Keeping a cockatiel as a pet can be a great decision.
They bond well with humans and can be very affectionate creatures.
It is possible, however, as is normal with other pets, that your cockatiel may become aggressive and you may find it biting or hissing.
And a cockatiel can bite and hiss too
It is important to understand this behavior in your pet in order to maintain a happy relationship between you and the bird.
And this is exactly what you’re going to learn in this article
Here’s what we are going to go through
- Why your cockatiel is hissing and biting
- How to stop your cockatiel from biting
- Why your cockatiel has suddenly become aggressive
- How you can tame an aggressive cockatiel
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
Why Is My Cockatiel Hissing & Biting? Possible Reasons
Cockatiels are generally very friendly and social birds.
They love attention and playing with their owners.
On some occasions though, you may find your pet retreating to the back of its cage and hissing at you.
There are a few possible reasons that your cockatiel may bite you or hiss at you.
When a cockatiel is brought into a new environment, it may get squeamish.
This often happens whenever you bring a new bird home from the pet store or introduce it to a new cage or even move houses.
It is always best to allow the bird some time to get used to its new area, especially if it is hissing or trying to bite you.
Cockatiels can also be very protective of their owners.
It is common for your bird to become aggressive when there is a new person around that the bird does not recognize.
Think of it as your pet’s way of warning you that there is an intruder.
When you first bring your cockatiel home, most likely it has not been very socialized.
In this case, take it slow with your birdie
Don’t rush any grabbing and avoid sticking your fingers into the cage.
Instead, make sure to slowly approach your bird.
It takes time but your bird will start to get used to you and even start to enjoy your presence.
And trust me, when your cockatiel begins to bond with you, all this patience and taking things slow will surely be worth it!
Now if your cockatiel is biting you
It’s important to stop this behavior
How do you stop this?
Let’s find out
How Do You Stop a Cockatiel From Biting?
When your pet cockatiel is biting you, this is generally the animal trying to communicate something to you.
Birds use their beaks constantly when trying to communicate with humans or other birds.
In order to stop the bird from biting you, you should first find out the reason for which your cockatiel is trying to get your attention.
This can range from a number of different reasons, for example, hunger, warning you of danger, or needing to use the bathroom.
It is also important to react when the bird bites you.
Tell the bird “no” in a stern voice and if you are playing with the bird outside of the cage, return it to the cage and leave it alone for a while as another reason that the bird will bite is that it is tired of the attention and wants to have some alone time.
Make sure you don’t allow your cockatiel to bite you out of habit
Do Cockatiel Bites Hurts?
A cockatiel bite can definitely hurt especially if they have bitten you hard
It can cause your skin to break
You will feel some sort of discomfort and pain which is normal
That’s why it’s important to not let this biting become a habit
Why Is My Cockatiel Suddenly Aggressive?
It is surely an alarming sight to see your cockatiel suddenly become aggressive towards you or someone with you.
I mean cockatiels are such friendly birds!
But here’s the possible reasons why your bird has suddenly become aggressive
This aggression generally comes from the bird not being socialized or hand-fed at a young age, leading to a cockatiel that is scared of humans.
However, your well-socialized bird can also become aggressive at times.
Since these animals are known to be found in pairs in the wild, they can become jealous when they see you socializing or being romantic with another person.
If there is constant aggressive behavior from your bird, this could also be a sign that your cockatiel is stressed, and it is a good idea to address this and figure out the culprit for this stress in order to allow your pet to maintain a healthy life.
If you think your cockatiel is not being themselves then it would be a good idea to take your bird to the avian vet
Just to make sure it’s nothing medical and your bird is healthy
It’s always best to be safe than sorry
How Do You Tame An Aggressive Cockatiel?
It can be a lot of work to tame your aggressive cockatiel, but the main thing to keep in mind is repetition and, of course, treats!
Spending 10-15 min a day with your bird, building trust, and rewarding it for good behavior is a really great way to tame your pet.
If your cockatiel has become aggressive due to its bond with you, bring new people into your home and slowly allow them to build trust with the bird.
Your guests should stay nearby as to not stress the bird out and have them feed the cockatiel treats when he does a good job.
Final Words
Aggression is not the sort of behavior that you want to see in your pet bird.
If your cockatiel acts aggressively towards you or another human, take a step back to see what is annoying your bird.
A cockatiel will not bite without reason.
So once you identify the reason, remove it (if applicable) or work towards associating it with something positive so as to not elicit this type of aggressive response in the future.
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