I have a new cockatiel who is 8 months old. She is pretty tame, however, we have only had her in our house for 4 days. She would come out of our cage willingly for the first couple of days without incident. Now, every time I reach into her cage, she stretches out her neck as if to threaten me with a bite. Should I appear confident and proceed with my hand, risking that bite, or should I just simply leave her alone for a few more days and let her become more comfortable with her surroundings. I thought at first that I should bring her out at least daily so that she can see that I'm not a threat and enjoy the freedom, but she seems extremely reluctant to comply. What is the procedure for integrating the bird into the household so that we can enjoy her more?

Denise

Denise,

We agree with your initial thought to start building your relationship right away because she appears to be a tame bird and to "let her adjust" may, in fact, have negative results. If she didn't appear as tame, a brief adjustment period might be beneficial. Be confident in your approach, and, if she does bite, do not jerk your hand away, even though it may be painful initially.