Cockatiel Behavior

[Tania Cash]

My pied cockatiel is almost two years old now. I've had it since it was 4
mos.old. It is very bonded with me only. Won't let my husband go
anywhere near it, but, it stays with/on me most of the time. It expects
to be out of its cage from the minute I get home from work and all
weekend. I know, I have spoiled it, but, I just love it to death. I
always thought it was a male. Lately, it's been making strange sounds and
acting funny. If I am busy on the computer or doing paperwork at the
table, it will sit on the back of my chair and preen or just look around
(when it's not jumping on the keyboard). Then, after being quite for a
while, I hear this strange little sound coming from him. He is sitting
perfectly still, crest is flat, head is lowered and this quiet little
chirping sound is coming from him. I now pet him and talk to him and he
just continues this. (Note: he comes to me to preen him, but only with
my fact and lips he will never let me tough or pet him with my hands -
never did). Now while he is in this trancelike state, I pet him, rub his
neck front and back, he just continues this sound and seems to be in a
trance. I can put both my hands on him and pet him from top to bottom and
he just continues. This will go on for a few minutes then he seems to
snap out of it - won't let me tough him anymore and goes about his
business like nothing. I wonder, what this behavior is? He does this two
or three times a week. It has also started going into the cubboard (when
I open them to get dishes,etc.) It'll sneak into a far corner, back up
against the wall and chirp. When I approach, he hollers at me as if to
leave him alone. This will last a few minutes, then he's off and at it
again, doing his thing.

Any ideas as to what this is? My husband thinks it's trying to lay an
egg, thus, now I wonder what it is, a girl or boy? Any ideas?

[Steve Touchstone]

<<<<<<<<<<<<<snip>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>sitting perfectly still, crest is flat, head is lowered and this

>quiet little chirping sound is coming from him. It has also

>started going into the cubboard (when I open them to get
>dishes,etc.) It'll sneak into a far corner, back up against the
>wall and chirp. When I approach, he hollers at me as if to leave
>him alone.

This sounds exactly like my `girl' tiel, Sunny, when she's frisky
and looking for a nesting site. Although Sunny's an only child
(bird), Sunny has laid eggs in the past. I've been able to stop
Sunny from egg laying by putting a timer on her light, and keeping
her `days' short.

Steve Touchstone

home page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html
e-mail: stou...@sirinet.net

[Susan Reynolds]

Hi: The first thing I recommend you do is spell-check your post before you
post it on the newsgroup. There were 4 or 5 words misspelled on your post
and even though they were still "words", they weren't the ones you meant
them to be. I know this, you see, because I am your sister. Anyone who
was about to flame me for picking on her spelling can calm down... I love her
to death and she knows I'm just teasing. Now about her bird.... do you think
he is a male that is becoming sexually mature, or do you think it's a female
who is going thru puberty? I had a male cockatiel once (actually, it was my
sister's first) and he used to make funny sounds and rub himself back and
forth on his perch. I THINK I know what HE was doing, but this cockatiel in
question does not rock or rub, just crouches and makes little squeaking
sounds. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Bye Sis..... hope you
get some responses! Sue77

[Shannon Larkin]

This is exactly what my 'tiel, Birdy, started doing when she hit
puberty. A few months later, she started laying eggs. I would
say that your 'tiel is a girl, and you should read up on laying
behaviour _before_ it happens. (Birdy's eggs took me by
surprise)

Good luck with your little sweetheart!

-Shannon and Birdy

[Tania Cash]

Hi:

Thank you for your note. But, I'm still shocked cause my Tiel's name is
also Sunny. What a coincidence! I used to spell it Sonny, but now I'm
gonig to have to change it to Sunny (a little more feminine, I think).

I had a lovebird once (who killed its mate) and I assumed it was a boy for
over 5 years. Then it laid a clutch of 4 eggs, at least 6 - 7 times. I'm
now wondering if Sunny will start laying eggs too. Any harm in it? I
used to let the lovebird sit on them for a week or two and then take them
away one at a time. She never seemed to miss them, probably got bored
anyway.

Thanks again for your info.

Tania

[Angela K Rolling]

Nope. The stufe I've read says they get there adult color at 6
months are are fully mature by 1 year of age.
I'm getting a male white face whos mother was white. In a cuple of
generations White face pieds, whites and just plain white faces. If only the
whiteface silver pearl at the pet shop wasn't 199$ with out tax.

--
Elf-Kin
-Every inch of me that is not carnivorous is 100% vegitarian.
elf...@iastate.edu

[David Linton]

Tania -

My cockatiel, Gonzo, also went through a phase of strange behavior this
past fall, about the time he turned 2 1/2. He was definitely masturbating
a lot, rubbing his butt area against a convenient perch while making a
rhythmic, clipped "Chir-chir-chir-chir-chirp." I've had other birds do
similar things, so I didn't think much of it.

{By the way, lacking external genetalia, birds mate by rubbing their sexual
orifices against eachother. So the fact that your tiel is rubbing up
against things doesn't mean its trying to lay an egg, it could just be
getting its jollies. :-) }

However, at the same time, he began to get really possesive. When I was
around, doing things in the apartment, he was fine and largely took care of
himself. (He wasn't a hand-fed baby, so he's never really liked being held
or touched.) But as soon as I went to the closet for my coat, he would go
nuts; He screamed and shreiked and just had to sit on my head. It didn't
matter what I said or did, he was relentless. And it drove me berserk,
partly because it was always when I needed to leave.

I ended up having his wings clipped to limit his mobility, but I think the
real key was that a friend offered to loan me two sterile eggs he could sit
on to "play house." I didn't see him do much with them for a while, but I
did note that they had a special corner they would always end up. After a
while I saw him brooding on the eggs, and for a couple of weeks he only
left them breifly to eat & drink. He now appears to be over it, and the
eggs are once more in the corner, but being left alone, as far as I can
tell.

I don't know how much of this experience might translate to your
situation, but I thought it might help. Good Luck!

Dave L.
Minneapolis