# NEW to birds just got a "special" Tiel yesterday ;)



## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

I am very big into animals and have a problem with bringing home the ones who may need a little extra help ;P. Iv'e always wanted a bird but hadn't done a whole tone of research about them. But after I saw my "Robbie" at the store yesterday I fell in love. Went home and did some research on Cockatiels and decided they are the bird for me. I wanted a bird that could be personable with me and bond to an extent like cat or dog. Also didnt want one that got super vocal alllll the time.

So long story short I actually found out that all of the Tiels were hand raised by the shop and they were only 2 months old. Also they were all already spoken for except for the one I wanted ! Shes is a Cinnamon White Face. And after looking at some more pictures of other morphs she may even have some pearl of pied in her if thats even possible. I call her a she simply because I was told she was prolly a girl because most Cinnamons are females.. Is this true? I told them to have the breeder who brings them in give me a call because they said she would know for sure.

Anyway I call her special because she was kind of the runt of the group and originally had a balancing problem and one of the larger birds picked all her tail feathers out when she would eat . Im sure thats not helping with her balance problem either. I never did see her on a perch at all in the store but since ive got her home she seems to be doing a lot better. As a matter a fact shes perched on the top of my laptop screen as we speak .

Do you guys think her balance problem will get better as her feathers come back in?? and will they ever come back in the same. The few that are left are broken n all jacked up. Thats really my only concern for her. Shes still not big on climbing up to the various hight and sized perches I have for her but if i put on one she will just chill on it for a good bit before jumping down to the bottom of the cage.. **** if she isnt a big climber for her hole life it wouldnt be a big deal to me. Shes eating great and was one of the first ones to take seed and get off the liquid diet. 

Ill get some pics of her up in a few!


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## Berdnerd (May 20, 2010)

Congrats on your new birdy! Prepare for many very rewarding years with Robbie  There are few things sweeter than a loving cockatiel who wants to be with you. Can you post pictures of her? That way people can tell you what color mutation she is. I'm pretty sure that cinnamon whitefaces can be pearl and pied too. That's a lot of mutations! She sounds lovely! Also, I don't think the thing about cinnamons being mostly girls is true. If you really want to know her sex, you'd be best off having her DNA tested. It only costs about $20, you send off for a little collection kit (from feathers or blood from a toenail), mail it back, then you find out in a week or so.

As for the balancing thing. A lot of baby birds are pretty clumsy! That should improve to some degree as the gets older. I had a tiel who tripped over his own feet even as an adult, but he was way clumsier as a baby! The tail feather question is a good one. I'd think they could grow back, but since they were plucked, they may not. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be by soon 

If she is runty, you may want to take her to the vet for a new bird exam. They can just look her over and make sure she's healthy, plus you'll have a baseline on her weight, etc for if she gets sick.


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

Thanks for all the info!

my webcams actin up so but i should have some pics up shortly


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

here she is


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

She is darling! My Chikee was harassed by the other chicks in the store I got him from. His crest feathers, and tail feathers were all pulled out. The good news is that he LOVES humans more than any bird now and he is absolutely stunning now. Once your bird molts, i'd expect the feathers to grow perfectly normal. Note that birds who are repeatedly plucked don't always get all their feathers back, but more than likely she will.


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## Berdnerd (May 20, 2010)

What a little sweetie! Lookit her tiny crest! And you're right, her sad little tail makes her pathetically irresistible. I can see why you couldn't walk away. You look like a proud bird daddy


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

ha i know her crest is little ;P. but thats awesome to know about her tail feathers! I hope they come in nice and most off all hlep out with her balance issue. when ever i carry her around the house she does fine on my shoulder and neck but as soon as i try to put heron my finger she gets very unstable and ends up jumping and flapping all crazy and hits the groud ;(. ive had to catch her twice now. so shes goin back into the cage for the rest of the day. need to give her time to get used to her new environment anyway.


so would you guys say shes for sure a White Headed Cinnamon? and does she have anything else in er?

oh and i only paid 70bux for her too  but i bought a $130 cage package that came with a tonnnnn of stuff, and all the food has resalable bags too so thats a plus.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

She def looks like a whiteface cinnamon to me, I have a whiteface cinnamon pearl female. I'm not sure if cinnamon is sex related or not, you would have to talk to the breeder about that. But she sure is a cutie!!!


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Her balance issue is probably because she is so young. As she ages she will get much better! I have a cockatiel that is missing toes and can now get around just as well as the other birds, but it did take him a bit longer to start learning to balance.

She is a beautiful whiteface cinnamon


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Omg ! She is just precious !
What a cutie. I to see why you just had to go back for her.... she's a sweetie.

You`ll wonder why you didn't get a cockatiel sooner after having her a while. They are awesome pets.


My Dude was super clumsey when I first got him. He is still clumsey now...LOL. But all is good he did improve.


What's her/his name ??? 
Oh wait. You said special. Is that the name? Or just what you call him/her for now.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

She is too cute  Once those tail feathers grow in and she gets older, she should have better balance. Although Spike can still be clumsy sometimes and he is three


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## Siobhan (Mar 21, 2010)

What a darling baby! I've always heard that feathers lost will come back when they molt, so don't worry too much. And i think they're all clumsy as babies. You should have seen what a klutz Freddie was at first. He gets around in his cage just fine now, though his flying and his landings still need work.


