How to Tame a Cockatiel: Secrets to Building a Closer Bond

Taming a cockatiel requires a lot of patience and perseverance, but you'll find it incredibly rewarding. The satisfaction of your cockatiel willingly stepping onto your hand is immense. Otherwise, chasing an untamed cockatiel around the house can be a major headache for any parrot parent.

To foster a close bond with your cockatiel, it's best to bring it home and socialize it with humans when it's between eight and twelve weeks old. If a cockatiel is older than six months, it becomes much harder to tame.

Methods for Taming Your Cockatiel:

1. Consistent Trainer:

   It's best if one person consistently tames your cockatiel. This helps the bird get used to that individual more quickly, which facilitates the taming process.

2. Maintain Eye Level:

   Always position yourself at the same height as your cockatiel. It's ideal if you can maintain eye contact. Try to avoid towering over your cockatiel.

3. Gradual Approach:

   Start by talking to your cockatiel from a distance, then slowly move closer and continue to chat with it. Once the bird accepts you standing by the cage, place your hand near its position on the side of the cage. Allow it to gradually get used to the presence of your hand, but avoid placing your hand above your cockatiel. If your cockatiel retreats, do not pull your hand back. Simply keep your hand in the same position and continue talking until the cockatiel settles down. Then, you can try moving your hand closer again.

4. Hand-Feeding Treats:

   Next, you can begin offering millet spray to your cockatiel in your hand. Slowly place the millet spray into the cage. The cockatiel should gradually approach and start eating the food you offer. If your cockatiel nips you, do not suddenly withdraw your hand. Your cockatiel will learn that this action doesn't harm you. Speak softly and gently to your cockatiel, slowly moving closer but maintaining a distance where it feels safe. Your cockatiel might even step onto your hand to eat the millet spray.

5. Introducing Fingers:

   Try extending two or three fingers into the cage, moving them slightly closer to your cockatiel each time until it becomes accustomed to this level of contact. Finally, place your fingers on the perch or near the bird's feet until your cockatiel gets used to this situation. Once it's comfortable, you can extend your finger to gently touch the bird's feet. Once the bird accepts this, you can gently stroke its belly. At this point, the bird should step onto your finger, using your finger as a perch. After this, each time you touch your cockatiel's belly with your hand, the bird should automatically step up. Then, let the cockatiel stand on your finger and move it around inside the cage. The cockatiel will likely jump off and return to a perch. This is fine; just continue repeating the action.

6. Out-of-Cage Exploration:

   Once your cockatiel is comfortable using your hand as a perch, you can try letting it stand on your finger and move it outside the cage. Moving out of the cage on your hand might be a bit challenging for cockatiels, as they are often timid and hesitant to venture out. This is where another perch comes in handy. You can let the cockatiel stand on a separate perch to bring it out of the cage, which they tend to accept more readily.

   
   
   

Other Tips:

• Never Raise Your Hand Above the Bird's Head:

  When taming your bird, never raise your hand above its head.

• Consistent Short Training Sessions:

  Train for five to ten minutes every two hours daily. If you work and are not home during the day, training once in the morning and once in the evening is also effective.

• Patience is Key:

  Never rush the training process. Let it happen naturally, as some stages of taming inherently take more time. I personally prefer using my index finger and a perch for taming.

  If you prefer to train using only your finger or only a perch, that's fine too.

  You can also use two fingers for "ladder training": first, let the bird step onto one finger, then place the other finger in front of its chest for it to step up again, alternating fingers. If the bird doesn't want to step up, you can gently nudge its chest with your finger. When training, your fingers should always be straight. Some people even use the back of their hand instead of fingers, but the back of the hand is very different from a perch the bird is familiar with, so some cockatiels might initially be more fearful. It's best to train your cockatiel to be familiar with both fingers and perches. This way, if your cockatiel accidentally flies out and lands somewhere high, you can use a perch or your finger to bring it down.

  Once you start your cockatiel's taming lessons, ensure that each training session ends with you "winning." For example, the cockatiel should be perched on your finger, rather than flying off to hide in its cage.

• Taming Multiple Birds:

   

  Taming more than one bird at a time is more difficult because they will be distracted by their companions. You can train one bird at a time, separated from its companions; otherwise, the entire taming process will consist of them calling to each other, achieving no results.

• Gentle Touch:

  Once your cockatiel is tame, you can gently stroke its head, chest, or other parts of its body. However, avoid patting them. Most cockatiels dislike being patted. You can only gently scratch its head and beak, or it might not allow any touching at all. If you can't change your cockatiel's preferences, simply respect its personality.

• Family-Only Interaction:

  During the taming process, only allow your household members to interact with the cockatiel. The taming process can take two days, two weeks, two months, or even longer. By treating your cockatiel with patience and gentleness, you will undoubtedly see results.