It is essential to observe the nature of your bird to identify what sort of problem your bird is suffering from or what is the back story of them being aggressive.
These are the questions that you have to count yourself.
- How do they react when you are not interacting with them?
- Do they feel isolated, stressed, or depressed?
- Do cockatiels react aggressively with a specific individual?
- Do they start responding truculent recently?
- Do they have an aggressive nature by birth?
Before taking a step out to treat them first, know the cause of their behaviors. Here are some of the reasons that might cause aggressiveness in your cockatiel.
- Stress can boost aggression in cockatiels
- They might not like to stay in a cage
- Your bird is not socialized
- Traumatizing experience
- Hormonal changes
- Possessive nature
- They want to Mate
Traumatizing experience
When you adopt your bird, you do not know how their previous owners treated them. Cockatiel holds sharp memory; instead, all the animals have a strong memory. Maybe their previous training caused some aggressive impact on them.
Hormonal changes
If they start to react aggressively suddenly, the reason might be their period stage, which causes mood swings just like we humans have. Hormonal changes in female cockatiel also cause aggressive behavior. Just try to stay calm with them and ignore their behavior. They will again go back to their normal behavior in a few days.
Mating
Breeding is vital to maintaining the ecosystem; otherwise, the population will decline. Cockatiel, whether male or female, hormonal changes start after 2 or 3 months. It is more related to mating(reproduction). If you try to avoid them from breeding, they will also begin to react aggressively, so for that, it’s necessary; otherwise, your bird will react aggressively and will not calm down. So, it is needed to find a mate for them. Like humans, they also select their desirable mates.
Sometimes male cockatiels become more aggressive during the mating process because the female cockatiel is not ready or does not want to breed. They even harm or kill the female cockatiel, so you have to take some measures to reduce this. Try to make more than one exists in the nest box so a female cockatiel can run away if cockatiel wants to. Put some wood pieces in nest boxes so female cockatiel can have time to move, and the male cockatiel aggression can be released by moving the wood pieces. If none of these ideas work, separate the cockatiels and breed male cockatiels with another female.
Possessive nature
Cockatiels, especially males, are more possessive about their things or their owners. They cannot accept ignorance. So, if you have other birds in your house, try to keep them away from cockatiel because they can’t get you to share with other birds. Sometimes they also bite their owners due to possessiveness. They even become hostile towards female cockatiel. On the other hand, female cockatiels also have an antagonistic nature, but they do not become violent and throw tantrums.
Stress
Stress can also be another factor for cockatiel belligerence nature. If you are not giving them enough concentration or adopting a single cockatiel, they start feeling alone. It also leads to depression. They become isolated, not consuming enough meals. These changes can also lead them to have aggressive behavior.
Socially awkward
When you adopt a cockatiel, you have to give them a social environment. It reduces stress levels and starts acknowledging how to survive with other animals. Otherwise, when you take them out, the sudden change in their territory also leads them to react aggressively.
Sometimes, when you cannot comprehend their needs, they react aggressively.
So now what to do??? when you start training your pet once again after adoption, start taking smooth and easy steps to show your love to them. Give them as much time as possible in the initial stage. Talk to them; you know they can’t understand your words first, but they will. It gives relief to your bird.
Is a male cockatiel more belligerent or a female cockatiel?
The male cockatiel is even more aggressive due to their aggregated hormonal changes for a mate. They also become rebellious and can even harm you. The sex hormones in males are released in large portions compared to females, so it’s essential to understand their needs. Through their loud voices, they tried to notify you.
Can the same cockatiels go along with each other?
Now the answer is that yes, the two same-gender cockatiels can get along to live happily with each other. Mainly same male cockatiels can go along.
Do cockatiels need a companion?
When you adopt any bird, try to embrace the partner for them too; otherwise, single birds can isolate themselves and have depression for staying alone. It is also the reason for the sudden aggressive change in their behavior. You can’t give them all the time attention, so it’s good to have two pairs, so they do not feel alone and enjoy their company. Even though cockatiel can die due to loneliness, they cannot tolerate ignorance from their owners or other birds.
