Asked on the Bird Forum by RitaTinnin on 4/5/2004, 6:57 am
Q: new cockateil
I bought a cockateil from a pet shop 2 days ago and was told that he is about 4 months old. He has eaten very little and I haven't seen him drink any water. He just sits on his perch. He will get on my finger. Is he so subdued because he is so young or is it from the trauma of his new surroundings. He does not look unhealthy but I am concerned. Thanks Rita
Answered by chestnut on 4/5/2004, 7:56 am
A: new cockateil
> I bought a cockateil from a pet shop 2 days ago and was told
> that he is about 4 months old. He has eaten very little and
> I haven't seen him drink any water. He just sits on his
> perch. He will get on my finger. Is he so subdued because
> he is so young or is it from the trauma of his new
> surroundings. He does not look unhealthy but I am
> concerned. Thanks Rita
>
The fact that he is getting on your finger is a good sign, shows he trust you.
You have a young bird that may need some enticing to eat. Because he is newly weaned. and in a new home with lots of different activity going he is paying more attetion to thas then eating and drinking.
Try preparing a lukewarm mash like food of some oatmeal mixed up with some baby food, veggies,cereals, scramble eggs,anything soft and mushy.
Some tiels do not eat fruit, but there is the expection to every rule as I have know a few that will. Even if your bird just nibbles this it is a good thing cause he is tasting the texture of the food.
You should have your new friend taken to a vet for a wellness exam, this does 2 things one gives you and the vet a chance to meet and get to know each other, 2 it gives the vet some knid of record of your bird incse of emergencies.
Birds should have a once a year check up with their vet anyway to make sure they are in good health. When you visit the vet you can also ask questions as to his health and well being.
Being your bird came from a pet store which is basically a well of illness in there. Even if your bird looks healthy birds are known to hide4 illness till the last minute which is another reason for the vet exam.
Here are some site to help find a vet
http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup/
http://www.aav.org/activemembers.html
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm
Here are some site that will help you with different foods that your bird should eat
http://www.cockatiel.org/tips/people_food.html
http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/nutrition.html
http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet2.html
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww21ev.htm
http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/nutrition.html
Everyone has a different idea in feeding pellets cause birds should not be on all seed (this can cause crop inpaction) I am not big on pellets I perpfer mikes mash or sprouts or birdie bread this last one is meant more as a treat. If you must feed pellets trynot to make it in such a small bird more then 10 to 15 %% of the dieet pellets have additives which can cause other problems.
Here is a site on telfon which you should know about
http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/nutrition.html
anything pots, pans, hairdryers, irons that say non stick should not be around your bird. When this heat up it send little air borne particles in to the air that you bird breathes in and can kill your bird.
Here is another site on things you should not have around your bird which includes candles, arosels, cleaning agents
http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/index.html
Answered by Tviokh on 4/5/2004, 9:48 am
A: *deep breath*
> I bought a cockateil from a pet shop 2 days ago and was told
> that he is about 4 months old. He has eaten very little and
> I haven't seen him drink any water. He just sits on his
> perch. He will get on my finger. Is he so subdued because
> he is so young or is it from the trauma of his new
> surroundings. He does not look unhealthy but I am
> concerned. Thanks Rita
He is most likely just frightened.
Pet store birds are, usually, very undersocialized and fairly close to being completely wild.
It would be wise to NOT handle him for the time being as, at this point, it only stresses him further.
He is likely perching ony your finger right now due to fear; he's simply too terrified to do anything else but comply.
This will likely very soon disappear as he becomes more comfortable in his surroundings and he will be 'confident' enough to make a fuss, bite, run away, or panic if you try to handle him.
I say this not to discourage you, but to prepare you; it's very common for new owners to think the 'friendly bird' they bought has suddenly 'turned mean' or 'hates them' when the "I'm so scared I can't even MOVE!" phase passes.
In general, a bird should be given 5-7 days to settle in with no handling and minimal fuss around the cage.
It's also normal for a new bird to not allow you to see it eat or drink. Again, this is due to fear.
If the bird is pooping regularly, the bird is eating.
If he were not eating, he would be dead already as their metabolisms are so high that they cannot go for more than 48 hours without starving to death.
