I bought a nice cockatiel a month ago, for my son. The bird was at that moment 9 months. He is doing well, had grown and sings very nice. But he is wild. I tried to finger train him but all I get is pecking. I tried to catch him and try to pet the guy, and boy did he bite me! I do not want to harm Paul, but I also want to take him out of the cage. At the moment nobody can get close to him. Do you have a solution?
Csaba S.
Csaba,
When buying a cockatiel or any other bird for a pet, the younger the bird is
the better pet it seems to make. Your bird is still young enough to be
retrained, however, it will require more time and patience than a younger
one. You state you have had him over a month, so he should be acclimated to
his new enviroment.
Wrap him in a towel. Be sure you allow him free breathing and check that his wings are tucked back in the proper position. After you have him properly placed in the towel, sit down and place him in your lap. You're trying to show him that you mean him no harm, plus the towel also will protect you from his biting. These sessions should last for only a few minutes in the beginning then increase them about 5 minutes per session until you feel he has become calm enough to try without the towel. Always be aware that the towel can cause the bird to get too hot and part of his retraining is for you not to cause him any discomfort.
As we said, it will require lots of patience and you will need to be consistent if you are to succeed.