Grumpy Cockatiel

[thatdamnjodie]

Newbie here!
I need some help with what I guess could be called "re-taming" my bird. For context and history, there's a few paragraphs here. Sorry for that!

I've got a male cockatiel named George who is about 4 years old now. He came to us hand-raised from a breeder and was our first bird. He was out of the cage for a while when we first got him but he'd get frightened a lot so we kept him in there. Over time he didn't step up anymore, and became aggressive with hands and fingers.

With time and patience, I managed to get him a little used to my hands again and let me pet his head. But he hisses and pecks (not too hard, just a warning peck) if my hands go anywhere else but his head. I'm very respectful of his space and don't push my luck.

I left him in my sister's care for about a year due to not being allowed to have pets at my in-laws' house. Unfortunately, she has no bird experience and liked poking fun at him, stirring him up by waving her hands at him. She would talk to him, but neglected to clean his cage and remove rotting vegetables and fruits. There was also no direct sunlight for him to absorb some vitamin D in the house.

Thankfully, I was able to finally bring him home into my care again. I'm taking him to the vet asap to check on his overall health, as I'm worried that he might have a deficiency or illness from living in such gross conditions. Otherwise, he still talks and lets me pet him - but he's almost back to his aggressive habits with hands.

I want to make him trust my hands again. If anyone has experience and/or advice on restoring a bird's trust with hands, or generally how to make them step up again, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Here's a photo of him.

He's such a beautiful personality, I want to repair the relationship we had together.

 

[Anansi]

Hello, and welcome to the Parrot Forums family!

I think the first step here is to rededicate yourself to George. This includes accepting the level of patience, persistence and consistency that will be necessary to properly socialize him and get him back to the point where he can have a happy and healthy relationship with you and the other members of your household.

I mention this because of the admirably honest background context you gave admitting that he initially became more aggressive and feral once you stopped taking him out of his cage as much. This time around, keep in mind that the more that he is handled by you and the other members of the household, the less fearful it will be. The key is for the strange to become the familiar.

Okay, so where to begin? You want to get him used to you, again. So you can start by sitting as close to the cage as you can without getting him all riled up and just read to him. Or talk to him. Or sing to him. As time passes and he gets more comfortable with your presence, you can move closer and closer.

Also, bribery is your friend in this. Find his favorite treat - something that he doesn't get regularly in his meals - and give it to him during these bonding sessions. You want him to associate tasty goodness with you. Association is key with birds.

Once he feels more confident taking food from your hands again, you'll want to start luring him onto your finger. Do this by putting your hand just above the level of his feet and then offering food with your other hand a little beyond his reach so that he has to step up onto your hand to get the treat. (Note: If he is actually cage-territorial, which might indeed be the case, then you might want to use a perch to get him out of his cage and then work with him in an entirely different room. Why? Because a bird defending his territory will bet far more aggressive than he might be in a different environment where you are his most familiar touchstone.)

Another bonding exercise is to get some interactive activities going between you. This is huge for bonding because birds are actually highly intelligent and interaction with you will involve a deeper level of communication between the two of you than has been achieved thus far. A great starting place for interactive activity is target training. Here is a great link to get you and George started on that: [ame="https://youtu.be/HaOicTtwIZo"]Beginners guide to target training parrots - YouTube[/ame]

Is George flighted? And if so, is he a capable flier? If part of the reason you stopped taking him out was fear of him getting spooked and crashing into walls, you can mitigate the danger by doing his training in the smallest possible room. Without enough space to build up a lot of speed, crashes are less likely to cause any injury.

And if he is flighted, target training can evolve into recall training. And with that foundation, there are any number of interactive activities that can spring from there. It will be fun for you and George both.

 

[itzjbean]

Excellent, excellent advice given above. I will only add this:

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

I always recommend those looking to have a better relationship with their birb to browse that thread to get some great ideas on where to start. It will take patience on your end but it will be worth it if you stick to it!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and George, wishing you both a lifetime bond of happiness and enjoyment.

Cannot add to the splendid advice given above, only to give encouragement. The last sentence of your post says it all: "He's such a beautiful personality, I want to repair the relationship we had together." Cockatiels are generally mellow and loving birds, I am sure he will follow your lead.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Great, great advice!

I admire your determination and love. Good combination.

I'm glad you're both here.

P.S.
I am resisting a temptation to cyber-shake your sister (AND your in-laws, for separating you from your darling)! Well, at least she took care of him so you could get him back.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you and George!

 

[smbrds]

Welcome to you and George. He'll come around. Lots of advice and info that has covered the bases. Tiels are great birds and one day you'll have a great relationship and a bond like no other. It's a virtue. In time!