# My cockatiel hates my fingers/hands



## aggielee

I have had my 'so called' handraised male cockatiel for 6 months. He was young when I got him. He was very scared, hissing and nippy when I first got him but I thought I would give him a few weeks to see if he just needed to settle. He calmed down a little after about 3 weeks. He only hisses when I touch his toys/food now and he sits on me and I can pet him with my chin and my nose. However, even though he steps up onto my fingers or hands and sits on them as soon as I move a finger in his direction he bites it .... HARD! I have tried feeding him from my hand, rewarding him when he doesn't bite and I have got no where. It is almost as if he doesn't realise that the fingers are a part of me. I was very diheartened last week when I picked up a handraised cockatiel with my friend. She wanted one so we brought one for her from the pet shop. The bird she brought didn't hiss or bite and was fine with her fingers/hands straight away. I just wish my cockatiel was easier to handle. I love him so I will keep persisting but nothing I do seems to work. He is just happy to sit on me and get the occassional cuddle when he sits near my nose. I would like to be able to scratch him behind the head (like my previous cockatiel) and atleast move my hands around him without him biting me.


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## lperry82

It could mean a number of reasons which iv found for you http://www.cockatielcottage.net/bite.html
Iv herd that boys go through teenager stage from 6 months on and they are biting moody the lot, which hopefully i dont get in 2 months time lol. My female is a bit moody and keeps flying away from me and she is 7 months old


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## Hopeful1106

Just a thought but do you wear fingernail polish? I know that when I wear fingernail polish my female runs as far away from me as possible and hissing and does not act like herself. I have heard that birds are very meticulous about change and lets say you wear a hat one day or wear a different type of jewelry..they may notice these small changes and act out accordingly...just an observation


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## aggielee

Thanks, 

I have heard about the teenage phase, but my bird was quite young when I got him and has been this way for my entire time with him so I don't think he is going to grow out of it. It's a nice thought though. 

Thanks anyway


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## aggielee

Nope, no jewelery or nail polish. But that is good to know. I didn't realise that clothing would have an affect on them. They do have very detailed personalities though don't they. 

Thanks


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## lperry82

I had a checked shirt and lucky went crazy and i knew then what it was as iv read stories on here lol
I had nail polish on and ha ha they couldnt get away quick enough but as i had it on for a while they got used to it, my budgie was the worst


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## Doive

Our two 5 year old males do this. Tolerant of each other and being out, but go anywhere near them with hands and the beaks open. Mowgly is particularly vicious, who often lunges for my face when I go near him - on occasion he has jumped off his perch and flown around just to get at me. Now I try as much as possible to avoid intimidating them, keep myself low when approaching them, and never chase them with my hands. 

Trying my best to associate hands with treats, and they will both happily take sunflower seeds from me without biting, but as soon as I stop it's bitey time. Mowgly was making some progress with step up training and so on, had got to the point where he would step onto my forearm. But then we were given Tilly, and all interest in step up and us had disappeared, as he focused all his attention on Tilly.

Tilly is a strange little thing, she was a bit neglected by her previous owners and so is very mistrusting of humans. However, he has a green hanging toy that he is inseparable from, and we use this to coax him out of his cage. Using this, he will happily stand on my forearm and be walked around the room, but then has a funny turn and bites my knuckles off. Mowgly copies whatever Tilly does, so if one bites, the other bites even harder... However, if Mowgly bites me, Tilly bites him! It's all very strange.

I've had a read of the document posted above, and it's very interesting. I will have to give some of the things a try, and hope we can train them out of their bitey bad habits.


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