# Is my Cockatiel Gay ?



## elpedros (Mar 5, 2012)

Hi, 

it may seem strange to ask but I just want to check if someone can help me understand.

I adopted a male Cockatiel a 1 year ago. He his about 10 to 12 years old according to the people that gave it to me. He his very loud. Hi like to masturbate lots of time a day and I cannot remove his mirror without him to go crazy...

I give him attention every evening and during the week-end. He is very quiet if I take him with me in my bed or on the sofa or in the kitchen. But when in is cage he is screaming. Some people told me to get a female. So I did.

I now have a 4 year old female. Very affective and quiet. She wants to be friend with my male but the male is ignoring her. She already has laid 6 eggs the first week a got her.

This week-end, I put away my male's mirror. I expected that it would be more interrested in the female. But this week-end was terrible. He was screaming from morning to evening if I dont take him on me. I know he is looking for his mirror but I dont want to give him. My goal his to put the 2 birds in the same cage and help quiet the male.

But my male doesn't seem to like the female....

So, is it possible that he his gay ?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

He thought his reflection was his mate and had bonded to himself. Give him time to get over the lost mirror...and maybe things will turn around.


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## elpedros (Mar 5, 2012)

Ok, And how long can I expect him to recover from the lost mirror. A few weeks or months ? He was very addict to his mirror...


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

It depends on the bird so I can't give you a definite answer. But it could range any where from a few weeks to a few months. It's like you just took a real bird away from him. My bird Kirk used to cuddle with himself in the mirror and started to only eat, drink, and look at the mirror. I threw all the bird mirrors out because it seemed unhealthy to me for him to not get an exercise and to be so focused on one thing. It probably took him a few weeks, maybe a month to act normal--but he didn't call for it when we took it away like your bird did.


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## elpedros (Mar 5, 2012)

After a few days, it is getting better, less scream and more songs... He goes out of the case more easy now without the mirror. But I think he has developped an obsession with a wood bar. Strange bird...

He is accepting the female in his environnement but no kissing yet !!!

So I agree on the fact that it is unhealty to let a mirror in the cage. The bird seems happier now even if he lost the "reflection friend"


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Hopefully it continues to go well.  glad I could help.


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## Debbie05 (Feb 9, 2010)

I had a male that loved his branch. I removed the branch and changed the cage. Also try covering the cage at night. Longer nights might help reduce his hormon levels. If he has long daylight hours he thinks it is spring and time to mate. So making longer nights makes him think it is winter. It help with my male. Good luck.


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