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## m&m672 (Jun 4, 2010)

The feathers on Buster weren't the greatest when I picked her up but after a few mists with the water bottle a couple days and they look a lot better, especially the tail feathers. Getting them wet makes them want to preen.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

The hubby bought Snowball because he was clumsy. He's still clumsy at times and flies in circles!!!


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I don't have anything to add on, but wanted to say she's adorable!


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## cinnamon (Jul 16, 2009)

She is lovely! Such a sweet baby.


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## AlbyPepper (Apr 3, 2010)

Congratulations! She looks like a real sweetheart. I think I would have done the same as you, as I have a soft spot for little birdys that no one else seems to want. And they, like all others, make brilliant pets. Hopefully her tail feathers will grow back in straight, but if not, you have one unique little bird. Alby is my 10 month old white face lutino and he is the clumsiest little thing I have ever seen. Sometimes it is quite comical. He looks like a penguin trying to run and sometimes trips over his own feet. He is ok at climbing and gets where he needs to go. I don't think any cockatiel could be classed as 'graceful', but who needs grace when they have so many other qualities that make them perfect to us.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

So true AlbyPepper. LoL @ penguin!


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## sdriedger (Jun 14, 2010)

She looks so sweet. My first cockatiel adopted me. I was in the pet store with a friend to buy her daughter a hamster. My Joey came right over to me, climbed onto my shoulder and refused to leave. What could I do but take her home?


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi, your bird is adorable and welcome to the site, I think your bird may be lightly pied, I say this because if your bird was a normal cinnamon WF hen then the face would actually be cinnamon the males would also have cinnamon faces they would have to moult into a white face which usually takes about six months, if they were a standard WF Cinnamon the hens retain the cinnamon face even after their moult, so either your bird is older and is male or it is a pied female or male, one way to tell if a bird is lightly pied would be a solid white flight feather or tail feather, I know the wings are clipped but if you can see flight feathers which appear to have been a solid white or even one feather that was solid white, it is light pied, which would explain a young hen or male with a white face.

Jenny


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

thanks guys! my dogs actually kinda like her too its weird.. they usually hate birds and squirrels and such in the yard but when i hold her they come up and touch noses lol.


and thats cool to know she may be pied too! like i said im still very new to birds so i dont even know where exactly they clip there wings to check for the pied white feathers. buttt when she has her wings down by her side there are a few solid white feathers on the bottom. guess it would be considered the front of her wing?


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi, it sounds like you are looking at the right feathers, if you look at Tira in my signature picture, the long brown feathers on her wing are the flights.

Just be careful with the dog, they have harmful bacteria’s in their saliva which can be deadly to a Tiel should they get sick from those bacteria’s

Jenny


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

hmm well them im not sure if it is the right feathers im looking at. you can see the white ones im talking about in the pics on the first page. and ill try and get my other cam and get some better ones of her as well.

and thanks for telling me that! verrryy good to know! i used to have a bunch of snakes and other reptiles so im already used to washing my hand before and handling one after the other just in case one of them had something so i didnt want to spread it around.


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

heres a few better pics of her. oh and i got this really cool hang on the wall play ground from pet-co today. im sure some of you have seen them but everything folds back up inside and the two doors shut and have a 8.5''/11'' picture frame on the outside of each one. i thought it was reallly cool and it was on sale .


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

a few more.....


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

annnd the cool little play ground


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## AlbyPepper (Apr 3, 2010)

Your little Robbie is just adorable! And I love that playground. What an awesome idea. I wish I could get something like that here!


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## WTFJayJay (Jun 13, 2010)

oh the joys of google

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Feathered-Activity-Center/dp/B001K5I8KI


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi, no the white that is clearly visible on the wing is standard Cockatiel markings.

Although looking at the clearer pictures of your bird, her face looks cinnamon in those so it must have been the lighting, I think your bird is actually a standard WF cinnamon and I can see one of the clipped flights which is cinnamon although should your bird be male the face will moult out to be white.

Looks like you are going to spoil your bird already getting play gym’s and such, what will help the condition of your birds feather’s is to give her a nice spray bath, get a spray bottle fill it with hot water from the tap, don’t worry if you think the water is to hot, when it finally comes out in a mist it will only just be luke warm but just check on your hand first, if you have a utility sink place your play gym on it over the sink if it will fit, mine does perfectly, and give your bird a bath on the gym, spray the water in the air above her and let it drop on her, she may not like this, she may love it and open her wings for more, it might take her a while to get used to this before she loves it, Tira hated it at first but now Tira loves it and opens her wings and I spray under them and right on her back with the bottle now that she is no longer scared of it, and she is soaked through when I am finished and she still wants more even when I am taking her back to the cage to preen herself, she still holding her wings open as if to say I am not done lol, Coco will only tolerate about 3 sprays, but they do need the moisture just to stop the feathers drying out and looking ragged.

Jenny


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