Why Does My Cockatiel Bird Act Mean?

Often cockatiels that hiss, bite or otherwise threaten their owners see are seen as being "mean." However, this is not the case. Aggressive cockatiels are not acting with the intention to be malicious. To understand a cockatiel's actions, consider the situation from a cockatiel's point of view.

  1. Considerations

    • Aggression can be a symptom of illness or poor nutrition in a cockatiel. Take your cockatiel to your avian veterinarian immediately if they are showing signs of aggression to rule out a medical cause.

    Lack of Trust

    • Birds instinctually see humans as predators and do not trust them, unless they have been taught to trust humans. Trust is established with kind and friendly actions on the part of the owner such as feeding, during cage cleaning and sitting and talking to the bird.

    Lack of Training

    • Untrained cockatiels do not naturally know how to behave with people, instead relying on their instincts to protect themselves. Cockatiels need to learn how to act with their owners. This is done through training behaviors such as "step up" and using rewards.

    Hormonal

    • Hormonal cockatiels will act aggressive; this is behavior that ensures the survival of their young in the wild. Increasing the bird's daily dark hours, removing nests and getting them out and away from their cage will help decrease breeding hormones and reduce aggression.

    Miscommunication

    • Cockatiels and owners that simply do not understand each other often do not get along. This can be corrected by learning about normal cockatiel behaviors and communication.