I got a Cockatiel this past weekend, Hebe. The place I got her form already clipped her wings. They took her out and the guy forced her onto his hand. At this and the fact that she was alone in her cage made me want her. Whenever I put my hands close, she looks like she wants to bite me, and she’s tried multiple times (I tend to have a pushy personality which, with previous not-bird pets has been fine, so I was overzealous the first day)
Since, I’ve tried to just let her out (open her cage door, and not stop her when she flies on the floor), and let her come to me at her own pace. Im laying seeds down a variety of places, and making sure she sees me lay the food down. This has happened a couple of times for a few hours. When I feel she’s been out long enough, I took a walking stick, held it up to her(I didn’t push against her), and said “step.” She’s actually stepped up (reluctantly) both times and let put her near her cage so she can go in. A couple of times, she’s expressed happiness while out, and she actually walked up to me once, interested in what I was doing (I was knitting, and she, on her own volition, came within a foot of where my feet were while I was sitting at a chair) She’s let me move my hand a foot of her without running away (when I set out food)
When she’s in her cage, I try to ignore her or bow my head and avoid looking at her (so she won’t see me as a predator).
For more experienced bird-owners, is this a bad approach to taming a bird?
Since, I’ve tried to just let her out (open her cage door, and not stop her when she flies on the floor), and let her come to me at her own pace. Im laying seeds down a variety of places, and making sure she sees me lay the food down. This has happened a couple of times for a few hours. When I feel she’s been out long enough, I took a walking stick, held it up to her(I didn’t push against her), and said “step.” She’s actually stepped up (reluctantly) both times and let put her near her cage so she can go in. A couple of times, she’s expressed happiness while out, and she actually walked up to me once, interested in what I was doing (I was knitting, and she, on her own volition, came within a foot of where my feet were while I was sitting at a chair) She’s let me move my hand a foot of her without running away (when I set out food)
When she’s in her cage, I try to ignore her or bow my head and avoid looking at her (so she won’t see me as a predator).
For more experienced bird-owners, is this a bad approach to taming a bird?