# Why do male cockatiels beak bang?



## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Its only just occured to me to wonder why, after my brother asked me. Is it some sort of mating behaviour?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes...its part of how a male tiel attracts a female tiel.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

I thought it was probably as simple as that but i wasn't sure lol :blush:


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

I read somewhere that it's also their way of saying, "This is mine!"


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I didn't know that. When my males (or any of my tiels are claiming something) they do bat bird instead.


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## Oni (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't know what to make of it to be honest! Tenchi did bat bird all the time or eagle claiming stuff but rarely beak banged. He would sing to me all the time and often do heart wings but rarely wolf whistled.

Dante on the other hand has started beak banging a lot this week when we're 'talking' and he wolf whistles to me a lot too but so far (nearly 2weeks here now) he has NEVER done bat bird or eagle- although he has hopped about doing heart wings once a few days ago. I wish he loved me but even though we sing together I'm still not allowed to touch him


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## anthrogirl80 (Jun 2, 2012)

I always assumed the beak banging was a way for them to 'claim' territory or something that was theirs. Kevin actually beak banged ME about a week after he started the behaviour. He would walk up, sit on my shoulder and rap his beak against my cheek. I put a stop to that VERY quickly! Cheeky little boy!

Perhaps it is mating behaviour though. Not really sure.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

Yeah Smokey does bat bird/eagle when he's claiming something (i think he owns pretty much everything now!) but he's doing a lot of beak banging too lol.

I thought longer nights had pretty much got rid of the hormonal behaviour, all the other behaviours are gone, just the beak banging remaining.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Well you are still there! My boys really like beak banging for me lol.


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## clawnz (May 28, 2009)

I can confirm some females will do this.
Both sexes can be beak bangers.
Zinny who is DNA'ed female does this.
In fact she was doing this just today.
Both her and Max were up on a pelmet with both of them doing it in unison.
So definitely not just a male thing.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> So definitely not just a male thing.


This is the first time I've heard of this. Its generally only a male thing, none of my girls do it. I guess its like anything else, both sexes CAN do it, but its mostly just a male thing.


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## fastjosh007 (Sep 27, 2012)

well i believe they do it as a threat because my bird id cage dominant and when we come near he does it as a warning

:tiel2: :blink:


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