Since he is from a pet shop, he needs to see an avian vet ASAP for a checkup. Birds hide signs of illness up until they are too weak to do so anymore, and when it gets to that point it's usually too late.
Use http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup or http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm to find an avian vet.
Don't waste your time or money on a regular vet who 'sees birds'; frequently they know little more than how to clip wings and nails.
Onto other matters:
His cage should be a minimum of 18"x18"x20" and NOT round. If it is round or if it is any smaller, replace it immediately as it is an inappropriate cage to use for a cockatiel.
He should have at least three perches of varying diameters and textures; this is essential for good leg and foot health.
He should also have a minimum of three toys. It's preferrable to buy 6+ toys and rotate them on a bi-weekly basis to help prevent boredom.
Should I offer grit/use gravel paper?
From my Bird FAQ
Hookbills hull their seeds, and thus do not need grit for proper digestion.
The grit is needed to grind up seed hulls, which hookbills don't eat anyway.
Birds on a pelleted diet, fresh food diet, or a combo of fresh food/pellets do not need grit for digestion. Insoluable grit can and does cause crop impaction and death, especially if a bird gorges on it.
Your best bet for clacium would be crushed egg shells, cuttlebone, or a mineral block.
Oyster shells can be offered in moderation (think 3-4 pieces on a monthly basis), but CAN cause crop impaction if gorged upon; it'd be best to offer just a tiny amount so that can't happen.
Only birds who don't hull seeds (chickens, doves, etc...) require grit to digest food.
Grit should not, ever, for any reason be used with hookbills.
It's simply not necessary.
Hookbills and most finches hull their seeds, making grit unnecessary.
Doves and chickens, which do NOT hull seeds, require grit for digestion.
The theory that hookbills need grit is seriously outdated and is downright dangerous; it's a myth that comes from the way people have observed chickens eating.
Chickens require grit.
Psitticines do not.
None of them do.
Ever.
Grit can cause crop impaction, and can actually kill your bird. Calcium can be obtained through plain yogurt, cuttlebones, mineral blocks, or sterilized(microwave 'em, and let them cool before offering) crushed egg shells. Oyster shells can be offered in very small (think one or two shells every couple years) amounts; if a bird gorges on oyster shells, impaction CAN occur so if you do decide to offer oyster shells only offer a very tiny amount.
References:
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww58eii.htm
http://www.quakerville.com/qic/grit.asp
http://www.petinfo4u.com/advanced_birds.htm#To Grit Or Not To Grit -
Do a find on "grit" for this one, it's buried:
http://www.petdoc.ws/Birdbook.htm
From: http://www.showtiels.com/cockatiels/articles/living.htm
"Never offer your cockatiel or any other hook billed type exotic bird ‘grit’. A cockatiel does not require this to digest his food. It may consume the ‘grit’, but cannot digest it and eventually it will accumulate within his digestive tract and cause trouble in the future. Some pet stores may stock this item and instruct you to include grit in the bird’s diet. Instead, you may request an oyster shell blend as an alternative. Avian veterinarians have discounted the use of the sand-like grit for hook bill s for many years. Cockatiels crack their seeds with their beaks, unlike the soft-billed birds, which do not crack open their seeds and do require grit for digestion. "
From: http://theaviary.com/grit.shtml
"Pssiticines, including budgies, cockatiels and all parrots do NOT need grit! These birds shell their seeds and sport digestive systems capable of digesting hulled seeds and nuts without mechanical assistance. A comment of my avian vet comes to mind, "I've never seen a bird become sick or die from lack of grit. Conversely, I have seen many become sick and die from crops and digestive systems impacted with grit.""
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9510/diet/basic_diet.html
http://mgi2.finches.org/faq.html#grit
http://www.wctropicalbird.com/bird education/products_we_will_not_sell.htm
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/cfdocs/qbird_guy.cfm?REC_ID=927
Your birds should not have gravel paper.
It's uncomfortable on the feet, and sand/gravel/grit/etc is NOT necessary for digestion(hookbills hull their seeds, and thus don't need the grit) and can actually cause health problems and very sudden death.
Use plain white paper towels, white paper, wax paper, or black and white newspaper for cage bedding.
