# Improving the quality of life for my little bird.



## dmschimanski (Jul 18, 2015)

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post to this forum. 

Almost exactly two years ago while working late on my computer. A slightly-inebriated man called up to my window asking if I had lost a budgie. Out of concern for a loose exotic bird I went down and discovered the 'budgie' was in fact a young cockatiel. At the time I thought he was a male grey. Although I now know he is in fact pied. I knew he was young as he still had the juvenile barred feather pattern. I tried to advertise locally so that he could be returned to his owner. He could wolf-whistle and rasp " Pretty Boy.". My search ran to no avail so I dubbed him Derrick and bought a large parrot cage for him.

I've had experience before with budgies, lovebirds and other parrots as my mum used to work at a petshop. She kept budgies and my brother lovebirds. Ironically as a child I always wanted a cockatiel.

He is an absolutely delightful little bird although there are a couple of things that can cause some concern.

Firstly his diet is tricky. He's a seed addict and is reluctant to try other foods. I've recently changed him to a much higher quality feed which includes dried fruit and vegetables as well as seed. He's seems to be taking to it although it's still early days.

Secondly despite having free reign of my living room all day ( I work from home and he released as long as I'm in the room which at least eight hours a day.) He will happily hop onto my arm and climb up to my shoulder and enjoys looking at the birds through the windows while there. However he very seldom flies either to explore the room or land on me. He certainly seems less exploratory than other parrots I've known.

I am hoping that perhaps some of you might have ideas on how to encourage him to fly and eat more as I feel he seems rather sedentary. That being said he seems very happy in himself and talkative to me.

Having never owned a cockatiel I'm not sure if this normal behaviour for them. So any encouragement on what I am doing and any advice you think may help will be greatly appreciated. 

I am also considering getting him a buddy as the cage is certainly large enough. The question here is whether that would help with his levels of tameness and what are the pitfalls of introducing two cockatiels to each other.

Many Thanks


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Welcome to the forum! First, thank you for taking him in! 

Tiels are really not as active all the time. Some birds are more calm than others and actually don't prefer to play or explore. It sounds like he is super bonded to you so the best place he feels is right with you. This isn't a bad thing. You can encourage him to take daily flights if you want, but if he's a healthy weight then being lazy isn't hurting him.

Diet is tricky, but see if he will eat something if he sees you eating it. This worked well with my tiel Cinnamon, she wanted everything I was eating. You can try birdy bread, which is basically bread chock full of veggies. Tiels aren't huge fans of fruits (I could never get mine to touch any) but some tiels do like them.

As for getting your tiel a friend, only do that if you really want to. Getting a bird for another bird doesn't always pan out and there's no guarantee that the two of them will get along. If that happens, you have to be able to separate them. This means two cages, two out of cage times, everything. Good Luck!


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## dmschimanski (Jul 18, 2015)

Thanks for insights. I was beginning to worry that he wasn't flying enough although he seems pretty strong when he does. He much prefers to climb or step up on to things than fly off. He doesn't come to but if I put an arm out ( He doesn't like fingers.) He runs up and jumps on to me before settling on my shoulder. The tricky part is getting him off. He seems to like his new food as there no signs of discarded food. I'm pleased as it contains dried fruit and vegetables as well a much wider range of seeds> I'm also going to try him on soaked pulses as well. He really enjoys the chickweed which grows around here well. So he has that most days as well.

With regards to getting a companion. I'm very confident with having two birds as my cage is actually for a larger parrot mostly because I think the sizes of 'cockatiel' cages are apalling. It seems to me it's easy to get the basics right with small parrots but it's the patience, determination, and understanding that they respond best to. I'm autistic and worry that I'm giving him all the opurtunities to be a healthy and happy creature. Maybe I should just plug along by myself. I mean he wouldn't go near me at all two years ago when I found him and he's only started sitting on my shoulder for the past six months.

As an adult I never imagined myself looking after an animal but I don't think I could be without the little git now.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Hello and welcome to you and Derrick!  

Joey has free reign most of the day and evening, and prefers the top of his cage as a fave hangout. We give him a couple - few toys a day, depending on the size of the toys, and swap them around for variety. He also gets his veggies and millet up there. We take his food and water dishes from the inside of the cage and hang them on the outside for easy access. He is quite content up there, and will make at least one, if not several flying laps around the living room a day. At least once a day he will use the outside of his cage as a jungle gym and climb up, down and around the sides But, for the most part, he is happiest when he is on the top of his cage. 

As Roxy said, diet is tricky. As with human toddlers, it is trial and error, repeat offers and lots of patience. Some veggies and foods they take to right away, some take a while, and some they never will like. I figure I can't stand black pudding, Brussels sprouts or liver and onions, so why should I force Joey to eat something he just doesn't like. That is my thinking. But talk the item up while offering it. I use a calm but excited voice when I want him to get interested in something. If it is a toy, I talk about how nice it is, how fun it will be. For food I tell him how yummy it is, how mommy loves it, and tell him how he will like it. That usually gets him to at least try it. We tried with broccoli forever before he liked it.

Another easy trick is to finely chop or shred veggies to the size of seeds and sprinkle them over the food. If it resembles the familiar, they are likely to try it.



dmschimanski said:


> As an adult I never imagined myself looking after an animal but I don't think I could be without the little git now.


Heehee. Hubs calls Joey a little git all the time. I've pretty much always had animals or birds in my life, and birds especially for the last 22 years, either mine or mom's. But if anyone told me years ago I'd be scratching a bird's head and cheeks, or kissing a bird on the head I'd have thought they were nuts. Any time before Joey, actually. None of my previous birds have been as cuddly as he is.


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## dmschimanski (Jul 18, 2015)

*Thanks to your reply.*

I'm relieved to hear that other cockatiels are not regular flyers. My mothers budgie wouldn't stop. That being said he has just decided that the plant need to my workstation is his best new spot. But he loves over sitting on the top of his open cage. Of which he's very tettorial except when being fed. He actually loves his new food. He doesn't discard any of it and I might be imaging it but he seemed etra cheery since so I think that's a success. I've even got him trying soak mix so am much happier with his diet. I suspect he'll never be massively tame. Although my shoulder as I walk around my flat does seems to be his next favourite place. Thanks for your advice I thought I was doing okay but wanted make sure. He's such a lovely little bird it never ceases how much personality he possess's. I'd never leave an animal introuble and didn't wanted to be parteed when one on the third day he still had my spare room. The he blorted at me and landed on my mind I knew I'd be upset if someone had claimed him.
I'm really pleased I changed his diet it seems to have made him all the more cheery. He likes to wake me up at six o'clock when he starts singing and I have to be quiet because once he hears me moving about I'm let off the hook until he's out. What an ace animal.


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## tielbob (Mar 25, 2013)

Hi and welcome to you from Percy and me.  I've also found that some tiels don't have much interest in flying but it varies from bird to bird.


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

*improving life*

I am thankful for people like you who rescue birds and want to give them the best life they can! 
My cockatiel Bennie does not fly around much. Mostly he hangs out on top of his cage or on my shoulder or the back of my chair. When he does fly, he usually makes just one or two loop around my very small apartment, lend lands on the same spot of the same shelf and wait for me to get him down. He won't fly to me; just waits 'til I put my hand up to him.
Enjoy your little friend!


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