Cockatiel rocking back and forth

[deedee1973]

okay i just got a simple question. I have looked all over the place to see why my tiel just sits on his perch looking at me rocking real slow back and forth. if anyone knows why he is doing this please let me know. I cant find any suggestions why he is doing it for. but he doesnt seem stressed while he is doing it. he's just kinda hanging out slowly rocking back and forth. ~shrug~

[oihane]

Not in the right forum..but someone'll probably move it into the cockatiel forum.

Anyhoo, I don't know why your tiel is doing it, but mine does it when sitting on her eggs. She hisses and sways back and forth. Perhaps it's a territorial thing.

[Pootspete]

Hi Dee and welcome to Tailfeathers.

Is there a hissing noise your tiel makes while rocking? Does he do it when you approach the cage? My female tiel especially does the rocking back and forth and hissing when I approach her cage especially when she is due to lay an egg also like Oihane's. The hissing and rocking I contribute it to be I am too close and I do not want you to bother me. She can do this when she is not ready to lay an egg also.

[deedee1973]

my tiel is a male. he doesnt hiss. he just looks at me and does it. when i walk to his cage and talk to him is when he usually does it. i havent had him very long, but i cant seem to get him to be friendly. everytime i have tried to catch him after i let him out to fly around i have to use a pillow case to catch him because he will bite the crap out of me and soon as i put him in the cage he sings and prances around and wolf whistles at me. And if i leave the room he wont shut up until i reenter the room. but he sure wont let me pick him up.

[Lovebirdfan]

but he sure wont let me pick him up.

Hmmm. well, I wouldn't let you pick me up either if you were chasing me around with a pillow case. Does he know "step up"? He needs to learn this command. You can dowel-train him (so he doesn't bite your fingers). That way he can learn to step up to go in and out of the cage.

And if i leave the room he wont shut up until i reenter the room.

Well, he certainly wants attention from you-sounds like that may his way of bonding. When he screams or calls out to you, don't walk in the room. Call out to him. Let him know you are there, but not at his every beck and call.

[McDenny]

Well good advice so far...

However, I wouldnt let him fly around freely until you can at least perch train him (dowl training, like Karen mentioned). Does he let you approach him while he is in the cage? I think what you might need to do is get him used to your hands, and chasing him with a pillow deffinately wont do it lol.

Theres lots of good websites on hand taming tiels, try looking some info up, or you could get a tiel book.