How do you make a nervous bird trust you?

Question

and also.. he only trusts my mum and goes for me and my brother. Hes a cockatiel and he is lovely.. but sometimes he just doesnt trust me or my bother. He hates hands and gets aggressive when there near him.

can anyone help or know how to gain trust with a bird and stop him from being scared of hands??

ooh and also.. he has the most annoying squauk when he wants to come out, and if we get him out whenever he does it im afraid he will just think thats what he has to do to come out of his cage. but if we leave him in his cage then he just does it all the more..

thanks you'll be helping me loads!

xx

Answer 1

shoot it

Answer 2

1st problem... I have herd that if you give it bird food and stay close to it then it Will eventually trust you. However this can take a long time.

2nd problem... Let it carry on squeaking. It has to learn that this is unacceptable behaviour. If it want to get out teach it to do something else like go near the door of the cage. This can be done by possibly pointing to the cage (i would said have putting it near the cage, but it doesn't like being handled). Yet again this can take a long time the reward will be great.

Answer 3

i herd that laying next to your birds cage for a while everyday and wisttling to them helps them trust you more. my cockatiel is the same way with my mom

Answer 4

Let yourself become the primary caregiver of the bird - food and water and cleaning come from you.  Sit near the cage and read to him.  

You are right - do not bring him out when he is screaming.

Why not get yourself a hand raised, tame bird to be your friend?

Answer 5

Cockatiels are known for being "one-person" birds. Your cockatiel most likely sees your mom as its "mate," which is why he acts rude to anyone else. Also, because he's a male, he is more vocal (females are much quieter). He squawks because that's what male cockatiels do.  That said, you (or mom) can curb his squawking to get out of his cage by taking him out BEFORE he starts. Cockatiels need a lot of time out of the cage, and lots of human interaction, to remain happy birds--they are quite social and do not entertain themselves for as long as some of the bigger parrots.

As far as his gaining your trust, you can start offering him delicious, nutritious treats daily, such as a piece of apple or banana--as they say, "don't bite the hand that feeds you". He will come to associate your presence with something tasty. Gradually, he should begin to look forward to seeing you. Never stick your hand into his cage and try to grab him out! Cockatiels get quite threatened by such an act and are very protective of their cage. Let him come to you on his own terms. Once he seems trusting of you, when he is out of his cage one day, try getting him to step up by offering him the BACK of your hand vs. your fingers, as this is less threatening to him. If he doesn't respond appropriately, don't force him, wait a couple weeks and try again. Be patient with him. Building trust takes a lot of time, with humans and moreso with birds. It's nice to hear that you want to give him a chance; I think if you put in the time and effort, over time you will be greatly rewarded with a loving bird.