How to Socialize a Cockatiel

Let the bird adjust. The bird will need about a week to adjust to his or her new surroundings. Set the cockatiel up in his or her cage and in a high traffic area. If you already have birds, your new bird will need to be in quarantine for at least 30 days. If the cockatiel needs to be in quarantine, obviously it will not be in its “permanent” place, but put the bird somewhere where it will get a lot of interaction from you and the other humans in your house. Leave the bird in the cage, and only put your hands in the cage to change out the food and water and maybe to put in treats. Talk to the cockatiel in a soothing voice and do not run up to the cage or make any sudden movements.

Test “the hand.” After a week, the bird has seen “the hand” bring it food and water, and hopefully has started to realize it is not a threat. Now it is time to take it a step further. Try sticking your hand in the cage once every day. You may want to bribe the bird with millet or some other treat as well. Do this every day for five minutes at most until the bird is comfortable. Continue to interact with bird. Let him or her get used to you being around and to your voice.

Slowly move a perch towards the bird. He or she will probably try to get away initially. Just like the hand test, do this every day for five minutes (or less) until you can move the perch all the way to the bird without it flailing around the cage. Once you can do that, place the perch gently against their stomach and tell the cockatiel to “step up.” Repeat this command until the bird steps both feet up on the perch. Praise the cockatiel profusely when she does this. Continue this everyday until he or she learns “step up” means step on the perch.

Replace the perch with your finger. Once the cockatiel knows the step command, you can take away the perch and try to get the bird to step up on your finger. This may take a few tries. Again, only do this in five minute increments. In time the bird will step up on your hand just like he or she did with the perch.

Take the bird out of his cage. Put your hand in the cage and take the bird into a room where he or she cannot see his or her cage. You do not want to do this until you know the bird will step up when directed. The bird will cling to you because it knows you. This is where you start to bond with the bird. The first time, the cockatiel should be let out of his cage for 5 to 10 minutes. Increase the time by 5 minutes each time.

Introduce the cockatiel to the rest of the flock. If you have more than one bird, you have hopefully gotten the hand taming done before you take them out of quarantine. Once you have introduced the new bird to the rest of the flock, give him or her a few days to adjust to their surroundings. They can still interact with the other birds, and get to know them, but from the safety of their cage. After a week, you can let the new bird out to play with the rest of the flock. If you have not completed hand training before quarantine time is up, keep working on it until the bird is trained. Then, after a few sessions with you, he or she should be ready to be out and about with the flock.