Troublesome 'tiel

[TinyTimneh]

Lol, these are the days i'm happy i luv my tiel because wow, can she sure drive me crazy! i've got a couple of issues with her and i was just wondering if anyone could give me a hand.

sully is a female grey/pied tiel who approx. two years old, in that time, she has become sweet as pie and very tame HOWEVER the screaming is beginning to get untolerable. normally, she's quiet, doesn't whistle much, even when i whistle at her, but as soon as i begin to walk toward that door she panicks and begins to pace and scream and scream and scream even though i always tell both the birds i'm leaving (either i'll be right back or see ya later depending on the length of time) until i come back. the radio and tv r always on and i leave the blinds open. The TAG doesn't even scream like this. she's got plenty of perches and toys and bells and chewables but doesn't touch them, also a good sized cage (2 feet by two feet by two feet). she seems more exploratory outside her cage but just sits and eats inside it. i've shown her how to play but she only pecks at it for about two seconds and only when i'm interacting with her. all she seems to do is eat. that and peck at the poop that gets on the grate sometimes (why does she do that!?) any ideas on how i can get her to stop this?

[Tari]

Sounds like contact calls. If you are still in the house when the bird is doing this you can call back with something acceptable. A whistle or a word.

 

It well take a while habits are hard to break for people and just as hard for parrots. You have to come up with a plan and stick to it for months.

 

Try different toys and try hanging them on the outside of the cage. Try foot toys and keep the crate clean no clue why some bird pick on their poop but they do.

 

Oh and it may sound silly but play with the birds toys. But don't let them play too. Keep doing this till your bird is so intent on the toys she can't stand it then put her in the cage with the toy.

 

I do have a couple that are not very good at playing in their cages. I have found that smaller toys seem to get their interest better then the toys meant for them.

 

I do not have a screamer except Joey he joins the dogs barking when I leave for work but stops when they do. So not a problem.

[siobha9]

I know exactly what you are going through. I also have a tiel who didnt play, and just sat in the cage eating, and squealing. I tried everything I could think of, or was suggested to me. Eventually after 2 years of trying all sorts of everything, even trying her in a cage with budgies (who ganged up on her and pecked at her) I gave in and got her a mate. She changed almost over night. She still wasnt really interested in her toys, but she preened Jim and he preened her and she just seemed so much happier.

 

Recently my husband and I built an aviary and our tiels are so happy. She still squeals but not continuously and she is answered by Jim so its much cuter to listen to. She now flies around the aviary, and swings and climbs to her little hearts content.

 

I'm not suggesting you get another tiel to keep her company, but that is the thing that worked for me;)

[Tari]

Only get anouther bird if YOU want anouther bird.

Never a good idea to get anouter bird to fix problems.<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/06/15 00:08

[TinyTimneh]

thanks for all the help so far, however, i've already tried the contact calls and she only increases the volume and frequecy of her screams. will try the toys hanging outside the cage thing next, didn't think of that. if you can think of more ways to get her moving and exploring instead of just sitting and eating let me know.

[Tari]

I know with mine if they don't like a toy if they think it is something they are not suppose to have then they want it. lol

[TinyTimneh]

thanx tari, i was just putting her to bed after her little play session with me (i sat her on my lap and rattled toys and things and showed her while i played with them... not too much reaction) and as i put her back in her cage for bedtime i remembered what u suggested earlier, so i switched the toy placement around and hung them outside her cage.. and surprise! she went over and startrf pecking for the longest time i've seen yet thru the bars at the toy. maybe this isn't a hopeless case after all, new baby linnie patakeet is coming home on monday, hopefully some modelling of playing on the linnie's part will encourage her further, the tiel learnt to chew on the pine playstand like the TAG does...

[Tari]

Thats sounds like a step in the right direction. Please keep us updated.

[TinyTimneh]

well actually get her to semi-start foraging last night (okay welll actually all she had to do was stretch a little while balancing on a boing rope to eat some seeds) and she's learning to chew on the paper bows i've tied on all her perches... she's screaming a little less, and a little quieter too.

[Tari]

This is great news. Keep up with what your are doing and your bird well be right as rain. lol

[Tycos_mom]

Mabie she just a little hormonal right now and it will pass in a month or so when she's feeling more like herself again.

 

[TinyTimneh]

hey all,

 

I know i haven't updated this topic in a while so here goes:

about two days ago, in desperation, I tried contact calls again, whistling back to her as I was leaving. Guess what? Silence. After a minute or two she stopped completely and was quiet. needless to say I was thrilled. Kept repeating the process and the noise has greatly decreased, once in a while she'll take a couple steps backward in terms of progress but she's much quieter.

HOWEVER, my normally quiet linnie Altair is now threatening to sabotage everything. Normally, he was quiet ever when I was leaving. He would respond to the tiels screams but not to me. Now, he has begun screaming when I whistle back to the tiel, which gets her going again. Anyone have any ideas? I'd hate to come so far only to have Altair ruin the golden silence.