I love my tiels but...

[scarlet905]

Hi,
I need some advice. For about a year I had one Cockatiel. Oscar is the tamest sweetest thing. He loves to cuddle with me. But he screams. He screams when he's in the cage. He screams when he's out of the cage if I'm not paying attention to him.
So, I figured he was lonely. I got another tiel that I "rescued" from a pet store where he'd been a long time. Ernie is cage bound but I'm working on that. At least he doesn't hiss anymore. After a while I introduced the two of them and now they are in the same cage. They get along just fine.
However, Oscar still screams.
I've tried everything. Treats. Ignoring him. Leaving the room. He has lots of toys that I change around. He is well fed... including home made bird bread that I found on here. This board is great by the way.
I've tried all the suggestions on here and I cannot figure out what is distressing this bird. He's so tame and wonderful otherwise.
Thanks for any help.

[janejacinto]

You are his flock and he is calling to you. This is what they do in the wild. Not sure what you have tried. Does not sound as if he is happy with the new bird.

Maybe if you tell us what you have tried, some other things can be tried. What size cage do you have the two of them in? What kind of toys do you have in the cage? Where is the cage located?
Jane

[4HAND]

Here's something else to consider......There are many things you may never think of that seem threatening to a bird and cause an alarm call.Rotating blades from an overhead fan or a cage placed too close to a window may be your culprit.My old tiel Sunny would scream all day if one of those big rubber exercise balls was in the room with her.
Tena

[scarlet905]

When I first got Oscar and he was screaming I moved him from the back of the family room to the other side where the window is. No difference. I tried moving him to the dining room where it is quieter. No difference. There's no fan and I've tried putting the cage in the corner and/or covering 3 sides. I've tried whistling back to him. I've tried totally ignoring him. I've tried covering him for short periods.
He doesn't scream any more or less with Ernie in the cage. It's just the same. I am looking for a bigger cage. The cage they are in isn't large enough so I knew I'd need a new one. Maybe that's it? Maybe he's never liked the cage? I've given him lots of different toys. He doesn't bother with them much.
Thanks...
Laurie

[janejacinto]

Sounds like you spoiled your bird when you first got him. Never taught him to play and be happy on his own, only when with you. IMO, get him a larger cage, as large as you can get. Fill this cage with all kinds of things for him to do. Teach him to play and be happy without you. Get him a playstand that will be able to be with you, moveable kind.

Then sit by the cage and play with things in the cage and on the playstand. Take a favorite treat, maybe millet, cut it into very small pieces and place it around the cage on the toys. Make sure you get toys he can deal with. Things like balsa, Planet Pleasures shredders, Spike Pinatas, Bird Kabob, Paper roll, preening rope, a ka-bob that you can fill with things for him, swing, wicher. Try some foraging with his food, foraging ball, foraging bowl and so on. Give him fresh food to keep his interest up.

Got to teach him to be happy when you are not around. But to to this, you may have to teach him to keep himself happy when you are around doing other things. He has got to be happy without you and only can do this if you teach he can have fun even when you are not around. Remember in the wild they spend most of their day looking for food so foraging is a very good thing for him to do. Remember water stays mostly in the same place but food supply changes during the seasons.

This all will be a slow process but will be worth it. May want to invest or make window perches.

Hope some of this information helps.
Jane

[birdlady49]

Originally Posted by janejacinto

Sounds like you spoiled your bird when you first got him.

That's what I was going to say. When you first got your bird and he screamed, you probably gave him the attention he wanted. He trained you well! Now he can't understand why you don't drop everything and run over whenever he screams. So he screams louder and longer. It's a tough habit to retrain!

I hope whatever you decide to do, you do not use negative reinforcement. I haven't read all of the messages in this thread, but maybe a mirror would work? I don't normally suggest mirrors but maybe in this case, it would distract him.

[TJ Wolfe]

The mirror is a great suggestion. Especially if he is already very tame. Zeus(my Tiel) has a mirror and he is as sweet and tame as he was before he had the mirror, Plus it is one of his favorite toys, he just loves to 'beat up' his reflection(the mirror is on an axis and spins)