Adopted 2 adult cockatiel 2 months back, want to understand their behaviour

[skyIN]

This is my experience so far -
1. I have 2 beautiful budgies. They are with me for 3 years +.
2. Have rescued cockatiel once (grey cockatiel), he was tamed and used to sing. But since he was alone and my budgies used to bully him, I helped him rehome with one that had 2 more cockatiel (after trying to find his owner). Then immediately realised that how much I got attached to him and started missing him.

Now its been 2 months that I have adopted 2 more cockatiel. They were not tamed and scared of hands. Now they eat from tip of my hand and are able to fly lot better outside the cage. I named one Mickey and other Mini (assuming which one felt like male ... owners were also confused... so I tried to figure).

They get scared of phone. So could not take better picture. Let me know if this is not good enough, I will try for a better one.

Now coming to main concerns. I dont understand their behaviour.

1. They learned to fly, after i forcefully started taking them out.
2. Mickey (male) sometimes climbs out of cage and perch on the bigger branch kept above the cage, while Mini keeps pacing and calling him wanting to come out and finally gives up.
3. They do not fly when are out. They just go to top of the bigger branch/perch and sit.
4. Every morning and evening they start making sound, and pacing inside the cage (the cage gate is kept open whole day). I don't understand what it means. I feel as if they are calling, but who? they seem to call even if I hear no sound from outside that could trigger it.
5. Mickey eats poop that get stuck on cage bar ( i understand this is from nutrients issue, I am planning to introduce multivitamin...let me know if there is anything I am missing)
6. Mickey plucks Mini ear feather everyday (approx 2 times a day) while she preens herself. I started seeing her ear hole. I try to stop him, but that just spooks them both. What to do? What this behaviour indicates?
7. Mickey sometime responds to my husbands whistle. And take a posture that I do not understands and puts me doubt if he is male or not . Oh and also makes a subtle sound (not loud, something like moving a table on floor and the rubber friction makes that sound or like when we clean glass with wet hand... i hope u get it).
   
   
   
   
   Isn't this how female pose when she wants male on her top?
8. Mickey weighs 111gm, Mini: 87gm. Isn't this concerning weight?

I have introduced them to veggies, and It will start becoming part of their regular diet soon. I am planning to introduce multivitamin to help Mickey to stop eating poop. But I need help with the rest and all of the about pointers. I will be greatful, if one can help

 

[Free as a bird]

This is my experience so far -
1. I have 2 beautiful budgies. They are with me for 3 years +.
2. Have rescued cockatiel once (grey cockatiel), he was tamed and used to sing. But since he was alone and my budgies used to bully him, I helped him rehome with one that had 2 more cockatiel (after trying to find his owner). Then immediately realised that how much I got attached to him and started missing him.

Now its been 2 months that I have adopted 2 more cockatiel. They were not tamed and scared of hands. Now they eat from tip of my hand and are able to fly lot better outside the cage. I named one Mickey and other Mini (assuming which one felt like male ... owners were also confused... so I tried to figure).

They get scared of phone. So could not take better picture. Let me know if this is not good enough, I will try for a better one.

Now coming to main concerns. I dont understand their behaviour.

1. They learned to fly, after i forcefully started taking them out.
2. Mickey (male) sometimes climbs out of cage and perch on the bigger branch kept above the cage, while Mini keeps pacing and calling him wanting to come out and finally gives up.
3. They do not fly when are out. They just go to top of the bigger branch/perch and sit.
4. Every morning and evening they start making sound, and pacing inside the cage (the cage gate is kept open whole day). I don't understand what it means. I feel as if they are calling, but who? they seem to call even if I hear no sound from outside that could trigger it.
5. Mickey eats poop that get stuck on cage bar ( i understand this is from nutrients issue, I am planning to introduce multivitamin...let me know if there is anything I am missing)
6. Mickey plucks Mini ear feather everyday (approx 2 times a day) while she preens herself. I started seeing her ear hole. I try to stop him, but that just spooks them both. What to do? What this behaviour indicates?
7. Mickey sometime responds to my husbands whistle. And take a posture that I do not understands and puts me doubt if he is male or not . Oh and also makes a subtle sound (not loud, something like moving a table on floor and the rubber friction makes that sound or like when we clean glass with wet hand... i hope u get it).
   
   
   
   
   Isn't this how female pose when she wants male on her top?
8. Mickey weighs 111gm, Mini: 87gm. Isn't this concerning weight?

I have introduced them to veggies, and It will start becoming part of their regular diet soon. I am planning to introduce multivitamin to help Mickey to stop eating poop. But I need help with the rest and all of the about pointers. I will be greatful, if one can help

Hi. Nice birds and cool pics, thanks for sharing.
As I read your post I kind of laugh because their just displaying typical bird like behaviours and sometimes we just dont know why they do it. I'll do my best to address your concerns.
1. They'll fly when they want to fly not when you want them to fly.
2. Perhaps Mini doesn't understand how the door works yet. It took my tiel a while to learn it. Pull it in and out if the doorway a few times a day.
3. Same as the 1st, they'll fly when they want to fly.
4. That's just typical bird behaviour. Their most vocal at sunrise and sunset. There are heaps of different ideas as to why but the bottom line is that it's typical bird behaviour.
5. I don't know why some of them do that. My tiel doesn't eat it's poop.
6. That's not good. Some birds have that bad habit of plucking feathers off their mates when preening. I have no idea how to fix that.
7. In the picture it looks like the bird is assuming the sex position of a female. Knowing the sex of tiels can be hard when their not the normal grey type.
8. Their weights can vary and thats a fair weight difference. My tiel weighs 90g and so did the one that died last year. As long as they maintain their weight, give or take a few grams, that's fine.
We try to understand our little friends cos we want the best for them. Sometimes we can figure out the reason for their behaviours other times we can only guess why but it's good to discuss it with others.
I hope that was helpful

 

[skyIN]

Hey, that was really good suggestions. I will wait for them to get adjusted to their environment to feel comfortable flying.
I dont mind gender of either, but I thought better to find help on the forum.