Taming a cockatiel

by Tecknora
(London)

I have a young Cockatiel (between 4 and 6 months) and I’ve had him for a week and 6 days. I bought him untame but he quickly got used to me and my family. He doesn’t mind hands being near him but allows fingers especially close, although he moves away when I touch him. The only time he allows a finger to touch is when he’s eating a treat directly from my fingers (a bit hesitant when I present the same treats with the palm of my hand) and he only lets me touch his beak or head, sometimes even uses the top his beak to move my finger away to reach the rest of the treat. I have been trying to target train my bird with some success but he doesn’t always nail it and he still doesn’t move from his spot to reach the stick. His wings are not clipped and I don’t intend to as I think that once he’s tame and allowed to come out, flying would give him great mental and physical stimulation. I talk to him everyday and put my hand near him too. He doesn’t mind me at all

Now the question.
What can I do to further make him used to me so I could move on to teaching him ‘step up’?

I hope I put down all the info you need and thank you for answering!

Answer:

Hi Tecknora!

It sounds like you’re on the right track and that you’re doing all the right things. It may just take time and consistency. If you really want to take the next step, we do recommend this training program.

It might give you some more tricks to try and other ways to connect with your bird. 🙂

God bless,

Michelle Jay