9 Month old RTB Cockatoo - How long to settle

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum, from Australia and have a male RTB. I brought him home just under two weeks, and wanting to know how long it should take him to settle and get use to me. He doesn't want to climb on my hand just yet.

I've heard that they don't talk as much, just wanting to know if they talk at all.

TIA.

My RB Cockatoo is the best, most clear talker in my flock, and has a very large vocabulary, so it's not always true that they don't talk much. He never shuts up! LOL He talked from a very young age (before he was even weaned), so that might be a good indicator of which ones will talk, unlike my Grey who didn't really talk much at all until he was over a year old.
My RB has a wonderful sense of humor, too, always joking around.

I can't say about how long your parrot will take to get accustomed to you. Mine came from a really great parrot store, so he was fully weaned, fledged, confident, and already familiar with me from all the visiting I did prior to him coming home, so he settled right in very quickly. Good luck with your baby. They're such great birds.

I presume that we are talking about a hand raised bird? A 9 month old galah should step up within a day or two if he has been socialised properly. Try sitting near him and speaking calmly to him, read a book to him. Every now and again reach over and give him a treat, a slivered almond or corn kernel or whatever floats his boat. This will build his trust in you. When he is calm around you and is happily accepting treats from your hand (without attempting to bite) then do the same with the door of the cage open. If you don't trust him to leave the cage as yet, then use one of the feeding doors. Then progress to the main cage door. DO NOT put your hand in the cage - let him come to you. When he repeatedly comes to you and takes the treat from your hand, place a stick between him and the treat so that he has to step up onto it to reach the treat. Say "step up" as he steps onto the stick and then "step down" (with another treat) as he steps back to his perch.
Once he does this consistently, you can either continue using the stick but make it shorter so that he gradually gets closer to your hand and then just use your hand instead of the stick if he/you see the trust or simply replace the stick with your hand.
This process may take 30 minutes or 30 days depending on how often and consistent you are and any fear/trust issues that the bird may have.

I'm assuming by "RTB" you mean a red tail black cockatoo?

Sometimes it can take weeks to months to gain a birds trust- are you offering him any treats?

Yes, my bird is a red tail black cockatoo.

Duke is now standing on my hand but he is trying to hump it. I haven't had my previous cockatoo do that to me before.

Well then...sounds like he's settled in JUST fine..... :54:

JerseyWendy said:

Well then...sounds like he's settled in JUST fine..... :54:

Click to expand...

That's hilarious!!:32:

I'd love to see pics of your RTB when you get a chance...

Yes, definitely do think his now settled.. Cheeky bugger!

Will upload some pics of my boy soon, once i figure out how.

Treats treats treats!
If you have any native browse in your area like casurina, hakea or banksia, serve them up
Especially if you're able to 'play together', fiddling with the plants while your boy chomps on them. Anything you do together will strengthen the bonds.

I've never heard a RTB talk before, they definitely prefer their soft little squawks.

Thanks, still also figuring out what he likes as treats!! Almonds is one!

You mention little squawks ha his isn't so little.. but I think it's more for attention.

Still trying to figure him out..

Yeah, if he's still young, he'll be testing his boundaries, seeing how hard he can push.