update on Nibbles and questions

[usamma]

Thanks for answering the food question in the last post. :-) Nibbles is eating only the millet spray and lettuce. I removed millet today and he nas not touched any of the regular food. I put the dish up high at perch level. He's pooping though, and eating lettuce.

Here's what I've found out about him:
-- he feels secure on my shoulder and flutters to it when I have him on my hand.
-- he loves to nibble everything!! He reminds me of a baby budgie with that behavior.
-- he does not know how to step up and seems a bit nervous on my hand, but he's making progres with stepping from one of my hands to the other.
-- He lowers his head for scratches sometimes. :)
-- He tried out the shower perch today and really enjoyed himself. He sat very still but fell asleep, and seemed to enjoy being sprayed with the mister bottle while he was in the shower. He looks a lot cleaner now, too.

He acts a lot like a baby. I have not been around a lot of cockatiels except way back in high school, but he acts a lot like my baby budgies. He's very very shy. If I open the cage door he goes right to the floor and tries to hide in one corner. He does not bite in defense, just nibbles. He calms down once I have him in my cupped hands against my body. I swear he must have been a hand-fed baby or something, but maybe was not handled much in his new home (which he escaped from). He has not been handled since in the two other homes he's had for the last couple of mos. He's really super sweet. I didn't know tiels could be so sweet. My last tiel in high school was aggressive and would attack people!!

Do cockatiels perch lower than budgies and conures? He sits on the perch most of the time with his body weight on the perch like this, and not standing up straight like my other birds.

[Akara Crystal]

Both of my cockatiels do that I won't worry about it

[Jannabellsmom]

That's how my tiels sit most of the time. Good looking fella, I'm glad things are going so well. :)

[clawnz]

I'd say he just needs time to trust you completely.
A lot of Tiels only like you to touch, scritch, head and neck area. So ha must trust you somewhat if he lets you cup hands around him.
Yes, my Teils sit down when they are relaxed. They will also puff up a little bit, making them look rounder.
Tinkerbell has only just stopped doing the Skinny Bird look. (had her 22 days). I have seen it put like this. 'I'm to skinny to make a good meal, pick on someone else.' Long stretched out, thin looking.