# Cockatiel doesn't climb



## Nwjames1310 (Jul 13, 2014)

My cockatiel is almost 5 months old when I got her she was hand raised and fairly hand tame but now she is completely hand tame she lets me do what I want with no problems but When I got her they had her in a hamster type enclosure when wood shaving bedding and not much to climb on. So she had a cage that sat on a counter that was 30 inch long and not tall and she would walk around and I recently bought her a cage that is tall and last night she would climb up and start flapping and hit the bottom like she fell idk if it's because she can't see and doesn't know her way around or she just isn't a climber. Any help would he great thanks


----------



## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Are you talking about a night fright, or something she does before bed? If you think she can't see, definitely get a nightlight. Murray has a little LED one that uses hardly any energy at all.

Murray doesn't like bedtime and sometimes climbs or flaps his wings quite frantically right before bed. It looks pretty clumsy because he's not quite the master of his own wings yet. Perhaps this is what your new baby is doing, except she hasn't learned to climb yet?


----------



## Nwjames1310 (Jul 13, 2014)

We'll she doesn't like going to the top of her cage she walks on the ground a lot I just hope she gets used to it so she can get around more. She may have been scared it's extremely dark at night


----------



## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Young cockatiels also tend to be clumsy. If she's having trouble getting around you might want to lower her perches, food dishes, etc until she get better and even put padding on the bottom of the cage at night if she's falling so she doesn't hurt herself. And a night light is a good idea.


----------



## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Yes definitely a night light. Cockatiels are notoriously prone to frights if it's pitch black. Leave a bit of the cage uncovered so it can shine in


----------



## Fredandiris (Nov 27, 2012)

Babies are incredibly clumsy. One of my birds had no tail for the first 6 months of his life, since he kept breaking them flying or falling. He has now mastered his feet and wings, so has grown his tail back. Just give her some time and she'll learn.


----------

