when can I pet my tiel

[kiwi_and_emma]

Hi I got a tiel a while ago and I was wondering when I could pet her I've seen lots of videos of people petting and cuddling with their tiels but any time i try to do that with kiwi she backs away and glares at me. Could she just me a no touchie bird?

 

[Jen5200]

How long have you had your tiel? It can take time to build up the trust required for petting and head scratches. Some are hands-off type birds, but I suspect that you may not have built enough of a relationship with your bird yet. I have a tiel that only loves my husband, she’ll come to me for scratches only if she’s desperate for attention . This is a thread that might give some ideas about building a relationship http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

 

[kiwi_and_emma]

Thank you for the article! I have had kiwi for about 1 month and a half so i think you are correct I did not build enough trust with her.

 

[itzjbean]

You may never pet her, and this is okay! I have 4 tiels and only 1 allows petting, on his terms! It's so important to remember that they are nothing like dogs or cats that love cuddling and snuggling. Most birds do not allow petting, and if you try, you'll get bit. It is just the way they are -- they tned to like their space respected and only want to come to you on their own terms. It's important to understand that they may never want a head scratch or will allow you to pet them and it is something you have to live with -- as long as they are happy and healthy they will not need to be cuddled or pet. If your tiel is not hand fed (raised by humans from a young age) it may be very difficult to bond to a point with your new bird that it will allow head scratches, but if you are patient and don't rush your bird it hopefully will come around to letting you handle it to the point where it will allow a head scratch.

 

[noodles123]

Also- cuddling is a bad idea as it sends a very sexual message to your bird and can lead to seemingly unrelated behavioral problems (they are related though). Pet on the head and neck only once you have built enough trust to do so. Some birds don't like to be petted even when they do trust you, just like some people are huggers and others are not.

 

[Talven]

Cockatiels are strongly independant birds. Some hand raised 'tiels never want the head scratches or "cuddles" that you see online. The dozen or so 'tiels I've had over the years have given me 3 maybe 4 birds that had any interest in head scratches let alone any further interaction than that. While there are lots of videos that show "cuddly" 'tiels my personal experience suggests that this is not that common a thing with 'tiels.