# afraid tiel (new momma)



## hanssolos.momma (Jan 28, 2013)

I have read multiple thing on cockatiels before i bought one from someone. I just brought my first male cockatiel home this past sunday. I was told, he is a year and a half, he does whistle and says pretty bird. His wings are not clipped yet. The lady i bought him from told me before hand that he does bite, she said due to lack of attention...But when i went to pick him up the lady just reached in and grabbed him,he was flapping around all over the cage like he was afraid of hands. she told me he used to sit on her finger but im not sure about that by the actions he was making once she stuck her hand in his cage. I set his cage up and gave him fresh food and clean water and let him settle down.he eventually got off his highest perch within a few hours of him being in our home and ate some and is climbing on the cage walls. now hes whistling and saying pretty bird and responding to my whistles. when i used to get close,but not too close to his cage he went back up to his highest perch and sat,he looked like he was slightly shaking, i know its a new environment and new people he is arpund but i want him to trust me and love to be out of his cage hanging out with me and sit on my shoulder. I am not afraid of him at all and he doesnt bite hard, but it worries me that when she put her hand in the cage he went frantic.. i am going out tomorrow to buy treats and fresh fruit for him to help him settle and relax.
what i am asking is for any suggestions on how i should help him not be so nervous and not freak out when i have my hand in the cage, i do not want him to hurt himself. my boyfriend and i havnt gotten him out of his cage yet because i read its stressful having new owners holding a hand afraid bird,but since today and yesterday we have been trying to give him treats like cheerios and millet but hes not taking to it yet,we are now able to slowly put our hand in his cage even though hes up on his highest perch hes not flying around his cage in fright which seems like good process in just a few days!! and also if his shaking is due to me transporting him and new environment. ive only had him for a few days but already love him like one of my children so i am seeking helpful advice to help our bond. we also have had our bedroom door shut and his cage door open,at first he looked at us like we were crazy but about 3 times hes sat on his food dish and inspected the open doorway but has yet to step on the door bars. but still makes me a happy momma!!


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

My wife and I have a new cockatiel,Snowflake whom we have had for a week,he is afraid of my wife and my hands and runs all over the cage,he had a wing that was injured and had a blood feather that was pulled at the vets.We are trying to get him use to stepping up on a perch so he can get use to stepping up.Snowflake gets around his cage and around the floor despite missing one toe nail,you can try the perch and reward him with a treat when he does what you want him to.We are doing that with Snowflake.In time he will get use to you.


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

Hello. With nervous birds, cover half the cage to make them feel 
safe, talk softly, but don't stand over them like a predator. 
Use a small piece of millet spray or favourite food during the 
training process. When working inside the cage use a hanky fixed 
to the door bar to act as a safety curtain to prevent escapes.

(1) Offer a few pecks of a treat food, held in your fingers through 
the bars. If the bird shows fear or attempts to bite, remove your 
hand & the treat for a count of 10. Use tweezers or chop sticks, 
if the birds are really afraid...Do this as often as necessary. 

(2) Give them a treat little & often, so your visits mean nice things 
to eat. After a day or so of successful feeding, your ready to try, 
hand feeding inside the cage. 

(3) Hold the treat food close to the perch so they can eat. After a 
week or so of hand feeding your birds should be happy to step 
onto your hand to eat..

Now you can take your birds from the cage for a fly round, knowing 
you can return them with a treat in the cage & a small treat in hand 
to get them to step-up...BJ.


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## ~SarahJayne~ (Oct 14, 2012)

Congrats on your new baby! We used to have a budgie who was scared of hands. We started by just sitting next to his cage talking to him, then putting a hand in the bottom of the cage, not moving it. When he got used to it being there and knew it wouldn't hurt him, we moved the hand to a perch. Eventually he started walking over the hand to get to his food. From there it was a short step to teaching him to step up. 

Munchkin has always loved hands, as she had been picked up and cuddled ever since she hatched. She associates hands with head rubs, and runs towards them and buries her head in them when you make scratching movements. Once your little guy knows those scary looking hands can scratch his little head, his outlook towards them will totally change. Tiels love having their heads petted.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

These threads have some helpful advice:
Food Bribery - http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661

Taming lperry82 version - http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073 

It's normal for new tiels to be nervous and protective of their cage. Just be patient and spend some time sitting and talking with your tiel and try the advice in the above threads.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Birds don't like to be grabbed and they seem to know when you're planning to do it, even if you're trying to act casual. It's possible that he wasn't normally that frightened of her but was flapping around because he didn't want to be grabbed. It's also possible that he IS normally that scared of her.

Either way, you're not her, and in the long run the way your bird relates to you will be based on the way you treat him. If he has been mistreated in the past he might always have some degree of distrust. But if you are consistent about treating him gently and doing things that he enjoys while keeping the use of force to a minimum, he'll figure out that you're OK. 

Cockatiels are social animals with a strong instinctive need to belong to a flock, and if there are no other birds in the house they will normally form a flock bond with the humans. This doesn't necessarily mean that they will like you, but they will depend on you and won't want to be too far away from you.


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## JennyLynn (Feb 13, 2012)

Just take it slow and he will learn to trust you. Sit near the cage and talk to him , move closer and closer over the next few days, then try feeding the millet through the bars of the cage, then move to the next steps of inside the cage. If he is staying calm while you change out the food that's a good sign already.


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