Bonding With a Cockatiel

The cockatiel is well known for love of play, close friendships and desire for physical touch. This social bird is quite ready for a strong and loving relationship with human companions; the key to giving her a happy home is to spend plenty of time with her doing the things she loves, every day.

  1. Communicate and Socialize

    • As flock birds, cockatiels love being a part of a group -- they hate being alone. Place your cockatiel̵7;s habitat in a social area of the home where she can see you, and any other members of the family, regularly. Even better, move her cage to a draft-free area in whatever room you are in when she is up, active and ready to socialize. Communicate with her as much as possible, too; talk and whistle with her and mimic any noises she makes.

    Hand-Tame and Preen

    • Dr. Rob Marshall of the Bird Health website notes that cockatiels in the wild spend a lot of time preening one another. As birds that love to preen, cockatiels enjoy touch and appreciate contact with their favorite people. Cockatiels are easy to hand-tame with treats and a little patience; as soon as your little birdie is familiar with your hand, you can begin to gently touch and scratch her around the head and neck area. She will consider this type of touch as preening, and a very close bond will follow.

    Exercise and Play

    • Cockatiels love to play and are strong fliers. These birds need plenty of free time outside the cage, and they need interesting toys within their cage. Creating an atmosphere with lots of activities, in and out of the cage, filled with toys and free flight time will help your cockatiel̵7;s friendly nature to bloom. Once she associates you with fun times, she will begin to consider you a close and valued friend.

    Create a Happy Home

    • A happy home will support the overall wellness of your cockatiel and help to facilitate your bond with her. Make sure that she gets plenty of exercise, that her cage is clean and that her water is fresh, and maintain a fun and interesting environment for her. Change out toys to keep them interesting, feed her a healthy and varied diet to keep her meals interesting, and make sure she has plenty of company with people. Time with you is crucial; if you can't give it, you'll want to give her a cockatiel friend -- but study up on it if before you do.