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 don’t know how their previous owners treated them. Cockatiel has a sharp memory; Instead, all animals have strong memories. Maybe their previous training has given them some aggressiveness.
Cockatiel buying guide, you should look once.
Hormonal changes can boost aggressive behavior in cockatiels
If they suddenly start reacting aggressively, it could be due to their period phase, which causes mood swings like us humans. Hormonal changes in female cockatiels also cause aggressive behavior.
Just try to stay calm with them and ignore their behavior. They will return to their normal behavior in a few days.
Mating
Breeding is vital to sustaining ecosystems. Otherwise, the population will decrease. Cockatiel, whether male or female, hormonal changes begin after 2 or 3 months. It has more to do with mating.
If you try to avoid them breeding, they will also start reacting aggressively, so this is important. Otherwise, your bird will react aggressively and not calm down. Therefore, they need to find a partner. Like humans, they choose their preferred 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 steps to reduce it. Try to have more than one in the nest box so a female cockatiel can escape if she wants to.
Place a few pieces of wood in the nest boxes to give the female cockatiel time to move, and by moving the pieces of wood, the male cockatiel can release aggression. If none of these ideas work, separate the cockatiels and breed the male cockatiels with another female.
Possessive nature
Cockatiels, especially males, are very possessive of their possessions or their owners. They cannot accept ignorance. So, if you have other birds in your home, try to keep them away from the cockatiel as they may not be prepared to share you with other birds.
Sometimes they even bite their owners because of possessiveness. They even become hostile towards female cockatiel. On the other hand, female cockatiels are also hostile in nature, but they are not violent and do not throw tantrums.
Stress can boost aggressive behavior in cockatiels
Stress can also be another factor for the cockatiel’s combative nature. If you are not giving them enough concentration or adopting a single cockatiel, they start to feel lonely. It also leads to depression.
They become isolated, do not eat enough food. These changes can also lead to aggressive behavior.
Socially awkward
When you adopt a cockatiel, you need to give them a social environment. It reduces stress levels and starts recognizing how to live with other animals. Otherwise, when you take them outside, even a sudden change in their territory causes them to react aggressively.
Sometimes, when you cannot understand their needs, they react aggressively.
So what to do now??? When you start training your pet again after adoption, start taking smooth and easy steps to show them your love. Give them maximum time in the initial phase. Talk to them.
You know they may not understand your words at first, but they will. This makes your bird comfortable.
Is a male cockatiel more aggressive or a female cockatiel?
Male cockatiels are even more aggressive towards a mate due to their overall hormonal changes. They can also become rebellious and hurt you. Men release sex hormones in larger quantities than women, so it’s important to understand their needs. Through their loud voices, they tried to inform you.
Can the same cockatiel go together?
Now the answer is yes, two cockatiels of the same sex can get along happily. Basically the same male cockatiel can go together.
Do cockatiels need a companion?
When you adopt any bird, try to adopt their partner as well. Otherwise, solitary birds can isolate themselves and suffer from depression due to being alone. This is also the reason for the sudden aggressive change in their behavior.
You can’t give them attention all the time, so it’s good to have two pairs, so they don’t feel lonely and enjoy their company. Although cockatiels can die of loneliness, they cannot tolerate ignorance from their owners or other birds.
Can cockatiels live with other birds?
Now the question is, can the cockatiel live with different types of birds? Considering the flattened nature of the cockatiel, I can’t say. They can be territorial and aggressive because they are possessive about their possessions, whether it is their owner or space or cage, so it is advisable to keep cockatiels in a separate enclosure.
Can cockatiels and budgies get along?
What happens if a cockatiel bites you aggressively?
A cockatiel’s beak is so sharp that if it bites you, it will damage the epidermis of the skin. You may even get seriously injured. Get some professional medical treatment immediately.
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’re calm and relaxed. Cockatiels will start being more rude to you if you start yelling and screaming at them in response. Cockatiels value attention from their owners, so treat them gently.
How to stop your cockatiels from biting you out of aggression?
Try to distract them and divert their attention to other things. You can use a toy for this. You can distract them by leaving the TV on or showing them their treats.
Here are some ways you can calm your aggressive cockatiel.
Don’t force your cockatiel.
Don’t force your cockatiel to do anything. Give your cockatiel space and authority. If your cockatiel pounces on your hand, don’t suddenly snap with your fingers out of fear. Instead, stay calm and pat their head with your hands.
Try to comfort them. Otherwise, they will become nervous and startle at the shock of your hand. Here’s how you can bond faster?
Cane training
So, it is an old activity that people do. They try to train their birds with a stick. This is time consuming, but it is the most recommended method. It is easy for birds to instruct those who are afraid.
Stop yelling
Don’t yell at your cockatiel when showing arrogance, anger or aggression. In response, they may become more aggressive, which will hurt you.
Build confidence.
Let’s say your cockatiel is possessive about you and jealous of sharing you with other pets or other people. So, you can solve it if your family members also give them food or spend time with them. Try to instill confidence in them. Try to appreciate them.
Maintain a consistent routine
Maintain their routine by feeding on time. Playtime or interaction with other people. Sometimes a change in their pattern also leads to their aggressive response.
Offer them stuff.
You can calm your cockatiel down with treats when they become aggressive. That way, they can’t lose their minds. Birds love their favorite foods, so feeding them can help you.
Orient your cockatiel techniques.
Initially, when training your cockatiel, instruct them to behave in the house. Teach them how to curb their aggression and be nice when guests come over. As you know, cockatiels scream too, so let them do it sometimes. Don’t try to control their every action.
Calculate their trigger points:
Sometimes you can control any situation by identifying its trigger points. For example, you can work on them to reduce their aggression. If my cockatiel gets triggered by seeing another cockatiel, keep them in a separate room. Avoid them looking at each other.
Create a comfortable environment
Avoid the noise around the cockatiel. This makes the cockatiel tense and nervous. Always take care of the cleanliness and space around them, so that they do not feel uncomfortable and irritated.
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 have no effect. Much of their aggression is emotional. You can help by changing their environment or showing kindness instead of using supplements.
Every medicine has side effects. Drugging 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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