# Biting "adolescent" male 'tiel



## Moya (Nov 3, 2010)

My sister has a 9 month old male cockatiel that used to be the sweetest, most affectionate bird until recently when he started biting. Usually he bites when she's trying to get him back in his cage, but sometimes he will lunge at me or my sister for no apparent reason. One second he's sweet and the next he's vicious. Is this just a temporary adolescent hormonal change and he will return to being a sweet bird after he settles down or is this a permanent change in personality?


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

It possible its hormone related. Tell her to try the long nights treatment, its 12-14 hours of darkness each night and its usually effective in lowering hormones in a couple weeks. Male cockatiels can also go through a bratty "teenage" stage so she may just have to wait for him to grow out of it.

My male is the same way, its horrible to try and get him back in the cage, he gets really nippy, hes just over a year old and very hormonal now but it started around 9 months old as well, millet as a bribe might work to help get him in the cage without trouble, the only way my boy will go back to the cage is if my female goes first


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## Moya (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks for the advice. Does your male tiel share a cage with the female? I was wondering because my sister's male, Harley just lives her female, Cocoa. He sidles up to her and says: "hey baby, what ya doing'?" Then he serenades her with the Andy Griffin theme. Wonder if sharing a cage with her would calm him down? Although I think his love is unrequited.


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