does this beak look normal? craigslist bird

cockathiel · Aug 15, 2026

Is the way his beak is normal? This is the 5 year old craigslist bird, his beak was like that when I got him. (I'm assuming it looks like a male, if not give opinions on what sex you think it is

I can't clean it because he'll just try to bite me.

When I got him I held up up his smaller cage door up to the bigger cage door and he went inside of it by himself. Since then, I've bird safed the room and leave the cage door open but he has refused to leave.

I've left it open for days at a time and he has not attempted to leave. It's funny he hopped right into the big cage though now refuses to leave. This is the bird that spent the last 5 years (I believe) in a small cage so I don't think he knows he's allowed to leave. It's only been a little over a month, maybe it's still too soon?

I would like to take him to a vet but he is still not tame yet (if he ever will be?) If I want to take him to the vet or need to move him (I plan to move in 1 or 2 years and he will need to be put in a carrier... I'm hoping he's comfortable being handled at that point but I realize this might just be how he is. I was thinking of handing him over to a rescue but then I know that's just creating the ever ending cycle of him being rehomed. How would I pick him up move him to carrier? I know just grabbing him would ruin any trust.

Roseramble · Aug 15, 2026

If you need to catch your bird use a towel or washcloth to grab him then hopefully he becomes scared of that instead of hands. You can train birds to enter a carrier or cage without touching them. try opening the cage door and sticking a small carry cage full of millet to the open door. this is roughly how finches are trained to enter show cages. you could also use a stick to target train an non hand tame bird. i would try leaving the cage door open and setting millet in the door and hopefully the bird will go over there to eat it and become curious about outside the cage.

beak looks odd but its a little hard to tell from the photo. if you want to take it to a vet anyway they can take a look. If you hold a bird by its neck it will keep it from bitting. I linked two videos. This may seem a disturbing way but remember these animals hang from their beaks all the time. they have strong necks. compressing the chest is far more dangerous than holding the throat. Looking up small bird or parrot restraint or towling a bird will show you more videos and info