# Cockatiel Head Spinning



## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I have two new cockatiels. Today was their first day at my house. They are both about two years old. When the male saw my cat, he started flapping around the cage, screaming and spinning his head around. I assumed he has never see a cat before, but I"ve never seen a cockatiel spin it's head like that. It looked like it was from the movie the Exorcist or something. 

Sort of like this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-FU6pDCzOE

Has anyone else seen this before with their Tiels?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

no.  thats kinda creepy


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## Dave & Tito (Aug 1, 2010)

I have seen larger parrots do that; cockatoos mostly. When I saw it it seemed to be an expression of excitement and play, not fear... I can't interpret it for you but I am sure as you get to know your tiels you'll come to understand what their body language means.

Enjoy them!


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## beckins (Jul 30, 2010)

lool thats so funny  bless him!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Iv seen budgies do it just weird lol


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

My budgie used to do that  It made me chuckle. I don't think it was because she was scared though


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Yikes...he *does not* like the cage. He needs more space. I've seen tiels do that when put in those funky shaped cages, and also some that will restlessly pace in a cage and as they make a turn flip thier head as they head the other way.


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

srtiels said:


> Yikes...he *does not* like the cage. He needs more space. I've seen tiels do that when put in those funky shaped cages, and also some that will restlessly pace in a cage and as they make a turn flip thier head as they head the other way.


Ok ... well there we go! We have an answer 

My budgie was always out the cage when she did it?? What do you think she was saying?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I feel sorry for the tiel that is in a new home and saw the cat. The poor tiel is confined and a preditor is loose around it. Pure panic and stress to the bird. That has to suck.

I've had imported mousebirds that were caught in the wild and they have did the head roll for months, which my vet said that that is their received ways of looking around for dangers and coping with confinement. Most times if a bird is out and it does this danger will approach from above, so it is always on alert.

This is also an inherited trait. I have one line of tiels that is 7 generations and there is always 1 or 2 in each generation that do this when in a cage...but only on rare occassions in the large walk-in flight.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I completley agree with srtiels, the cage is way too small poor bird is going mad. Please get a larger cage and keep the cat away from the birds.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

poor thing


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I know I felt bad for him too.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

He is a lot better now.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

He is a lot better now.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

First of all, my birds are not in a small cage. I never said they were. I'm not sure where anyone got that idea. The bird in the video and the small cage it is in are not mine. I just used this as an example of the head spinning behavior my new bird exhibited when he saw my cat. I checked with the person I bought him from and he said the female I got from her had been around cats, but the male had not. My other cockatiels are also fine around my cat. The cat was not doing anything bad. He wasn't even close to the bird. My new cockatiel is doing fine now. He has seen the cat several times and is no longer frightened. He just acted this way one time.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

Glad that's not your birds cage, but it's still depressing to learn the bird in the video is being kept in that. Maybe you could comment to the person who's video it is? tell them that the cage is too small. I guess you've answered you own question, your new bird was doing that movement it was because of seeing the cat, he was looking for a way to get out of the cage hence head spinning.


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