I don't know how to bond with my cockatiel and I need some help

[Albert883]

Hi, my cockatiel is tamed.. I think. She steps up when I put my finger close to her legs, but if I put my finger to her chest she bites me.. But She doesnt bite for me to get hurt, she like taps my finger with her beak. I tried to hand feed her but she just keeps 'biting' me and hisses at me. Can I get some help please? And can I still bond with her if I have a male budgie always with her?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome!
Here is some reading for you.
It sounds like you're doing well with your bird.
I'm not sure why you put your finger to her chest... sounds like it confuses her. It's great that she steps up already.
I don't see a problem concerning the budgie, as long as you actively interact with her and keep enhancing the bonding.
I'm glad you're here!

 

[Albert883]

Hi, I dont put my fingers on her chest, I meant when I have my fingers from her chest up, like when I try to rub hear head.. My bad.

 

[Tami2]

Hi,

Here’s a good read.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Best of luck to you both. :heart:

 

[Scott]

How long have you had your cockatiel? If new, there is a transition "honeymoon" period. Does she seem closely bonded to the budgie? If so, her "needs" may be met and might not choose to bond as closely with you.

Tami's linked "bonding" thread is superb and gives terrific advice. Try some of the techniques and let us know if there is progress! You might practice the same tactics with both birds simultaneously.

 

[Albert883]

The budgie is pretty scared of me.. I've had the budgie for like 6 months and the cockatiel for 2 or 3 months I think

 

[GaleriaGila]

Another nice link. Kentuckienne found this one.
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html

 

[YUMgrinder]

Now, first off, I want to mention how skiddish tiels are, at least in my experience. I only have one, and I have my strongest bond with him over my conures. It took a LONG time for him to come out of his shell. He prefers to be alone, or with me but sometimes he shows interest in my nanday but only when he's in a good mood. It's good that she steps up, when she taps you with her beak we call that "beaking" and it shows displeasement with what you are doing. They are known for asking for scratches then beaking out of nowhere right back to scratches please lol. Her hiss is a further expression of displeasure. It may be the speed at which you are moving your hand close to her and she's uneasy about it. I would try to push her limits a little to get comfortable with your general movements and such, but when she hisses or beaks your hand take a moment to halt what you're doing, make slow movements and back off a little on what your doing then when she calms down, slowly move back towards her. I think with about 9 months of creating a bond, you should be well off by then and will be able to read your bird with great precision. It's important to allow her to set boundaries at the same time so that both of you become great friends. You must be patient. My tiel loves to be talked to, I suggest using sweet talk and sunflower seeds to butter her up.

 

[reeb]

Hi!

So I can speak from a loooot of experience on this because I was in a similar situation. When I got Berry my cockatiel, she was hand-reared but hadn’t been handled a whole lot since she was very small. The moment I saw the breeder grab her out of the cage and not ask her to step up I knew I had A LOT of work to do. She was TERRIFIED of me. She would spend all day sitting still on one corner of the play gym, didn’t know how to step up (I had to coax her with sunflower seeds) and was very uncomfortable for at least 3 weeks. I would hand feed her millet and sunflower seeds - she was very cautious, and often hissed at me but never bit. Since it seems like your tiel doesn’t bite hard, she is probably equally as gentle as my little girl is. That’s a really good sign!

It did take Berry a while to accept food from me, but I persisted until she did. I have two budgies who would be around her all day, and that didn’t have an impact on our bonding process. If anything, I think it helped because she saw how they were more than happy to play with me and sit with me.

One day, it’s like she consciously decided to trust me. I was watching tv and she hopped onto my shoulder. It was for a few seconds, but that was the beginning of our very special bond. She would spend more and more time sitting on my shoulder or my lap, and I never tried to pet her or anything because I knew it would take time. After about a week, I gave her head a little scritch and well, the rest is history.

She is now the most bonded to me of all my birds, and loves all the attention she can possibly get.

So, just persist! Your baby will come around. She just needs time. She sounds like she is gentle, and sweet, just like Berry.

Good luck! I hope this is a reassuring story.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Albert883]

Thank you for all the sweet comnents! I will try to be more gentle with her. I love this community!