How to tame a cockatiel to your hands: practical advice for bird owners

One type of parrot ideal for indoor living is the cockatiel. These are very cute, sociable and cheerful birds that will become favorites of adults and children. They are smart, sociable, and can learn to talk remarkably by mimicking the sounds of human speech. You won’t get bored with them. But in order for a bird to discover all these qualities in itself, it needs to get used to a person. Therefore, the owner needs to tame the cockatiel to his hands.

If you bought cockatiel

After the cockatiel appeared in the house, you need give her time to settle down. This may take a few days or a week. The bird must get used to the environment, explore its cage, understand that nothing threatens it. The fact that the cockatiel has got used to it will make her behavior clear: she will become happier, she will begin to move freely around the cage, eat and drink more, and chirp merrily. The cage with the bird should be kept away from speakers and windows, as harsh sounds frighten it. Also, there should not be a door and a monitor nearby: constant movement of pictures or sudden appearances of a person will make the parrot nervous and uncommunicative.

How to teach cockatiel to hands

• To begin with, you should begin to communicate affectionately and friendly with the parrot, so far only at a distance. Corella should get used to the owner’s voice, remember him, understand that he is not a threat. Hands should be kept at face level so that the cockatiel understands that hands are also part of communication. The parrot should get used to them and understand that they do not pose a threat.
• Now it’s time to accustom the cockatiel to the hands. During the previous stage, it is required to see what food the cockatiel eats first. Now you should remove it from the feeder. It motivates the birdbecause she will be reluctant to learn if she can eat the same treat without incident. First you need to give these treats manually through the bars of the lattice or on the feeder, holding it in your hands, and only then directly in the palm of your hand. You can offer a treat on a long stick, gradually shortening it. After the parrot begins to peck grains from your hand without fear, you need to start treating treats in the palm of your hand outside the cage, gradually moving your hand farther and farther until the bird starts to come out of it and is forced to sit on your palm. During these actions, you should talk affectionately with the cockatiel so that the bird is not afraid of change. For every correct action, the parrot should be praised and given a treat. After the parrot sits on your hand calmly and without fear, you need to stretch out your empty palm and, if the cockatiel sits on it, treat it to a treat.
• There is a more radical way to teach the cockatiel to the hands. After the parrot has got used to the cage and is no longer afraid of the owner, it should be carefully put your hand in a cage and bring it closer to the paws. If the bird is not afraid, you need to perform the following action: you need to put your hand between the paws and with a slight movement press the cockatiel on the abdomen. The second option is to cover the paws with your hand. In both cases, the parrot will be forced to sit on the hand. Carefully remove the cockatiel from the cage. After receiving the result, the bird should be released and offered a treat. These actions should be performed for several days, until the cockatiel begins to understand what the owner wants and begins to sit on his hand.

A few tips for training your cockatiel parrot

• To achieve the highest results in taming and training cockatiels buy young birds. Young chicks quickly get used to the owner and are more willing to learn. When the parrot is already an adult, you will have to wait a long time until he weans the former owner and for some more time until he gets used to the new one.
• If during taming the bird bites on the hand, you should not scream, make sudden movements or beat the bird. Thus, she will move away from the owner and everything will have to start anew. If you are concerned about bites, you can wear a thick gardening glove.
• Some experts believe that the parrot should decide on its own to sit on the owner’s hand. This will happen when he gets comfortable, gets used to the owner, ceases to be afraid of him. The owner of the bird should communicate more often with the cockatiel, speak in a calm, gentle voice. The bird does not understand the meaning of words, but it is able to distinguish between good and bad attitudes. For any success, you should encourage the cockatiel with treats and at the same time praise her with your voice. These steps will take longer, but they also help to tame the cockatiel.

Thus, there are several ways to tame a cockatiel parrot. Which one to choose is up to the owner to decide, the main thing is to be patient, remain calm and not frighten the bird during taming with screams and sudden movements if something does not work out. Otherwise, there is a great chance to start taming the parrot again.