Tiel collision

[Stevex]

Hi everyone

Need my mind easing. I have recently become the new owner of two, approximately 10 month old cockatiels. Both adorable, sometimes will eat trill from me, others they can't be bothered with me and run off.

Well, in the cage anyway.

Today, i was adapting the cage to try to make it more interesting for them. I kept all doors and windows closed obviously, but when I was changing the top, they flew out.

No problem, i thought, they are closed in. I then realised that birds don't have the ability to stop before they collide with things and they were doing just that, into mirrors, walls, doors etc etc.

One of them ended up with a little blood coming from what appears between the nostril area of the beak. It stopped a few seconds after without any treatment from me. The bird was sitting on the perch and seemed daised and a little stressed maybe. Would not eat any trill.

I have covered them up as normal and was going to see how she is in the morning.

Have i done right, or should i be doing anything else?....oh yeah, and is this normal for birds to fly into things?

Thanks in advance

Steve

[Monica]

Are these tiels parent raised or handraised? It sounds as if the birds may have been parent raised, but either way, they are in a new situation, perhaps have never been cage-free so they don't understand the boundaries of the house, and possibly being freaked out, were in a flight panic.

[Stevex]

Hi Monica

Thanks for that. They were in an avery outside, but the owner loves animals and is very toughtful and caring for all her animals. I guess though you could be right. She had one that was hand reared, but I think the rest must have beenparent raised.

They have got better with me and have started to eat trill fromme and have stepped onto my hand a couple of times. After todays events though I think they hate me...lol

[Monica]

In that case, you should try and keep them in a cage, preferrably a large enough cage that they can both easily flap their wings in. Offer them food from your hand first thing in the morning, without any other food in the cage. If they accept, keep your hand in the cage for at least 5-15 minutes or until the food is gone, then give them their regular stuff. If on the other hand they ignore you, give them their regular stuff and try again the next day.

Sit near the cage, and do things in the same room as them. Don't stare at them, but you can read, talk and even sing to them. Allow them to get used to your presence and eating from your hand before allowing them out of the cage again.

Alternatively, you could also clip them, but personally, I feel a better relationship could be created in birds who *CHOOSE* to be with you vs birds who are forced to (i.e. they can't get away because they are clipped).

When they are more comfortable, get them a gym they can hang out on while outside of the cage. Set it up near the cage, and if they are not afraid of it, let them hang out on the outside of the cage or on the gym (not forcing the birds to come out), while doing things around the house and "completely" ignoring them (i.e. not trying to physically interact with them, but keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't get into anything). This may take some time, but the idea is to make yourself appear unthreatening... a predator will "pounce" or "attack" a prey creature, by going after it. Therefore, going up to them can actually scare them, until they get used to your presence and get the idea that you wont harm them.

[Stevex]

Thanks for that Monica. I will try it. They eat quite well normally. That is seed and trill. I have tried fruit, veg etc, but they don't seem interested in it. They seem to like seed sticks in honey. Seems trill is their favourite though.

I won't be letting themout again for a while, as it it is quite horrible to watch when they keep crashing into everything and you can't stop or catch them. One quite sore finger here to prove they weren't my best friend today....lol

Are they still tameable at 10 months old?

Many thanks again

Steve

[Monica]

There is no age that a bird "can't" be tamed.

I've had a 7 year old cockatiel, probably handraised but currently not tame, became cage-free, and she started coming to me every day to feed her. She didn't demand any physical interaction, only demanded for me to feed her every day from my hand. This was all her idea, too, because I had no intention on really interacting with her if she wasn't interested in doing so. Needless to say, she got friendly enough that she'd fly anywhere in a 11' x 14' room to me just for that small amount of "interaction."

After she left, another tiel, of unknown age (but having at least 3 previous homes so she had to be at least 5, if not older), picked up on the behavior as well, but she has been much more nervous about being close to humans and thus took longer to even be comfortable enough to fly to me.


If I can do that without even trying, then I must wonder "what if" I did try? Now, I've got quite a few birds, so I don't *need* to have every single bird tame and demanding attention... but just thinking about the possibilities, without even clipping these birds and they *WANT* this interaction...



Cockatiels can live into their 30's (at least 15-25 years), so 10 months is rather young!

[tiel4me]

What is "trill"??

[Greycloud]

Thought I'd post this for you.
TRILL : Welcome

[clawnz]

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your Two Tiels.

Monica just about covered it.

They were fairly well tamed, even if they were in an aviary.
You do not need to know if they can be tamed. It sounds like they just need to gain confidence in their new surroundings. Then I am picking all will be well. In saying that, you will find there may well be times that they take flight because something freaked them. My friends Tiel has bounced off of a window, picked itself up and did the same thing again, see him fly into a wall, leaving blood on the wall, I dived on him to stop him from hurting himself anymore and took one mighty blood drawing bite, and he was not going to let go. I could not see how to get him to let go, as I did not want to hurt him.

I had a Tiel who had trouble landing and often crashed. She had deformed feet and could not grab a perch. She got over her difficulty without any damage.

I am settling two new Tiels one ex tame cage, ex escapee boy. And an aviry girl. I have had them just over 8weeks, but have never shut them in a cage. They fly free in the conservatory (60 panes windows and glass doors) and have access to the whole house.
Yes Henry did as you say, fly into whatever was in front of him. He was a poor flyer, but has sorted it out, and now has control. And I think some of it was blind panic type flight.
Tinkerbell is just like a pocket rocket and can stop on a dime from maxed out. She had no troubles.
They now fly around and I have not seen any bad moments. i have seen them close to colliding in mid air, then Henry crashed badly.
I would say what you were seeing was a bit of a panic type flight. And the bite helps confirm one was upset, enough to try and defend itself.

I am for not clipping, birds are meant to fly, and they will love you all the more for it.
Plus I think it is better for their health and mentality.
Good luck, and where are the Pix.

[Stevex]

Thanks everyone for your help and comments.

They are both walking along the perch this morning and the injured one has eaten a little from me. Not seed in my hand, but on a stick. Thats a good sign though i think.

I will put some pics on here if someone would be kind enough to tell me how.

Sorry for being a pain in the butt....lol