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Hi, I bought an untamed 1 or 2 year old male cockatiel in March 2019. At first he used to scream a lot whenever he used to see birds outside our large window in the living room, but this got better gradually.
After about a month when he got settled in his cage, and screams were very less, I opened his cage so he can fly around in our living room. He took his time to come out, and then immediately flew around, in panic, bounced here and there, tried to go through the window, bounced at the glass, then ultimately settled on top of our book shelf.
Fast forward 6 months, the daily routine is something like this: he spends all day on the top of the book shelf where he has a perch as well to sit on, at around 6pm he flys back in his cage for food (as food is strictly in cage only), at that time we close the cage, and around 9pm move the cage in the bedroom with lights off. he sleeps throughout the night (i hope so, as there is no sound from him), and in the morning, we again bring the cage back to living room, and open the cage's door. he flys back to book shelf, sings throughout the day, sometimes fly around in a room, sometimes come down on floor, and then 6pm back in cage.
I think he is far from tamed, but the progress so far is that if I offer him sunflower seeds when he sitting on top of bookshelf he comes closer and takes from my hand, but this takes him about a minute to develop that confidence and come closer. This is a progress, as few months ago he would never let my hand even closer. However even now after taking seed from between my fingers sometimes he gets scared, starts hissing and biting back !!!
If I stand on a chair while he is on top of bookshelf, and bring my closed fist closer to bookshelf, where the arm is at the bookshelf celling level, he hops on to my arm. But as soon as he sees my fist open or sees my fingers he flys away or jumps back on top of book shelf.
That’s the progress in 6 months !!! which I think is really slow. He still never flys to me on his own, never sits on my hand … Is there something we are doing wrong?
Now I am thinking of getting another tamed female cockatiel that may help taming him? Is that a good idea? Or will it be dangerous for new tamed cockatiel to be around un tamed bird?
We really like him, but it’s frustrating that he is still so scared. Any suggestion is really welcome. Thanks.
After about a month when he got settled in his cage, and screams were very less, I opened his cage so he can fly around in our living room. He took his time to come out, and then immediately flew around, in panic, bounced here and there, tried to go through the window, bounced at the glass, then ultimately settled on top of our book shelf.
Fast forward 6 months, the daily routine is something like this: he spends all day on the top of the book shelf where he has a perch as well to sit on, at around 6pm he flys back in his cage for food (as food is strictly in cage only), at that time we close the cage, and around 9pm move the cage in the bedroom with lights off. he sleeps throughout the night (i hope so, as there is no sound from him), and in the morning, we again bring the cage back to living room, and open the cage's door. he flys back to book shelf, sings throughout the day, sometimes fly around in a room, sometimes come down on floor, and then 6pm back in cage.
I think he is far from tamed, but the progress so far is that if I offer him sunflower seeds when he sitting on top of bookshelf he comes closer and takes from my hand, but this takes him about a minute to develop that confidence and come closer. This is a progress, as few months ago he would never let my hand even closer. However even now after taking seed from between my fingers sometimes he gets scared, starts hissing and biting back !!!
If I stand on a chair while he is on top of bookshelf, and bring my closed fist closer to bookshelf, where the arm is at the bookshelf celling level, he hops on to my arm. But as soon as he sees my fist open or sees my fingers he flys away or jumps back on top of book shelf.
That’s the progress in 6 months !!! which I think is really slow. He still never flys to me on his own, never sits on my hand … Is there something we are doing wrong?
Now I am thinking of getting another tamed female cockatiel that may help taming him? Is that a good idea? Or will it be dangerous for new tamed cockatiel to be around un tamed bird?
We really like him, but it’s frustrating that he is still so scared. Any suggestion is really welcome. Thanks.