Can cockatiel survive with other birds?
Now the question about can cockatiel survives with different species of birds? By considering the clingy nature of cockatiel, I can say no. They can become territorial and aggressive as they are possessive about their things, whether they are their owners or place or cage, so it is advised to keep cockatiels in a separate enclosure.
What happens if a cockatiel bites you aggressively?
The cockatiel beak is so sharp that it will damage the skin’s epidermis if he bites you. Even you can have a severe injury. Take some professional medical treatment instantly.
How can you calm your cockatiel?
- To calm down your cockatiel, open their cage most of the time so they can move around freely and do not feel isolated in one place.
- You can buy cockatiel toys to play with them.
- Try to give time to them and communicate with them.
- Place their cage in a place where the atmosphere is moderate so they can sleep peacefully.
- Be delicate with them and always compliment them.
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How can you comfort your cockatiel’s aggressive behavior?
Ignore their aggressive behavior and act like you are relaxed and calm; if you start yelling and shouting at them as a response, cockatiels start misbehaving with you more. Cockatiel values the attention of their owners, so treat them gently.
How to stop your cockatiels from biting you due to aggression?
Try to distract them and shift their attention towards other things. You can use the toy for that. You can distract them by leaving the tv on or showing them their treats.
Here are some of the ways through which you calm down your aggressive cockatiel.
Do not force your cockatiel.
Do not force your cockatiel for anything. Give your cockatiel space and authority. If your cockatiel pounce at your hand, do not jerk from your fingers suddenly because of fear; instead, stay calm and pet their head with hands. Try to comfort them. Otherwise, they will also get panic and be nervous about your hand jerking.
Stick training
So, it is an old activity that people do. They try to train their birds with the stick. It is time taking, but it is the most recommended method. It is easy for birds to instruct those who have fears.
Stop yelling
Do not yell at your cockatiel when arrogant, throwing tantrums or showing aggression. In response, they might become more aggressive, which will harm you.
Build confidence
Suppose your cockatiel is possessive about you and becomes envious by sharing you with other pets or other people. So, you can resolve it if your family members also give them meals or spend time with them. Try to build confidence in them. Try to praise them.
Maintain an Adjustable Routine
Maintain their routine by giving food on time. A playtime or interaction with other people. Sometimes a change in their pattern also causes them to react aggressively.
Offer them goodies
You can calm down your cockatiel by giving them treats when they start exhibiting aggression. Through this way, they might not lose their mind. Birds adore the food they love, so giving them treats can help you.
Orient your cockatiel techniques
Initially, when training your cockatiel, instruct them on behaving in the house. Teach them how to hold their aggression and stay well when visitors arrive. As you know, cockatiels also shout, so sometimes let them do that. Do not try to control their every act.
Compute their trigger points:
Sometimes you can control any situation by figuring out its trigger points. You can work on them to reduce their aggression, for example. If my cockatiel gets triggered by seeing another cockatiel, keep them in separate rooms. Avoid them seeing each other.
Create a comfortable environment
Avoid noise around cockatiel. It makes cockatiel stressed and panic. Always take care of the hygiene and place around them, so they do not feel disgusting and irritating.
Medications for treatment:
- If your cockatiel starts shivering due to aggression, give them chamomile tea by mixing it in their meals. it helps to relieve shivering
- If your cockatiel starts screaming out of aggression, you can treat it by giving them UnRuffledRx Bird Calming Tea. It helps them to stay calm.
But I don’t believe in calming supplements. Most of them are just vitamins that make them tired or don’t have any effect. Most of their aggression is the emotional factor; you can help it by changing their environment or showing kindness instead of using supplements. Every medicine also has side effects. Giving drugs to your birds is not a solution; sometimes, ignore their behavior and adjust with their behavior.
References
https://www.thesprucepets.com/training-aggressive-birds-390281
https://www.thesprucepets.com/training-aggressive-birds-390281
https://neeness.com/how-to-get-a-cockatiel-to-let-you-pet-it/
https://www.reddit.com/r/BirdHealth/comments/9sgn7z/tips_on_taming_a_very_aggressive_cockatiel/
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