Aspen or paper based beddings can also be used, but are not recomended as they obscure the droppings and a change in the color, consistency or frequency in a bird's droppings can be an early warning sign of illness.
DO NOT ever use corncob, cedar, or cat litter. Corncob and cat litter are fatal if ingested and cedar's phenols irritate birds' respiratory tracts.
Things Diet Related
The following are from my Bird FAQs
Diet Conversions:
Important note: NEVER try to do a diet conversion on birds who are currently breeding, raising chicks, ill, or recovering from illness. It may kill them!
Your bird should not be offered the seed during the day when you are trying to get her to eat other food.
What you need to do is:
Offer the seed mix in the morning for about 20-30 minutes.
Take it away, dump the seed out, or back in with the rest.
Put the foods you want her to eat in the bowl.
Put the bowl back in the cage.
If fresh foods, change every few hours.
If dry pellets, leave them in there all day until just before she goes to bed.
Just before bed, take the new foods out, and give her the seed back.
She will protest, she'll probably scream, make begging noises, and try to make you feel guilty.
Don't give in, she won't starve with this method.
Eventually, at some point during the day, she'll become bored enough to pick at the stuff in her dish.
Picking and shredding is important, as it gets them to at least taste the new foods. Don't discourage her from shredding or picking at or throwing new foods, it's how she tests things.
You can't "make" a bird do anything. Please keep in mind that while they may be stubborn, they are not stupid. The only way they'll never eat new foods is if you stop trying.
Some birds take several years before they even LOOK at new foods.
With pellets, also keep in mind that brand DOES matter.
Many birds will not eat "junk" pellets like Pretty Bird, Kaytee or 'store brand' type foods.
These foods are chock full of extra sugar, artificial colorings, artificial flavorings, and dangerous preservatives(most notably http://budgies-n-tiels.com/ethox.html">Ethoxyquin)
The following are brands that even stubborn eaters seem to really enjoy:
Harrison's (http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com)
ZuPreem (Start with Fruitblend if she ignores Natural, then gradually switch her to Natural)
Foundation Formula (http://www.organicbirdfoods.com)
Hagen Tropician
Scenic
Harrison's can only be bought either from vet's office or online.
Foundation Formula is also only available online.
ZuPreem Fruitblend is easy to find in pet stores; Natural is a bit trickier.
Hagen is also usually found in pet stores.
However, since the pet stores here tend to not carry the manufactured foods I feed my birds, I order all of mine from http://nybird.com
For seed blends, try something like Noah's Kingdom; I used it with my finches when they were breeding and the other varieties with my other birds as a treat, and it was a HUGE hit.
Please don't give up on switching/broadening your bird's diet; she will run into health problems in a few years if she is allowed to continue on a seed only diet.
What People Foods Can My Bird Eat?
Your parrot can eat just about anything that's healthy for you.
However, there are a few things you need to avoid.
Avoid:
Avocado - fatal
Rhubarb - toxic
Onion - rumors of toxicity; no nutritional value anyway
Iceberg lettuce - can cause runny droppings
Raw soup beans - some are toxic
High sugar foods - can make them 'hyper', puts a strain on their system
High fat foods - unhealthy
High salt foods - unhealthy. Puts a strain on their kidneys
"Fortified" human foods - can cause vitamin/mineral overdoses.
Chocolate - toxic
Anything with caffeine - toxic
Alcohol - toxic. Their livers can't metabolize it.
Apple seeds and "pits" from fruits - many contain trace amounts of cyanide and other toxic chemicals.
Remember to thoroughly wash any fruits, vegetables or greens before offering them to your bird, as waxes and pesticide residues can be toxic or even fatal.
Some birds enjoy live, gutloaded waxworms or mealworms (please don't believe the rumors about them 'chewing their way out of a bird's crop', it's an urban legend) or small crickets.
Please note, I say SOME birds...others just ignore them, play with them, or are frightened by them.
Why All Seed Diets are Bad
Seed only is a very poor diet for any bird, and will lead to health problems down the line.
A budgie or cockatiel on a seed only diet has an average lifespan MUCH shorter than one on a well balanced, nutritionally complete diet.
