# Too Bonded?



## kr90au (Aug 4, 2016)

So I just picked up a weaned baby tiel from a local breeder and given the behavior and lack of whistles I believe the bird is a female but wont know for sure till her first molt. Luckily I decided on a unisex name, Mika. Anyways Mika from day one was very vocal and outgoing... fast forward 4 days and she happily naps on my shoulder now while I'm doing whatever. She's adjusted very well, however Im concerned she is becoming a little too bonded as she DOES NOT want to go back to her cage (she stays on top / out during the day with the door open since no other pets) and even ignores hunger first thing in the morning. She'd rather get on my shoulder than eat breakfast after first getting up, getting her off my shoulder ( or anyone's ) is a exercise in patience and pain tolerance as she will bite pretty hard in protest of going back to her food bowl / perch / cage. Her wing are clipped however she will still try to fly over to me if she feels so inclined, promptly hit the floor then flock call her way over to me where I scoop her up ( I dont want her to get into the habit of being on the floor so I'm fine with this routine). 

I do not want a second bird, I just want to know if this is just kinda baby / hormonal clinginess in excess that will settle down as she gets more settled / older? I've tried rewarding her for stepping up off my shoulder, however she is a smart bird and will grobble angrily while she eats the sunflower seed from my hand quickly then race back up my arm at the first chance she gets. Quite the challenge. 

I am careful to not in anyway "pet" her, only head preening as I don't want her to think I am a mate... just strong bond is what I want.

Thanks.


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## TheJediBird (Sep 11, 2015)

I don't have any experience with younger 'tiels, since I got both of mine when they were already fully mature, but I would suggest making her wait for you. If she yells a lot, make her wait and then go over when she settles down so that she doesn't learn to yell if she wants attention. You could also try leaving something she really loves to eat in her cage as kind of an incentive to go back. Make sure to reward her every time she does what you want!


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## littletiel (May 15, 2011)

It probably depends on the bird's personality and on how we behave too. My boy just turned 7 and often still behaves like a baby because I always give him a lot of attention. He wants to be with me non-stop, stops eating and starts crying if I leave the room while he is eating, calls me when he wants to come out of the cage even if the door is open because he wants to be carried out and cuddled, and when I went on holiday and left him with a breeder he was the only bird they had to take inside because he cried non-stop outside.
I probably spoiled him, but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, as I am still here and can still spoil him...


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Zoe is a total velcro-bird but that's mostly because I raised her from a week old and haven't ever really put any distance between us. She used to scream at the very top of her lungs whenever I left the room. I managed to combat that by ignoring her while she was screaming (that took a lot of patience), and then going back in to see her once she had settled down. It took a little while but she learned that screaming doesn't have the desired effect.

I know you said her wings are clipped, but can she glide at all? If not and she just hits the ground like a brick, I would try to keep her cage low to the ground for the time being so she doesn't hurt herself when she hits the deck trying to get to you.

I had the biting problem with my rainbow lorikeet when he was on my shoulder. Once he was up there he didn't want to come down and he would bite pretty hard trying to fight me off. I just stopped letting him go up there for a while. Gradually he got less bitey and he eventually got the hint that if he bites, he can't go back up there.


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## kr90au (Aug 4, 2016)

I'm pretty careful not to reward undesired behavoir or give her attention when crying / excessive flock calling, unfortunately I live with a roommate and he is a dumb*** and I have no idea what goes on while I"m at work and they are home. I asked him to put her in the cage last night and cover her for me, she was acting scared in her cage this morning... so not letting him near her anymore. Its definitely an exercise in patience to let a bird BITE you until they decide to do something else before you can interact haha.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

It sure is! When I was a kid and got my first cockatiel, the guy I got him from gave me some tips for taming him (he was an adult aviary bird) and one of them was "if he bites, don't react, just try to stay calm until he's done and he'll realize that biting gets him nowhere" and i've practiced this ever since. 
It has always been effective, all of the birds that have bitten me have learned pretty quickly that biting doesn't get them what they want, but it sure is a test of patience and pain tolerance. My eclectus is currently going through the bitey "i'm going to test you and push my boundaries" stage and I can't tell you how glad I am that I have gradually gone up in beak sizes and built up my pain tolerance before this LOL.

Working with birds takes a whole new level of patience and perseverance in my opinion. We basically work on their terms. She will get it eventually!

I'm sorry to hear your roommate is a bit of an idiot lol, I really hope he didn't do anything to scare or hurt her


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## littletiel (May 15, 2011)

My bird has only tried to bite me once in 7 years, and not too hard.
Sometimes he makes me understand he wants to be left alone by shaking his head and showing me the beak, but he doesn't really bite.

He usually stops calling when I say "I'll be back", so at the end of the day he just calls me and is somehow reassured by my words.


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