# Cockatiel randomly has a spaz.



## Joeser777 (Sep 8, 2011)

So for the most part my cockatiel is pretty tame, steps up pretty easy, let's me pet him isn't frightened of me in the slightest (as far as i know)

However sometimes he'll randomly just get really aggressive spaz and start going psycho on my fingers with his beak, i've read a few places to try to tap the bird on the head / beak , even to make a "TTSS" sort of noise to get their attention, but the noise doesn't work, and the cockatiel follows my hand and won't let me tap (continues to spaz).

He refuses to sit anywhere but my shoulder, and when he's in his cage occasionally i'll put my budgie in the same cage, he pushes the budgie around charges him pushes him off the perch etc when half the time the budgie is minding his own business. When i try to get my cockatiel off my shoulder he continually just runs right back up so i'd spend my time trying to continually keep him off if it's about dominance. 

Is this a problem of dominance? What can i do to make my cockatiel more calm?


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

If your putting the budgie in your tiels cage then your tiel is just defending his territory from this budgie intruder. 

I dont think its a problem of dominance, mine love shoulders and if I put them on my hand they immediately climb up to my shoulder but ifyou dont want him up there then I guess just keep taking him down from there, maybe give him treats somewhere else so he associates a certain place with food, thats not your shoulder. ( other people might have better advice on that one as I dont mind mine on my shoulders)

I got this off of ( its an awesome behvaiour guide )http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/behavior.php
"The "Rapidfire Bite" Technique
If your your parrot gets little bunchy eyebrows or a flat crest and then starts quickly biting your finger (or as I like to say, playing your finger like a harmonica), he might be a tad miffed at you. Don't take it personally. It happens with even the best birds."
I dont know how to deal with that behaviour though.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Tiels don't have dominant issues, they aren't like that. They do have personal space issues though and placing a budgie in the tiel's cage is not a good idea, as that's his house and the budgie is an intruder. He just likes you're shoulder...how old is he do you think? Male tiels will sometimes go through a teenage stage where they are very bratty and nippy. Also, tapping his beak is not a good idea as it can hurt him and make him afraid of your hands. If he bites, drop him to the floor. He will eventually realize that biting will get him nowhere.


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## Joeser777 (Sep 8, 2011)

I forgot that putting the Budgie in his cage is basically an intrusion on his nest, I should work on that, very ignorant of me :/

By "drop him to the floor" how do you suggest i do that without hurting him?


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## Joeser777 (Sep 8, 2011)

roxy culver said:


> how old is he do you think? Male tiels will sometimes go through a teenage stage where they are very bratty and nippy


I'd say he's about 7 months old now? He's creeping up on being nearly a year old at this point.


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

When Cupid starts a fight I put him in his cage for a little time out.....maybe a time out when he randomly bites could work for you too


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yep then he's right at that hormonal stage...pretty much he'll eventually grow out of this but he's just gonna be pretty bratty right now, so only reward him with treats and such when he's nice. By dropping him, I mean literally drop him to the floor. Don't throw him or anything like that, just let him drop. He's a big boy, it won't hurt him none, but he has to learn that biting is unacceptable.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> When Cupid starts a fight I put him in his cage for a little time out.....maybe a time out when he randomly bites could work for you too


Time outs for Fuzzy worked wanders...he had a real bad habit of chasing the other boys around and just being mean, so he would get put away while everyone else got to play. He'd come out all nice and sweet after a time out.


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## Joeser777 (Sep 8, 2011)

xoxsarahxox said:


> When Cupid starts a fight I put him in his cage for a little time out.....maybe a time out when he randomly bites could work for you too


Really good idea to move him to the cage. How do you recommend I move him? Grab him like a vet does? With pointer and middle finger around each side of his head with the rest of my hand grabbing his body? Or getting him to step up?

I ask assuming that stepping up seems "happier" and might make him feel less "punished"


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## ayume (Apr 6, 2011)

My girl does the nibbling crazy bit too sometimes, and she's also 7 months. This typically happens with cockatiels around 5-9 months so it will go away soon. Mine does this around bedtime, and because it doesn't hurt I just put her in my lap (so I'm looking down on her a bit) and I tell her what a naughty bird she is, and that she'll have to go back to her room (her cage) if she keeps nibbling. 
She actually stops after that... Normally she does it because she wants neck scrubs.


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## Joeser777 (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks everyone for all your posts, i've learned a lot from this thread 
Especially in that Cookie is just going through a bratty stage.

Also thanks Sarah for the link it was really educational.


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