Help Taming my cockateil !

[Harls&Ricky]

Hi, i have had my male cockateil ricky for nearly 3 weeks now, beautiful lil boy i got from a local pet shop, the 1st day i got him he sat on my finger for like 20 secounds and then flew off (smacking into the window) anyways i put him in his cage on the 1st day and since then he won't sit on my finger or let me touch him!. I know he needs time to get used to me but im in my room (where he lives ) all the time as i only work 4 hours a day, so i would think hes used to me, i placed his cage next to my computer table so he could get used to me being by him, and hes fine but as soon as i open the cage he starts to flutter in his cage and wont come near me at all. Ive clipped his wings also as when i would let him out he would fly around the room and smack into things and he had a bit of blood above his beak, so i clipped them for safety. is there anyone who could give me advice ? he is eating fine and drinking but he won't touch any of the millet spray i brought him, hes scared of that aswell . Any help would be most appriciated . Thanks Harley & Ricky

[crickett-7]

three weeks may only seem like 3 days to Ricky. It seems to me that the cage is the one place he feels safe. Cockatiels are different too; some bond with their human care giver right away, sometimes it takes months or even years before that bond developes. Not all cockatiels like millet; although most can't resist it there are exceptions. Ricky may not be in the mood for it yet as he is still adjusting to his new surroundings. Patience is the key here. I suggest that you open the door to the cage and then back away, sit near by and just talk to him in a gentle, quiet voice. Talk to him as much as possible when he is inside too. good luck.

[thezig]

Good idea moving the cage near you. If you are home, you could try leaving his door open. he will start to feel safe stepping out on his own. As for his fear of millet. My tiel is afraid of anything different including millet, toys. Sometimes changing the room around will bother him too. We got him a beautiful big wooden swing, and he would not go near it. We put it on the floor where he liked to play in the livingroom and let him discover it for himself. The same thing goes for new foods like millet. Put it on the table close to his cage, let him explore and figure out what it is on his own. he will eventually come around, and will love it after the 1st few bites.

PS. Oddly enough, he's not afraid of the giant twinkly Christmas tree. In fact he doesn't pay it any attention whatsoever....but change to a new tablecloth or add some flowers to the room and instant panic lol

[birdytalk]

Hello,
You got great advice, however I would like to add one thing.
Although it shouldn't be a problem because you got his wings clipped, (just for future reference) make sure the windows are closed (when your birdy is out of the cage) with blinds or a curtain or something to let the cockatiel know that they can't fly through there. Otherwise the bird will get tricked and think they can fly through the glass and end up hurting themselves.

Good luck with your new friend and here's wishing him a happy, healthy, and long long life.