying the sleeping cage thing, especially if you are up during the night doing things in the room where your bird's main-cage is, and that room is separate from your bedroom...
 

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