# Hissing for Attention?



## WildCelticRose (Oct 7, 2011)

I think I have a weird bird...

She's very friendly towards me, easily steps up and lets me pet her, gives me kisses, chatters and whistles when I enter the room, perks up and acts alert and happy when I talk and sing to her and there is plenty of interaction

She has lived here three weeks now and appears to be relaxed, happy and comfortable in her surroundings; her cage is in the corner nearest the chair I sit in most often, so that I can interact with her as much as possible.

Lately, she's taken to hissing for no reason.

The only thing I can think of is that she's not a "screamer" and wants me to pay attention to her (this is usually when I'm reading or working on my computer)

Does anyone else's tiel do this?

Oh, and just for fun I thought I'd add my newest "Cheeky" video...

She made a "monkey" out of me the other day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKhtfWenduw


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Very cute video! I've never heard of them hissing for attention, there could be something in the room that she doesn't like that she's hissing at. Like maybe a light or picture on the computer.


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## WildCelticRose (Oct 7, 2011)

When she wants my attention; she'll get on the bottom of the cage and walk over to the corner closest to me and give me "the bird eye" and/or bang her beak on the bars.

She's often there, or goofing around underneath her ladder when I hear the hiss.

When I look up at her, she's like... "What?"


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You know beak banging is a sign of male behavior and her face is very yellow for a girl. How old is she?


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## WildCelticRose (Oct 7, 2011)

I spoke to the small pet store in the small town where the people I got her from bought her, and they said the only bird they sold in that time frame (the only one they had) would be at least 9 months old and was a female.

She's got very distinct bars on her tail










and as I said, she's a weird bird; she also whistles a lot.

Someone else on this forum saw video of her doing this and said it was female breeding behavior 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGioR3jzUJs&NR=1


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Haha yes that is female breeding behavior so she is definitely a she! lol had me fooled there for a minute!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Is there a grill on the floor of the cage? If not is she spending time down there and messing with the cage floor papers? The hissing may be a sign that she is being hormonal and defending her territory.


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## WildCelticRose (Oct 7, 2011)

Yes, there's a grill on the floor of the cage. She will however try to reach through the bars to grab the edges of the paper or to try to retrieve large chunks of her honey/veggie/fruit/seed treat bar that break off and fall down.

She is very territorial towards me; she hisses at almost anyone else that comes over if I'm near the cage. She doesn't hiss at me for reaching in the cage, and will generally step up on anyone else's finger. Except my friend Gar, she wanted nothing to do with him, so we didn't push it.

It is also possible she's hormonal as she sings her "I'm so horny" song just about every day


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## jessnry (Mar 26, 2011)

In my experience young female cockatiels can be extra-hissy for some reason, more so if they're in their cage and it's almost bedtime, lol. Could it be a toy hanging above her head? Maybe she looked up and was surprised by it swinging there for a second, so hissed a warning at it? Tiels can be so silly sometimes


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Beautiful cockatiel!


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