Average lifespan of a budgie on a seed only diet is only 3-5 years.
Average lifespan of a budgie on a good diet is 10-15.
Average lifespan of a cockatiel on a seed only diet is 5-8 years.
Average lifespan of a cockatiel on a good diet is 12-20 years.
Seed diets are NOT appropriate for any caged bird.
Seed should be a part of the diet, but not the main or whole diet.
A well rounded diet for a budgie consists of sprouted seed (I get my mixes from http://www.sproutpeople.com/birds.html), fresh greens, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, a high quality pellet (I use Harrison's with my birds; Hagen Tropician, ZuPreem Natural, Scenic, and Foundation Formula are also good choices), and a high quality seed mix.
That said, a bird who scatters food is not an indicator that s/he "doesn't like" what you're feeding him, it's a normal behavior.
Budgies, cockatiels, and pretty much any other bird will scatter their food like crazy and eat out of the bowl, the cage floor, the floor, etc...in the wild they normally forrage for food on the ground anyway.
If your bird is scattering food and it really bothers you, try feeding from a hooded bowl.
Hooded bowls make it more difficult for him to scatter food.
There is, however, no way to stop a bird from scattering food entirely. It's simply a natural behavior.
I'd really recommend you take a look at the Diet & Nutrition section of my site: http://budgies-n-tiels.com
There's a very graphic warning in one section of it on the dangers of an all seed diet, as well as what to look for in a good diet, some recipes, and tips on converting your bird to a more appropriate diet.
From my Bird FAQ:
Your parrot can eat just about anything that's healthy for you.
However, there are a few things you need to avoid.
Avoid:
Avocado - fatal
Rhubarb - toxic
Onion - rumors of toxicity; no nutritional value anyway
Iceberg lettuce - can cause runny droppings
Raw soup beans - some are toxic
High sugar foods - can make them 'hyper', puts a strain on their system
High fat foods - unhealthy
High salt foods - unhealthy. Puts a strain on their kidneys
''Fortified'' human foods - can cause vitamin/mineral overdoses.
Chocolate - toxic
Anything with caffeine - toxic
Alcohol - toxic. Their livers can't metabolize it.
Apple seeds and ''pits'' from fruits - many contain trace amounts of cyanide and other toxic chemicals.
Remember to thoroughly wash any fruits, vegetables or greens before offering them to your bird, as waxes and pesticide residues can be toxic or even fatal.
Some birds enjoy live, gutloaded waxworms or mealworms (please don't believe the rumors about them 'chewing their way out of a bird's crop', it's an urban legend) or small crickets.
Please note, I say SOME birds...others just ignore them, play with them, or are frightened by them.
Behavioral stuff:
Biting
From my Bird FAQ
Birds don't bite for no reason, and they don't bite because they personally "hate" you.
One of the biggest mistakes owners make is to take their bird's behavior personally.
Birds are not human, no matter how much we'd like them to be.
Birds will not bite unprovked and always give other body language clues before a bite; if you fail to read their cues, you will get a well deserved bite.
A bird cannot say "I'd rather not be petted or held right now." or "Stop that! I don't like it!". They can only communicate with their body language, and as a last resort, a bite to get the point across.
Birds will also become more nippy when hormonal. There is nothing you can do about that, it's just part of owning a parrot.
The problem of biting parrots doesn't lie with the bird, it lies with the owner.
I'm not saying that to be rude, it's just plain true: You need to do some reading up on parrot body language & learn to recognize his moods by his body language AND learn to respect that there will be times when he will not want to be handled or pet by anyone, including you.
I recommend you first go out and buy the books Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan and The Beak Book by Sally Blanchard (A biting & aggression specific book). Both books help you out a lot.
You can find them both on amazon.com, or get The Beak Book from
http://www.companionparrot.com/beakbook.html
Then check these links; Liz Wilson is the author, and she is a recognized expert in parrort behavior and behavior modification:
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/biting.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/personally.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/spring.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/socialization.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/drama.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/myths.html
Shoulder rides can also be a potential hazard, and cause dominance related problems.
Shoulder riding is not a "right", and not every bird can be allowed to have shoulder rides.
