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Our family has a lot of bird experience with large parrots . All in the past.
We presently raise fish and KOI.
So last saturday ...we picked up a cockatiel from our backyard. It was really cold here that day, and it was shivering trying to get water from the pond. Must have escaped or been released by someone.
I tried picking it up...but it bit a lot...only because it was scared. Who knows how long it had been loose.
I tried a different way...and just sat down on the ground for a bout 20 minutes
I was surprised when it worked its was across the yard to end up sitting on my leg.
This bird has abviously been around people .

So we used a towel to get it in a cage in the house. It calmed right down.
I wouldnt say its a hand-fed bird. It wont come anywhere near a hand place in the cage.
But it doesnt make any kind of aggressive moves either. Its never tried to bite in the cage and lets you fill the water and food dishes while it just stands there.

So I have a couple questions.

1. we tried getting some special treat to maybe entice it to our hands. So far nothing has worked. Cheerios, apple, melon....
I think if I found its special treat I might have a chance.
Is there any way I can get it to come around to us?
It seems content...maybe a little bored though. Id like to try to get it to the point we could handle it some.

2. If I bought a second hand-fed cockatiel for my daughter...would that help the backyard guy, or maybe make it worse? We thought maybe being caged with a more social bird might help by example.

Mike

Yes, I agree. There is no garantuee that a tame bird will get another to calm down. After the 30-60 day quarantine period, the birds may end up hating each other. This bird has had to depend solely on himself and needs to remember that people can be trusted again. I would just work on sitting near the cage, talking to him and reading out loud to him. Get him used to your presence.

After 15 minutes each time, put a treat like air popped popcorn, nutriberries, a few plain cheerios, or an avi-cake square in his dish and praise him. When he is no longer fearful, then you can work on him taking the treat from your hand at the door of the cage.

This of course is just a start. My site has some great article links on taming and training birds. http://www.christiessite.com/birdlinks

However, like mytielwoody said, PLEASE advertise on the internet sites around that you have fund a bird. There are many parronts out there that are heartbroken with the loss of their baby. There is a lost and found section here, a few links on my site, and put an ad in your local paper. You can even call the vet's offices in your area to see if anyone is looking for a lost tiel.

Thanks Guys. Thats a good start. I'll keep checking in here and let you know how its going.
We tried everything we could to find the owners. We really didnt want a bird, but i couldnt leave it outside.

I can tell this bird has been around people. To come from outside...and walk across the yard to sit on my leg....was a big step. No aggression at all.

I just cant find anything yet for a treat. It hasnt touched cheerios or any kind of fruit yet. But I wont give up.

Mike

Many tiels don't like fruit. Try air popped popcorn. A friend said a few kernals in a brown paper bag put in the microwave will pop them. Then you know they are oil and salt free.

I think everyone is forgetting one important thing here--start looking for his family!!! Post something in the newspaper, online lost bird sites, and put up posters. This bird probably has a family missing him terribly!

You have to read the post.
We did everything we could think of to find the owners.
I was hoping someone would be looking for their bird. But no luck.

I understand, but a good search takes longer than a couple days. Suggestions for a more thurough search is to post something in the paper, online (google lost bird--there are many places to post), go to local vets to see if they may recognize the bird or if any of their clients have reported a missing bird, and put up fliers. You have kept birds before, you know how heartbreaking it might have been to lose one.

I would try not to be to attached for now, because you may end up being hurt if his owner is found. Good suggestion is to get him to the vet though, if he was out for a while, who knows what he may have.

I understand, but a good search takes longer than a couple days. Suggestions for a more thurough search is to post something in the paper, online (google lost bird--there are many places to post), go to local vets to see if they may recognize the bird or if any of their clients have reported a missing bird, and put up fliers. You have kept birds before, you know how heartbreaking it might have been to lose one.

I would try not to be to attached for now, because you may end up being hurt if his owner is found. Good suggestion is to get him to the vet though, if he was out for a while, who knows what he may have.

Try sliced almonds as a treat. They are nutricious too. Just small pieces are fine. Get them at the bulk food dept. of a fair sized supermarket.---Yogi

Thanks guys...Real good start.

Any hints on behavior help?
Pretty much right now, we're doing a lot of soft talking ...and whenever we pass by the cage, I open the door and pretend to adjust something in the food dish or inside the cage. Just to get it used to a hand in the cage. So far he's fine with it.
But thats about all we're doing right now

Good forum by the way
Mike

Mike,

You didn't say where you live. I lost a bird on Feb 26th, and I've not found him yet, but am hopeful that he found someone and they are taking care of him. Are you anywhere close to Augusta, GA?

Sam

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