# Signs of bonding



## WallyBird

I feel my tiel and I bond really well, however I was wondering about some of my bird's behaviors. His name is Wally and hes very calm and doesn't like to do much. Every once in awhile hes active, but I'm concerned because all he wants to do is be on my shoulder. i can never leave him on my finger for longer than two seconds (unless i have a snack) cause he's constantly crawling up my arm towards my shoulder. I try to put him on a perch in front of me and talk to him face to face but he just jumps onto my chest and climbs up my shirt to his favorite spot. he doesn't like to play with toys when hes out of his cage he just likes to sit on my shoulder and groom himself. sometimes he plays with my hair and facial hair but other times he completely ignores me and gets fussy when i try to take him off my shoulder. is this natural behavior? are these good signs of bonding?


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## cinnamon

I have read they prefer to be up high as possible. My Cinnamon does the very same thing. If I want to scratch his head I have to hold him against my chest and he likes the scritches for a few seconds but really just wants to be up on my shoulder. I am thinking thats they way they are. He does chirp so nicely in my ear when he's there.


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## Catherine

You meant 'bonding'? You belong to him. Are you at home a lot? He would miss you dreadfully if you went out for long.


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## WallyBird

Yes bonding haha. And yes I'm home most of the day everyday. I leave two days a week for a couple hours for school. Lately I've been gone a lot, a good friend passed away and I've been busy with that. Perhaps that's why he's been fussy when i go to take him off my shoulder.


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## Mythara

Give him rewards when he's on your finger. You need to make it a good place to be, not just somewhere he goes before he's put back in the cage. Do you have a playgym for him? They're a great place for your 'tiel to play by himself, out of his cage, but you will need to teach him to use them. We have one next to the computers upstairs and one next to the sofa downstairs. Start by putting your 'tiel (what's his name? =)) on the playgym with a treat, and some of his favourite toys and foraging toys. Keep repeating this, making him stay on the playgym for gradually longer times, before rewarding him. 

It's important to remember that you can have a good strong bond with your 'tiel, without him having to be on you every second when he's out. And if he is capable of playing on his own with you around and without you around, he'll be less reliant on you, and it'll be a healthier bond for him.


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## WallyBird

His name is Wally, and I've been giving him treats when he comes to my hand, but it seems he's only interested in the treat, once its gone he pays no attention to my hand. I dont have a full playgym, but i do have a perch outside his cage with toys and a few fun things for him. I put him on his perch and try to help him play with toys, but his only interest is my shoulder. I'll definitely try bribing him to stay on his perch with snacks. I'm also having difficulties figuring out what toys he likes because he never wants to play with them, even when he's in his cage. I have many different toys for him, but he picks at them once or twice and after that he's done playing. When i leave to go to my grandparents for dinner or something like that ill put him on a perch of my choice and when i get back he's still on that perch. He only leaves for food, and it seems he won't eat or move around unless im there. When i come home i open his cage door, the first thing he does is eat, then he comes out of his cage to see me. He has no problem stepping up onto my hand or finger, he just refuses to be anywhere but my shoulder. The only other place he considers besides my shoulder is the top of his cage. 

By the way Mythara, thanks for the great advice, I will try to follow it and work with Wally everyday.


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## Mythara

Was he hand fed? Hand fed birds need to be taught independence, but unfortunately most new owners don't realise this, and don't teach them to be independent which often leads to behavioural problems. It's never too late to fix though. 

The first thing to do, is to find toys he enjoys, and teach him to play with them. What toys do you have already? Around here, most pet shops sell plastic toys or wooden toys, but I find our birds don't like these. They prefer natural toys, like vine and willow balls, palm leaves, coconut fibres and so on. I mostly get parts and toys for them online, or from the rodents section of the pet shop: http://www.feathersandforage.co.uk/?p=758 

Foraging toys are always good, and are fairly easy to teach your bird to play with - especially since most 'tiels are pretty food orientated. I honestly believe foraging is the best thing you can do for your parrot. They need a lot of stimulation, and foraging provides that, and also allows them to use their natural instincts. Something people often don't realise is that parrots, including cockatiels, aren't domestic animals. If you discount mutations, the cockatiels we have in our homes are the same in every way as those born wild - with all the same instincts. Foraging is a great way to let them use those instincts and keep them stimulated. Our cockatiels have always foraged, but the budgies didn't for a couple of years (since I hadn't heard of it then) and the change in their activity and general happiness when we started them foraging was amazing. They're a lot happier now. Here's a guide to Teaching your 'tiel to forage - the foraging tray is a great place to start as cockatiels are naturally ground foraging birds, and an article about captive foraging. Almost all the foraging toys in my blog (Feathers and Forage) are homemade with things you either have around the house, or you can buy easily and cheaply. =)


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## WallyBird

He was hand fed as a little chick, that could explain a lot. As far as toys go, i just got him a few weeks ago so he only has about eight toys that i rotate between his cage and his perch outside the cage. I have two small mirror toys, two plastic ball toys that have 4 balls strung together (one has the bells inside the balls and the other has a single bell at the bottom). The other four are rope toys with wooden beads bells and knots all throughout them. They all look different and have different beads on them. They're all store bought, and i think making my own toys is the way to go. He seems like a very curious bird, just not interested in the toys ive bought ha. Thank you very much for all the foraging and toy information. It just seemed really odd to me that he wasn't interested. My last bird loved all her toys, and didn't like my shoulder much. total opposite birds haha.


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