# Cockatiel maybe having balance issues? Maybe?



## Lord.Sorasen (Nov 29, 2010)

My cockatiel has just recently (literally a few minutes ago) started posing very unusually from atop his cage. He spreads both his wings out, then lowers his head and in effect raising his abdomen slightly (though maybe just coincidence from raising his head?) He then begins to attempt to sort of rub his head against the bottom of his wings.. I worry because he started doing this on the edge of his cage and literally slipped off, though he caught himself on the side before actually landing on anything. I let the parakeet out, I'm not entirely sure why since they don't seem to get along (the parakeet chases the cockatiel and the cockatiel gets nervous and runs away, essentially), and the cockatiel flew to a chair, where he continued to do this obscure balancing act (part of me worries it's vertigo). He shows no other unusual signs: he is eating and drinking, he is playful on my shoulder, whistling and demanding I pet him, and he has not been dropping any more feathers than usual. 

is this something I should worry about?


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It sounds like a typical cockatiel display behavior where they show how tough and/or sexy they are. They like to hang upside down while they do it, and may fall if they don't have a very good grip. Your bird may have been doing it to show defiance to the parakeet.


----------



## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

yes I agree, if you go into the pictures page and then competition of the month thread, then in April's COTM entries, the subject was bat bird and you will see loads of images of tiels probably displaying a similar look to what yours does.


----------



## Lord.Sorasen (Nov 29, 2010)

Oh thank Goodness. I remember my old cockatiels used to hang upside down all the time, I just never made the connection.

Question: Why would he be rubbing his head against the base of his wings? I thought for a while that he was trying to scratch it, but he generally flies over to me and has me do that, so I'm a little confused now.


----------



## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

he transfering oils to his feathers, mine rub their heads against their wings, its sounds to me like he's preening, before he does this does he go to his back first and preen just above the tail, they have a little round lump there under the feathers which is oil gland, where they get oil from to coat there feathers.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Bat bird they call it
Iv noticed my lucky wil fly around the room a few times land on the curtain pole and do a bat bird, she is so funny showing off lol


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Why would he be rubbing his head against the base of his wings?


My birds like to cock their heads at an angle while they're displaying. Maybe yours takes it further than most.


----------



## lordsnipe (Nov 11, 2010)

Lord.Sorasen said:


> Question: Why would he be rubbing his head against the base of his wings? I thought for a while that he was trying to scratch it, but he generally flies over to me and has me do that, so I'm a little confused now.


To get the oil from his wings onto his head.


----------



## HAJiME (Sep 20, 2009)

Thinking about it, I've seen mine doing this and often wondered wth they were doing. They look REALLY awkward, like they've got into a position and can't get out of it! lol


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Some of them ARE awkward at it and may have trouble getting back up again, especially if their tail is hitting against something that interferes with the effort. But it doesn't stop them from doing it, except for birds like Vlad who actually fall off the perch every time they try. These feats of strength require strength of feet, and Vlad doesn't have it!


----------



## Love My Babies (Dec 3, 2010)

You will also have to be careful to only have one perch in the cage and don't crowd the bird cage with toys. The reason I am saying this is he will need the room to stretch and and do his 'eagle stance' as I call it. You also you don't want him falling off his his perch and hitting the other one on the way down. That happened to one of my tiels and she broke her neck and died when she hit the lower perch on the way down. Also bird bones in their wings are hollow and can break. This can cause a type of wing paralysis and they can't fly after that.


----------

