# Update... tiel from Petco..made my day!



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I previously posted a thread about a tiel my friend was considering getting from the Petco in our neighborhood. She happened to still be there today. Management said they would reduce her to 60% off b/c they just wanted to find her a home. So she was $52 when all was said and done. She was very scared but I clipped her wings so we could control her and had the cage set up. Just perches and 1 toy were put in, so as not to overwhelm her. I think it was meant to be, she is doing wonderful too. I posted some pics, including a "before" showing what she lived in for the past two months. Right now she is relaxing in her cage outside getting some much needed fresh air. 
So a couple questions. What mutation does she look like, a normal grey I'm thinking? Possible normal grey split to............??
Any name suggestions for her?

This was her "home" at Petco. Isn't she just gorgeous??









Out of the box after wing clipping, she was pretty stressed at this point and was panting with her beak a little open









The cage my friend is keeping her in for now


















Outside getting some fresh air, a welcome change.









I'm so happy for her. She actually did not bite when being handled, just a lot of wing flapping. I think she really has the potential to be tamed down.


----------



## corgie (Jun 24, 2013)

She's very pretty! I think she may be split whiteface?? Not sure, though haha! It'd be cool if she was just all normal grey since I'm pretty sure they're pretty uncommon now.


----------



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

She is lovely!!


----------



## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

Normal greys are really underestimated in how beautiful they really are. She's so pretty! I'm happy your friend was able to bring her home. If after being handled and frightened, she wasn't biting it's a really great sign. I got a cockatiel from a bird specialty type store and it's the only bird I would ever describe as vicious, and I don't like using that term for any animal. She knew that biting hurt and if she got the chance, she would lock down on your hand and do her best to not let go until you were bleeding and physically had to pry her away. Those are the types of birds who have learned to actually fear people instead of just not quite trusting them. Your friend has a challenge ahead of her but if there was a bird that would come around to people, it seems like this cutie has a great chance. Especially being so young. 

I'm awful with names, lol, so I won't suggest any but as far as possible splits go, I'm not sure. She seems to be female to me, based on the fact that Petco would have gotten her when she was weaned or just barely, and she was in the store for several months. Though there's still a chance she might molt into the yellow face mask if she's only 4ish months old. Going on that, she can't be split pearl or Lutino. She doesn't seem to have the tick marks on the back of her to be split pied and I'm awful at recognizing other splits so maybe someone else can help. It'd be pretty rare for her to just be normal grey though. Tell your friend congrats from us!


----------



## thewandererw (Aug 22, 2011)

She/he might be split to pied

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I put my hand in her cage a few times today and she hissed a lot and gave warning pecks, like hitting her beak to my hand while hissing. But she did not actually clamp down and bite. She also tried to get away from my hand by going to the side of the cage bars but did not flap her wings or jump around the cage. I told my friend this could take anywhere from a few months to maybe a year with patience, work and love. She's willing to do it, I hope things work out with her. I've got a good feeling though. She is molting a little at the crest right now from what I can see. I want to say she might be around 4 to 6 months old. The pet store had her about 2 months.
...... Oh, btw, all of her nails are black. What does that mean?


----------



## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Black nails don't mean anything. It's just part of her mutation. Beaker has dark nails. 

She is lovely. I hope she tames down


----------



## Fredandiris (Nov 27, 2012)

I believe normal greys have all black toenails. I was thinking maybe split to pied. She has a little spot of yellow on her wing. It might be an indication. You could only tell my boy is split to pied by a tiny little spot of yellow on the back of his head.

Please tell your friend I wished them good luck with their new tiel!


----------



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm thinking split to pied also. Can't wait to see hear how she is in the morning. She's our little project.


----------



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

So today she has been learning the step up command, which she is getting good at. She sometimes hisses and hits her beak on the hand when you ask her to step up, but does not actually bite. She is letting people pet her and give a little bit of head scratches. But still lots of hissing and beak to hand hitting. I don't know if there is a name for that, but what she does is hit her beak against our hand several times while hissing a little bit. Like she is warning us to back off, but still not actually biting. She has never clamped down on a finger and bit since being taken home. She now has a playgym and is spending a lot of time out of her cage on that, she stays there too. 
BTW, her name is Mia...


----------



## Ftest (May 18, 2013)

Mia is a great name. So glad she is coming along for you guys.


----------



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I saw her today for a little bit and she was on my hand. She climbed up to my shoulder and stayed there for a few minutes, preened herself and chirped a few times. All this after only 24 hours.


----------



## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Cockatiels are seriously amazing animals. The best birds ever


----------



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

Still hissing and apprehensive sometimes about being pet or getting scritches. Sometimes hitting her beak on your hand but it's only been one day. I think she has made amazing progress. Can't wait to see what she is like a month from now with more work.


----------



## Lu*lu (Jul 4, 2013)

She can be tamed down. 4-6 months sounds like a lot, considering she seems to be doing better than my Pumpkin when I first got her. Honestly the more time you spend, the faster she will tame. Just make sure she gets plenty of space, too! Beautiful baby...love how dark she is. <3


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

What a beauty!!


----------



## kan3288 (Jan 28, 2013)

She's beautiful! I see cockatiels at Petco/Petsmart all the time, and I always want to buy them. They seem to be taken care of pretty well, but I feel bad because they are usually alone. She's lucky to have you


----------

