How to Tame a Cockatiel
Cockatiels are friendly birds and are usually easy to tame teach, as long as you offer consistency and patience when training one. Here’s how you can tame a cockatiel.
You may want to clip the cockatiel’s wings with the help of a professional before you take it home. This will help you tame your cockatiel faster as it will depend on you more. You can also clip the wings yourself. Read how in How to Clip a Bird’s Wings.
Let the cockatiel get used to its surroundings and to you. Aside from feeding and providing water, sit in front of the cockatiel’s cage and talk softly for around 20 minutes. Do not frighten the bird or try to grab it.
Offer your cockatiel some treats through the bars of its cages. Avian treats, nuts or Cheerios should do very well. This should encourage the cockatiel to eat out of your hand and develop trust, but don’t force things. If it bites you, don’t yell or react too violently. There is a proper way to react when a cockatiel bites you.
Encourage the cockatiel to hop on your finger by opening the birdcage and puting your hand in. Keep saying, “step up” repeatedly. You can use a treat to coax the cockatiel to step on your hand. You can also coax it more by pushing the back of your finger slightly against its chest. Give it a rest from training every five minutes, and give it a treat once it follows your command. The bird will eventually draw a connection between the voice command and the treat that follows. You may have to do this continously until the cockatiel catches up.
When the cockatiel bites you, make sure you show it that it’s not okay using a couple of techniques. One technique is to blow into the cockatiel’s face, not too hard, but just enough to shock the cockatiel and make it shake its face. Another technique is to drop your hand very quickly (if your cockatiel is standing on it) enough to throw it off-balance. You can couple these techniques by firmly saying “no” to the cockatiel. Eventually this will teach the cockatiel that biting you will have unpleasant consequences for it.
Give treats to your cockatiel when it does something that you like, such as staying still.
You can keep your cockatiel perched anywhere like your thighs and hands, but never let it perch on your shoulder. It may seem cute but it will give your bird an idea that it can boss you around.
Don’t yell at the cockatiel if it is being noisy or petulant.
When the cockatiel does something that you do not like, such as nipping or biting, do not put it back in its cage. Putting a bird back in its cage is actually a form of reward. Stick with the form of punishment detailed in Step 5.
Being consistent and patient with your cockatiel is the best way to tame your bird.