# holding head to one side



## ukjets (Mar 31, 2011)

Hello, i am new here,os i hope someone can help. 
I have bought a cockatiel on sunday from a garden centre, the problem is that he seems to be holding his head to his left hand side, the first couple of days i thought it might be due to stress through coming to a new home, but now i am a little concerned that he is still doing it 5 days on, apart from that he seems happy and contented and is eating and drinkig well, although i have noticed when he drinks he seems to crane his neck a bit.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Hello and welcome does he constantly do it or just sometimes


----------



## ukjets (Mar 31, 2011)

He does it all the time, although he seems to move his head freely, and does'nt show any sign of pain.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

The Head Tilt
If your bird turns his head sideways and then tilts it up or down, he may be looking at something either above or below him. Because of the positioning of a bird's eyes, this is the easiest way for them to view certain areas. If you can't tell what your bird is looking at, it's possible that he's staring at his own fluff floating in the air. This head motion may also be done when your bird is listening intently to a sound.
http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/behavior.php


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

A pix would help to show exactly what you are talking about. Does it looks similar to the head position in the pix below? (click for a larger veiw) And how old is the bird? From your description it sounds like the head position is of a 'star gazer'...which is a result of a vitamin E and selenium defeciency. OR...if it was housed outside and in an area where opposums roam it could be a result of Sarco, which many times is untreatable.


----------



## ukjets (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks for the replys guys, yes that picture looks like what he does,the lady told me when i bought him on sunday that he is about 20weeks old, also i have him inside and he was inside where i bought him from.


----------



## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

Here's a little article I found on Stargazing or twirling as it's sometimes called.
http://www.avianweb.com/stargazing.html

From what I could gather after doing a google search it seems more common in finches and other small avairy birds.
I'm wondering if an ear infection could also be a possibilty, Are you in the UK? I'm presuming you are by your forum name. It might be a good idea to get him checked over by an avain vet or one who's good with birds.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I've put together a collage with some info on it. (click for a larger view)

You might want to ask the person you bought the bird from, how long this has been going on. If they bred the bird, did it start when it was in the nest, etc. Also what was the diet.

I would suggest a vet visit to have tests done to rule out it if the underlying problem is disease related or nutritional related. If nutritional treatment is listed on the collage.

As to nutritional...a birds diet could have been great, BUT, the ground where the food or grain grew may have been defecient of nutrients which would have greatly affected the nutrient value of the food.


----------



## sunny birb (8 mo ago)

my bird is twisting her head like it looks like her head is about to twist off and its really making me worry.


----------