For more information on why shoulder rides are not a good idea for owners who are experiencing a biting problem or dominance problem in their birds see:
http://www.petpublishing.com/birdtimes/articles/shoulder.shtml
http://www.companionparrot.com/articles/shoulder.html
Screaming:
The first step to stopping the screaming is to determine WHY the bird is screaming in the first place. Some things to check are:
Does the bird have ample fresh food and water?
Is the bird shoved off in a back room or bedroom where it's alone for much of the day? Birds who feel isolated will scream in a desperate attempt to get some attention.
Does your bird have a good number of safe, varied toys? Bored birds will scream just like a bored 2 year old will scream.
Does your bird get enough exercise? Sometimes pent up energy gets re-routed through screaming.
Is your bird in a tiny cage? See letter D.
If your bird is screaming because it's isolated from the family and you absolutely can't, for whatever reason, relocate the cage to a more active part of the house, you can try responding to the bird in a quiet voice, with quiet whistled tunes, etc..this encourages the bird to make softer contact calls and sounds; in cases like this the bird simply wants to know that it hasn't been abandoned by the flock or that something hasn't happened to the flock. If you are in the room and the bird starts screaming, this can work as well. Whispering to the bird is also effective.
Some things to ask youself if your bird has "suddenly" become a screamer:
...when you first got him:
Did you spend every second of your day with him?
Did you spoil him?
Did you come running every time he'd call?
Did you give him treats or take him out when he was noisy to "quiet him"?
Did your daily schedule suddenly change? Example: You were previouslly unemployed/a student on vacation and home most of the day, and you've found work or have started classes again and are gone most of the day.
If you did #3 or #4, you've successfully taught him to scream for attention. Good luck breaking that habit, it'll take a LOT of tolerance to a LOT of noise...tolerance from neighbors too. It can be done, but it takes the patience of Job. ;)
If you did the first two, he's pretty much got every right to scream. He doesn't understand why you don't always spend time with him, and doesn't understand that your life may have changed and you CAN'T spend the time with him that you used to.
He probably also doesn't know how to keep himself entertained if he's always had you for entertainment.
All he knows is that for his life up to this point, he was the center of attention, and now he's not, and that's upsetting and confusing for him.
Imagine how a human toddler would act if you doted on him for the first, say, year and a half of his life, then suddenly just started "ignoring" him or spending drastically less time with him...that kid would scream its' head off for some attention, and would likely NOT understand why attention levels suddenly dropped.
That may be what your bird is doing.
Unlike a human child, who will eventually understand the situation on his own, a bird usually will not.
Un-spoiling a spoiled bird is a pretty big task.
Curing a spoiled bird will also take a lot of tolerance to screams and yelling.
Be sure he has a wide variety of toys that are different colors, sizes, and textures...try some of those toys that you can hide treats in him to try to get his interest.
Do NOT give him attention while he's screaming, even yelling at him to be quiet is attention, and will only strengthen the bad habit.
If you notice he's being quiet, go into the room(for now, drop whatever you're doing:)) and praise him for being a good boy. ONLY do this when he's being quiet, otherwise he'll probably still associate "calling" with "his flock returning"(hint: You're his flock:)).
You can call from the other room with something like "I'm right here!" or "Hi!". I do call to my birds from the other room when they're calling to me to ask where I am..which may be what your bird is doing.
Once they hear my voice and know that I'm still "alive", they usually calm down.
Whatever you do, however, don't respond to screams with treats or by taking him out of his cage. If you let him out or give him a treat to quiet him down, you're teaching him that whenever he wants to come out or have a treat, all he has to do is scream. I made this mistake early on(he'd scream, I'd let him out/give him a treat to quiet him down), and YIKES, did I ever have a screamer on my hands! It took quite awhile to undo it too, and you have to be able to put up with LOTS of screaming when you're trying to correct it!
Do keep in mind that it's normal for a cockatiel to be loud sometimes. It's not a "screaming problem" when your bird is doing it in the morning, evening, or when you first come home. That's just his way of greeting the day, greeting you, and saying goodnight.
Remember, just because a bird's vocalizations may annoy you doesn't mean they're excessive. Keep in mind birds are NOT quiet pets, and happy, healthy birds will vocalize frequently throughout the day. My boys tend to sing and whistle for several hours at a crack.
