I love my Cockatiel, but he is driving the family insane!?

Question by Miss_Munky: I love my Cockatiel, but he is driving the family insane!?
I have a male Cockatiel named Captain. We have had Captain since he was under a year old and he is now 7. He has always been a good bird and we never had any problems with him.
He doesn’t like to be held very much, but he loves when we talk to him and he has learned some funny mimics and songs over the years. We did have two cage mates for him at two separate times, but unfortunately both of them passed away at early ages. It had nothing to do with Captain, it was more bad luck than anything. But Captain does have plenty of toys and snacks to entertain him. And of course, we often talk to him and play music, etc.
But recently he has started this extremely bad habit which is driving everyone insane. We cover his cage every night before bed and he will be quiet all night until it is about 5 am. Then he’ll start shrieking and screaming which wakes the whole house up. We’ve closed all the windows thinking that maybe he hears the other birds singing outside, but that didn’t help. We pulled down all the shades to keep the room dark, but that also didn’t help.
My family doesn’t wake up until 6:30 am. Now we have to listen to Captain shrieking and screaming for an hour and a half. Does any have any ideas how we can get him to stop?
Thanks for any advice that you can offer!

Best answer:

Answer by Susan M
Cover him later and make him stay awake at night.

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what r all the supplies I will need for a cockatiel?

Question by John: what r all the supplies I will need for a cockatiel?
like toys

Best answer:

Answer by quin_and_tiko
1 cage: a larger one that is ment for medium parrots. (dont get the cockatiel starter kit)

atleast 3 perches: a roap, natural wood, and peti perch. (concrete perch)

4 toys (and up): a destroy toy, noise toy, foraging toy, and foot toy.

a swing and ladder is also a good idea for exercise.

make sure the cage has half an inch bar spacing or lower.
dont make the perches too small.

three food bowls ( food- water- treats(fruit+veggies)

they like cozy corners too for warmth and comfort.

play stands or play gyms are a good thing to have for interaction with you. they like hangin around on it while your around.

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My new Cockatiel?

Question by Jewels: My new Cockatiel?
I bought a new Cockatiel a few days back that just weaned 2 weeks ago. I named him Spencer. He’s very Healthy Vet approved and beautiful. I bought him a lovely cage with toys all sorts of things. I noticed he don’t screech at all though. He plays and prunes all all day checks his bod out in the mirror but doesn’t screech. I was looking forward to being awakened in the morning by him. He’s very sweet and loves shoulder rides… will he eventually start to screech? I did though teach him to bob his head. When I do it he does back.
He can make noise but 99% of the time he’s quiet.
Macy- Yeah growing up my mother had one that would screech so loud it would pierce your ears. I just find it Odd that he’s so quiet. But hey, At-least I can sleep in.
Mockingbird- I dunno the one I had growing up sure would wake you. LOL he would say Bat Bird a million times over until my mom would let him out. Then when she came into his sight oh lord, You would have to wear cottonballs.
Ms Smurfy- Thanks for the great advice. I offer him all sorts of yummy treats and he loves peas. I do know the things not to feed. He seems to be very happy and content with me so far..he doesn’t bite just gives gentle kisses and thinks he’s a dentist…LOL

Best answer:

Answer by ipeanuts
may i please eat its heart?

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So, I have an abused cockatiel tonight.?

Question by xith: So, I have an abused cockatiel tonight.?
I was brought a male cockatiel tonight. (I help with rescue.)

The cockatiel was neglected for one but he was attacked by pet rats the pervious owner had. His face is mangled, but this poor baby isnt fear of humans.

I know letting him heal will help him, but does anyone have any ideas as to make his recovery an awesome one? I have him alone in a room all to himself, lots of treats, toys, you name it.. even got a nesting box for him, who knows? lol.. I put some fish in his room for visual effect, from expereince they seem to enjoy watching fish tanks. I have music playing too. (nature sounds)

I just really want him to recover well, he’s already started plucking his own feathers. Could use any advice from someone who has dealt with this before. Thanks in advanced.
Oh I should of mentioned. No this bird was attacked a while ago, he’s been to the Vet, he had his health recovry there. I’m just a foster parent to him right now. I want to be able to show him that not everyone in the world is bad, you know?

His room is about 73 degrees, it’s the unwanted room because the water heater is in it

I’m just curious if someone else has rescused a cockatiel that was attacked by rats too. He’s afraid of eveything except humans.

Best answer:

Answer by tielcrazygirl
Hello, I’ve rescued most of my birdies and I have a flock of 12.
One of my birds was an absolute terror when rescued. He would bike and scream and run whenever I came near. The key is to establish trust, slow, steady movements, keep him at your eye level when approached, use millet treats and speak soft and calm, gradually get him comfortable with you and if he shows fear back off a bit. ONe thing you can do is keep the cage partially covered so that he has a place to hide if he gets nervous. Keep the curtains drawn at night and maybe a nightlight on to help prevent a night-fright. good luck! you’re on the right track

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Will my cockatiel get lonely, should I get another one?

