Taming and Training

Hand Taming Your Cockatiel

You have just brought your new baby Cockatiel home. Once you put him in the nice new cage you bought, you are ready to play with him. But your little bird is afraid of you - what can you do?

First you have to step back and take some time to get to know your new Cockatiel. You will have to spend time getting him to trust you before you can tame him. Sessions should be short (10 minutes or less) and done several times a day. Each time you achieve one step, repeat it several times until your pet is comfortable with it before moving onto the next step.

Getting to Know Your Cockatiel

Do not be surprised if he sits, hardly seeming to move for the first day or two, especially if he is a very young bird. Be sure to have his food and water close to him, so he will be sure to eat during this time.

You will have to spend time getting him to trust you before you can tame him. Sessions should be short (10 minutes or less) and done several times a day. Each time you achieve one step, repeat it several times until your pet is comfortable with it before moving onto the next step.

Sit by the cage and talk to him or read a book, occasionally looking over at him to say hello or say his name. Speak in a soft and cheerful voice. When putting food or water in the cage, move slowly and talk to him soothingly.

You should have some small toys in the cage - maybe a bell, ladder, a rope toy or something similar. Watch him to see what he likes to play with. Use his name when you talk to him and he will soon learn that you are talking to him. Before long, he will be looking for you when you call him by name and may even come over to the side of the cage closest to you. Your patience is showing success.

You have now spent some time Getting to Know Your Cockatiel and Finger Taming Your Cockatiel.

The next step is shoulder training - unless you want to spend your day holding your finger up and out for your wonderful little bird.

Due to the danger to your face and eyes, it is often not safe to allow some of the larger parrots on your shoulder, but Cockatiels are small enough that they can not do a lot of damage, even if they do decide to bite.

Many Cockatiels will automatically run from your finger, up your arm, right to your shoulder, as if they have always sat there. If your bird does this, you now have your hands free as you walk around your home.

Other Cockatiels may need to be placed there the first time before realizing that they now have an easy way of getting around the house.

If you decide that a shoulder-riding Cockatiel is what you want, you must be careful of jewelry that you might be wearing. The shiny earrings and necklace might be toxic to your bird and/or might be broken by your bird.

Another danger to a shoulder-riding Cockatiel is that you might forget that he is there. Any time that you go to the door when someone knocks, you must stop and check to see if your bird is on your shoulder. If you are going to the kitchen to make a meal involving a hot burner, hot oven or boiling water, you must stop and check to see if your bird is on your shoulder. Cockatiels are very light-weight and if they are quiet, it is very easy to forget you have one on your shoulder.

Now you have spent a few days getting to know your Cockatiel and he does not get scared every time you approach the cage. That is a great first step, but you still want to be able to play with him. Have patience and move onto the next step

Finger Taming Your Cockatiel

​When your bird is comfortable with you being near his cage and responds to you by getting close to the side of the cage you are near, it is time to introduce him to your hand.

Offer him a small piece of millet or a broken sunflower seed but do not try to touch him if he moves away from your hand. Hold your hand in the cage doing nothing, just to get him used to your hand. He will start to realize that the hand will not hurt him, but this may take a day or two of patience.

When your Cockatiel stops trying to get away from your hand, you can slowly move closer until one day he allows you to gently stroke his breast.

Continue to quietly talk to him when you are doing this. When he seems comfortable with your hand touching him, you can gently press against the abdomen and push up a bit. There is a good chance that he may put one foot onto your finger.

If this does not frighten him, you can give another slight push and he may put his other foot up and be standing on your hand. He will probably jump off immediately - but remain calm and try again if he is not frightened.

Although it is very exciting the first time your Cockatiel steps up for you, please stay calm and continue to talk quietly to him. A Cockatiel will usually test a branch (or a finger) before stepping up by grabbing with his beak. This is not a bite, does not hurt and is very normal. Be ready for this to happen, and do not pull away if he does test your finger before stepping up.

Please do not rush to take him out of the cage when he first steps onto your finger. Your Cockatiel is still getting to know you and although he is now comfortable with you while in his cage, he may become frightened when you take him out of the cage.

Before you take him out of the cage on your finger, you must be certain that he can not be injured in the room. If you have other pets, please remove them and close the door. Close the curtains over the windows so your bird does not crash into the glass.

After he has been stepping up regularly, you can move your hand towards the cage door to take him out. Your bird might panic when he is outside the cage and begin to fly wildly around the room.

If your bird flies, he may not know how to land properly and you may have to go and pick him up by having him step up on your finger. Do not chase him or throw things at him to try to get him to stop flying. Just wait patiently until he lands and slowly go to pick him up, talking quietly to him.

This is wonderful - your Cockatiel will now step onto your finger. You want to keep him with you, but need your hand to do things, so it is time to move onto the next step.

​​

Shoulder Training Your Cockatiel

You have now spent some time Getting to Know Your Cockatiel and Finger Taming Your Cockatiel.

The next step is shoulder training - unless you want to spend your day holding your finger up and out for your wonderful little bird.

Due to the danger to your face and eyes, it is often not safe to allow some of the larger parrots on your shoulder, but Cockatiels are small enough that they can not do a lot of damage, even if they do decide to bite.

Many Cockatiels will automatically run from your finger, up your arm, right to your shoulder, as if they have always sat there. If your bird does this, you now have your hands free as you walk around your home.

Other Cockatiels may need to be placed there the first time before realizing that they now have an easy way of getting around the house.

If you decide that a shoulder-riding Cockatiel is what you want, you must be careful of jewelry that you might be wearing. The shiny earrings and necklace might be toxic to your bird and/or might be broken by your bird.

Another danger to a shoulder-riding Cockatiel is that you might forget that he is there. Any time that you go to the door when someone knocks, you must stop and check to see if your bird is on your shoulder. If you are going to the kitchen to make a meal involving a hot burner, hot oven or boiling water, you must stop and check to see if your bird is on your shoulder. Cockatiels are very light-weight and if they are quiet, it is very easy to forget you have one on your shoulder.

Credit:

Big Sky Birds