Biting in New Birds
From my Bird FAQ
Did you buy him well socialized from a reputable breeder, or poorly socialized from a pet store?
If you bought him poorly socialized from a pet store, you're expecting way too much way too soon; a poorly socialized pet store baby takes about 6-12 months to sometimes even begin to tame down. They are literally as wild as wild birds.
Even if the bird was initially handfed, if it was not handled and regularly socialized with by the pet store staff, it will be as wild as a parent fed baby.
Your bird is telling you very clearly that he does not enjoy what you're doing, and that you are upsetting and/or frightening him. He can't say this with words, so he says it with a well deserved bite.
You failed to read his body language, and you were bitten.
This is not the bird's fault, it is yours.
If your bird likes to bite at your fingers while he's on your hand, you can try the "slight wiggle" method to distract him. This is NOT meant to frighten or throw your bird off balance. All you do is wiggle your finger a little to distract him. DO NOT TRY TO MAKE YOUR BIRD FALL!! Let me emphasize, the "wiggle" is not meant to scare him, make him lose balance, or make him fall! If he stops biting your finger, praise him, smile at him, tell him he's a good bird, etc...if he doesn't, wiggle your finger a little until he does. Rommel has the bad habit of chewing fingernails. He picked that up in the pet store. NORMALLY it doesn't hurt, but sometimes he gets too into what he's doing and it's painful. When that happens, I act suprised, wiggle my finger a little bit, and say "hey! that hurt!". 9 times out of 10, he goes back to softer nibbling, because he's not meaning to hurt me. If he doesn't stop, he gets up to 3 more wiggles. If he doesn't stop after that, he has to get off of my hand(sometimes he'll give a harder bite to let me know he wants down, rather than just flying off my hand). If he STILL tries to bite, he gets a time out so he can calm down.
For very aggressive biters, you may want to try towelling instead. To do this, you get a clean, soft towel then first cover the bird, gently pick him up, making sure wings are against the body, and hold him on his back and just talk quietly to him(this is sometimes hard to do with a squirmy little budgie!). If he'll let you, you can try to gently pet his head while talking to him softly the whole time. Sometimes what's seen as "aggression" by humans is really your bird just being scared half to death. Birds can't say "I'm terrified!!", so they convey it by biting. Hard. Very hard. I've had budgies draw blood on me before.
Some signs that your bird is frightened include hissing, feathers slicked to the body, in cockatiels the crest will be as flat against the head as possible, wide eyes, and sometimes a 'screeching' type noise. Be careful not to punish your bird for being frightened, that will only make the problem worse.
Frightened birds need gentle persistence, patience, and need to be shown that they're in a loving environment where they won't be hurt, neglected, abused, or otherwise mistreated.
The July 2001 issue of Bird Talk has a very good article on biting, why birds bite, and how to stop it. I encourage all new owners to get a subscription to this magazine, and encourage anyone with a nippy cockatiel or budgie to go out and buy this issue. There's actually a seperate article on budgie biting, in addition to the types of biting article.
How you react to the bites is also essential.
The best reaction is no reaction, no matter how much it hurts.
If you react by yanking your hand away, the bird learns "When I bite, the scary thing goes away." and will continue to bite and remain fearful of you.
Likewise, if the bird thinks it can get its way or boss you around by doing this, it will.
If you react by screaming, yelling, telling him what a "bad bird" he is, or otherwise freaking out, you are encouraging the behavior; parrots love drama, and when you react to a bite with a 'show' they learn "When I bite, I get a really funny song and dance from the human! NEAT!" and will bite for that reason.
Birds will also bite if they have something wrong with them healthwise; have you had him checked over by an avian vet to ensure he's not sick or injured in some way that causes him to react this way?
This is also something to keep in mind, it's a snippet from this article:
"MYTH: Biting is a natural aggressive behavior in parrots.
In the wild, it appears that most parrots will bluff and strut long before they resort to using their beaks as a weapon. Pet parrots usually bite only when they have no other means to communicate or when their initial biting behavior is reinforced by people. "
Here are some more links on biting:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/birds/library/articleview.asp?Section=&RecordNo=2090
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww44e.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww12eii.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww20eiv.htm
However, in your case, I think the problem is simply that your bird was not well socialized and is terrified of people.