Question by sunbreeze2008: Will my cockatiel get lonely, should I get another one?
Two days ago I bought a 2-month old cockatiel. I thought he wasn’t very tamed because the owner didn’t seem to have a very easy time catching him & I couldn’t touch him much either. So I’ve been talking & trying to let him perch on my finger, & surprisingly he let me hold him & carry him around the house on my shoulder all day today. I think he enjoys it a lot because when I put him back to his cage he didn’t want to get off of my finger My family is very thrilled with him because we’ve never had a tamed bird before so everyone is playing with him now.

I place the parakeets cage about 10 feet across from him & they’re always singing. Now do you think he will get lonely in the day time when we’re not home? We’re gone from around 7:30 to 4:30. He has plenty toys & the cage is quite roomy for one. I want him to have a friend but at the same time still be bonded with us.

Best answer:

Answer by 88ZombieNazi88
he should be fine.. esp due to the fact of the little parakeets near him. keep toyus and just play with him when you get home…

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BIRD LOVERS: Cockatiel’s strange habits..help or advice?

Question by Sam: BIRD LOVERS: Cockatiel’s strange habits..help or advice?
I have a 14 year old lutino cockatiel named Sunny. He has some strange habits, and i wonder what that could be attributed to. He used to sit up on his perch quite a bit, but when he was younger, i would catch him sitting at the bottom of the cage, kind of in a daze, and if you tried to get his attention or go anywhere near him–god forbid you stick your hand in the cage– he would charge at you, hiss, and try to bite you. This would be every once in awhile, but in the past 6 months, i’ve been noticing him doing this a lot more. He still climbs on his perch, plays with his toys, and eats, but he has been spending about 60 percent of his time at the bottom of the cage. I do leave his door open so he could come to the top of the cage and hang out, and he’s usually okay when he’s perching or on the top of the cage, but when he is on the bottom he is aggressively territorial and VERY cranky. Has anybody had this problem before? and is this a sign of anything serious? I worry because he is old, but otherwise he seems okay.

Best answer:

Answer by kayann01
he seems to just be guarding his territory, picked a private area, perhaps now he is older he has staked more of a claim to “this is my area, stay out , leave me alone” try relate it to a person in the bathroom vs the living room- same house but one area is off limits to “visits “and the other isn’t. if you have kids its easier to understand what i mean. as long as he is “normal” in all other ways it doesn”t seem to be a health issue, the only health related issue i can think of is how are the condition of his toes,nails and pads? you could try changing the perching sticks, they may be worn,a bit used, and perhaps a bit thicker ?

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Can I house my lovebird and cockatiel together?

Question by HappyMom: Can I house my lovebird and cockatiel together?
They live in cages right next to each other. They visit daily. They eat the same foods, play with the same toys, and seem to enjoy each other’s company. I just hate cleaning two cages all the time. If i bought a new cage (so neither feels invaded in their own home) and made sure there were two food and water dishes, and plenty of toys to share do you think it’s possible to house them together? The Lovebird is a Lutino lovebird approximately 2 years old. The cockatiel is a pied and he is nearly 20 years old. I adopted him from a family that spent no time with him. he has flourished since we got him. It seems they would be fine together as the only time they fight is when they invade each others cages. That is why I assume introducing both to a new cage at the same time would be best. i just wanted some thoughts on the subject. Thanks in Advance!

Best answer:

Answer by underestimated
NO…..absolutely not..
they may get along with wire between them, but you take that wire away and you may well find your cockateil dead…..
i have been informed by a lot of people that love birds do not live well with other birds…
i have two african love birds and i keep them seperate from my other birds for the reason they will kill them….
if i even put a cage next to their cage with another bird of a different kind, they try to get it through the wire….
DO NOT PUT THEM TOGETHER……
Trust Me..

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Letting a cockatiel out for the first time!?

Question by ` M <33: Letting a cockatiel out for the first time!?
Okay i want to let my cockatiel out of its cage for the first time o-O. I just got him like 3 days ago (3rd day starting today) he seems okay now, like he plays with his toys and moves around the cage a bit more. So umm this is the first time i’m letting a bird out and i don’t know what it will do. Will it jump and try to fly away (even though wings are clipped)? Can you tell your experience of letting a bird out for the first time ? Please? I’m very nervous

Best answer:

Answer by skydanzer400
Believe it or not, having wings clipped could possible put him in more danger that if they had been left alone. It depends entirely on how skilled the person was who did the clipping. Because we, or at least I, don’t know, I do not recommend that you just open the door and let him go, just yet. You need to check for the safety of the clip. A proper clip is not intended, and should not, prevent them from flying. It should only prevent them from gaining altitude. A properly trimmed bird will still be able to fly/glide, for 15-20 feet, gradually losing altitude, and should be in control at all times. It should be able to make a controlled, balanced landing. If it cannot, then it’s either over clipped, or the wings don’t match, or both. To check this out, take your bird into a bedroom, hopefully with carpet. Under no circumstances, turn him loose from any height, over a hard floor. Release him from about waist high, over the bed and observe what kind of flight and landing he can make. Another thing is to sit him on the floor and allow him to realize that his wings are clipped. You want him to discover his limitation from ground level, not from up high. Cockatiels are particularly at risk of injury from improper clips because of how they land. They always land tail first. If they are over clipped, or out of balance, they will fall like a rock. The stiff tail feathers will hit first. The sharp upward bend will tear the skin near their vent. (Anus) This happened to one of mine, (clipped before I adopted it) and he immediately was pouring blood. If I had not been able to get him to the vet in about 15 minutes, he would have bled to death. Even so, he required IV fluids to save him and 4 stitches to mend the tear. Just be very careful until you determine how proper the clip is, and until you know he knows his limitations. If he does drop to fast or is not in control, then you will have no choice but to keep him caged until the flight feathers grow out. Then next time, either leave him fully flighted, or make sure the person doing the trimming knows what they are doing.

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Is my cockatiel acting right? Can’t find my question online. ?

Question by dreamkillerkitten: Is my cockatiel acting right? Can’t find my question online. ?
I’ll admit I’m a new bird owner, but I’ve done my home work since rescuing this bird, and have a large enough cage, toys,outside perch, the right foods, and a wonderful vet.
What I want to know is more of a behavioral question. Let me start from the beginning.
I have had my tiel for 6 days. The first 2 days he didn’t move. The 3rd day he was chirping loudly, hopping around the cage like a mad man, and just very very active. The 4th day he slowed down again, stopped making any noise, but moved around the cage, ate drank etc.
He’s been like this since. And he still hasn’t made a peep.
I’m getting concerned that some thing isn’t right. He still will not venture near an open cage door (i’ve left it open for hours at a time), with and with out coaxing. I have not gone and stuck my hand in the cage at him and try to get him. I know not to do this. I havent’ handled him at all, and that drives me bonkers because I feel like if i could handle him, we could start socializing a little more!! However the fact that he has just kind of sat there and ate quietly for the past few days has me wondering.
Now, something I want to mention because maybe this has been why..my 6 and 8 year old girls have been home from school on vacation. They are very loud, very obnoxious LOL but very good with all animals. I wonder if the craziness in the house has got him feeling cooped up? His cage is placed some what near the entry from a hall way, but he doesn’t seem to mind us in and out of the hallway, in fact he becomes alert and watchful. But maybe i’m mistaking that for fear??
I don’t know. I just want to make sure he’s okay, and that he will come around, and act like a normal cockatiel!!
(because right now, this silence is killer!!!!!!)

Best answer:

Answer by seacrest?
Your probably should consider relocating your bird cage to a quieter environment where he can feel a little more relaxed and less on edge, remember the biggest killer in birds is stress and you should avoid this by any means possible, your cockatiel may just be getting used to his new home, settling in but do try not to startle him much, (slamming doors loud music,drafty windows, Hallways doorways, dark places etc. best avoided) i would warn you not to try and catch him spontaneously as this may leave him with a fear of hand/fingers instead try coaxing him by offering seed in a flat open palmed hand and gently talk to your bird calling him name etc. you should try doing this regularly until he starts to feel a little more sociable remember this will require patience ! lol
As for leaving him out to fly he may not realize the cage door is open, try bringing the cage down maybe try putting it on the floor and taking his food bowls out and place them on the floor outside the cage and at a distance call your bird (i find talking in a higher pitched voice helps Lol) and over time he should start to become a little more sociable and come out to explore his new surroundings,

also if you haven’t already, provide grit and cuttlefish for your cockatiel this is a must, as it is used for digestion

Good luck!

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My cockatiel is so mean….I am getting really tired of it~H E L P?

Question by Shelby: My cockatiel is so mean….I am getting really tired of it~H E L P?
I’ve had my cockatiel for a year in July. I got her from a friend who just let her fly around a room for 2 years. Lulu (my bird) didn’t have any human contact for the first 2 years of her life.

I got her a year ago, and had her wings clipped and got her toys and stuff, but she is still SO mean.

She bites whenever you move your hand near her. If she is on my sholder, she bites when I move my head. And when she bites, she usually spazzes making squaking noises and bitting over and over again.

She is SOO mean. I rarely hold her anymore (about 20 minutes a day) because she hates people so much.

I love her to death, but can’t stand her

Please, I need help with my evil bird. What should I do about her????
She does know how to step up, and shake where she puts her foot on your finger and “shakes” your hand

that took me like 4 days to teach her.

Best answer:

Answer by justsueandthebabiesnow
click on this link,it will explain things to you.

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/bite2.html

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