Why do I think this? Because well socialized babies from good breeders or good stores will generally NOT act like this after a month of being in a new home.
As an example, the birds of mine that have come from good breeders settled in and were tame to the point of wanting to cuddle within 5 days of coming home with me.
The pet store birds I have are...not really like that.
The budgies, after almost two years, are still only marginally tame, and the cockatiel (though he is tame) is not nearly as friendly as the cockatiel I bought from a breeder.
Petting
Some birds simply do not enjoy being petted. My male cockatiel HATES having his feathers touched by people; the only time he bites is if someone tries to pet his feathers. Aside from that, he's a very friendly bird.
You cannot force a bird to enjoy this. Attempting to force a bird to "like" being petted will result in lost trust, and is very selfish.
Look at it this way:
If you didn't like being hugged, for whatever reason, yet every time you saw a certain family member they would force you to be hugged, you'd probably not want to see that person anymore, would be skittish around them, and not want to be near them for long out of fear of being forced to do something you don't enjoy.
The concept is the same for your bird.
If you try to force it to accept petting, you will damage your relationship with your pet.
What needs to happen is you need to accept that your bird simply doesn't enjoy being petted.
And lastly...
You may find my site, http://budgies-n-tiels.com , helpful. It was designed for people thinking about getting a bird or for new bird owners.
Answered by Tviokh on 4/5/2004, 3:36 pm
A: Sexing cockatiels
I KNEW I'd forgotten to include one article.
Attaching info on how to sex a cockatiel, as I'm sure that'll come up for you in the future. :)
From my Bird FAQ:
Sexing depends on two major factors:
1) The age of the bird.
2) The mutation of the bird.
Birds who have not undergone their first molt can't be visually sexed. As babies both sexes of all mutations look the same.
Certain mutations, such as pieds, lutinos, clear pieds, and whiteface lutinos(commonly mislabelled albino), cannot be visually sexed.
Certain mutations, such as cinnamon and lutino are sex linked, so if you know the mutations and splits of the parents the sex can be determined that way.
If you have a normal grey mutation, the male will develop a yellow face/head and bright orange/red cheekpatches as he matures.
A female will keep the 'immature' coloring; dull head/face, dull cheekpatches.
If you have a normal whiteface mutation, the male will develop a white face/head as he matures.
A female will keep the immature coloring; grey face/head.
If you have a pearl mutation, the males will generally lose their pearling pattern after the first couple molts.
Females retain it.
Then there's the obvious: If your bird lays an egg, you have a hen.
However, NOT laying eggs isn't an indicator of a male, some hens never lay.
Behavior is NOT an accurate sexing tool, it can help you guess, but is only...just to throw a number at it, 75%% accurate if even that.
Just as an example, I have a known CWF pied hen who acts just like a male. She's loud, she mimics, she displays, she dances, etc..all of those are ''male'' traits.
If you have a young bird and absolutely can't wait until the first molt to try to determine the sex, you can talk to your vet about having DNA sexing done.
I had my CWF pearl baby sexed so I would know if I'd need to sterilize my hen's eggs when she lays(young males can father chicks, though they shouldn't be allowed to).
Since the pearl baby turned out to be a male, I don't need to run the risk of accidental chicks; I can sterilize eggs as she lays them to be sure.
Some also say feather barring under the tail indicates a female, but I had a known male who was barred down there, so you can guess how accurate THAT is. :)
Seeing mating also does not guarantee a male/female pair as male/male and female/female pairs will go through the motions of mating, with the more dominant bird taking the ''male'' role and the more submissive bird taking the ''female'' role.
Even if this 'mating' results in eggs, it may not be a guarantee of a male/female pair (this is more the case if you have one of the mutations that is not visually sexable), as female/female pairs can lay clutches of non-fertile eggs.
If you have a lutino, pied, or 'albino' bird and do not know the genetic history of the parents, you cannot visually sex the bird.
That was longwinded...lastly, here's a link to a site that has pictures of both sexes of many different mutations:
http://www.showbirds.com/tiels/menu.html
