It is common for most pet birds to hit walls while flying, and the cockatiel is not an exception.
Read on to find out more about why your cockatiel is crashing into walls and and how you can your little birdie to stop flying into walls!
Why Does My Cockatiel Fly Into The Wall? (In Detail)
It is normal for cockatiels and other birds to hit the wall while flying.
Do not get alarmed.
With patience, love and training, you can help your cockatiel get past this stage.
1. New Or Unfamiliar Surroundings
One of the reasons your cockatiel is crashing into the walls is new or unfamiliar surroundings.
If your cockatiel is new to a room or a shelter, it cannot fly comfortably without crashing into a wall or hitting something.
Why?
This is because it is overwhelmed by the strange or unfamiliar things around it and it is probably scared.
It might take time for your cockatiel to learn and adjust to the new environment.
So patience is key here
The good news is, once it gets used to a room, it will fly without hitting the walls.
2. Too Young To Fly
Another reason why your cockatiel keeps on hitting the walls and other objects while flying is because it is young.
A baby cockatiel does not have any experience flying.
So, it is probably learning how to control its movements and balance, which is why it keeps bumping into objects.
Before your young cockatiel learns how to fly, it will keep on hitting the wall and other objects.
Just ensure the room is safe.
It will learn take off smoothly, keep balance, and eventually fly swiftly without crashing on the wall as it grows.
It will take about six months for the baby cockatiel to learn how to fly well.
How to Stop Your Cockatiel Flying into The Wall?
If your cockatiel is hitting the wall due to unfamiliar surroundings, first release it into a smaller room or familiar room.
It will take off softly when you place it in a smaller room.
So it will less likely injure itself as it flies.
Additionally, even if the small room is unfamiliar, your cockatiel will learn to maneuver it faster than in a bigger room.
Identify the safest room and let your birdie fly there.
You can use a hallway where there are less objects and it can fly without turning back.
Another way to keep your cockatiel from crashing into the wall is by hanging something it can easily identify on the walls.
That way, it will know something is there and avoid hitting the wall.
If your cockatiel is young, you can only exercise patience and let it learn how to fly as it grows.
Just assume it’s a child learning to walk.
Just like a child’s life milestones, it will learn to fly through trial and error.
Get it out of the cage and allow it to exercise flying.
Young birds have flexible bone that heal faster in case of an injury.
Additionally, since crashing into walls is inevitable for new or baby cockatiels, you can try to minimize the impact of the crash.
You can offer safe landing places by reducing the objects in a room.
Have a central place in the room to encourage safe landing.
For instance, place the cage in a central place.
Usually, your cockatiel will try flying back to its cage.
Also, you can place a play stand or a perch strategically in a room to encourage short flights, thus reducing instances of crashing into walls.
Ensure the curtains are closed and windows closed so that it does not fly out of the room.
If your cockatiel injures themselves they should be able to heal on their own but if you’re concerned then a trip to the vet would be a good idea
How to Teach Your Cockatiel To Fly?
You can teach your cockatiel to fly safely.
Initially, let your bird fly to you from its cage.
The distance between the cage and yourself should be small, around five inches.
If you notice the space is a bit wider for your cockatiel, move a few inches closer to its cage or play stand.
Command it to come to you.
You can increase this distance with every achieved milestone.
Motivate your bird to practice flying by offering healthy treats such as seeds, pellets, or vegetables.
Also make the practice sessions fun.
Are Cockatiels Good Flyers
Yes. Cockatiels are good flyers.
They thrive very well in their outdoor aviary life.
Once in a while, let it fly outside and see how much of a good flyer it is.
However, because they are good and strong flyers, it can fly for long and get lost.
So be careful when free-flying your cockatiel.
It’s best to let your cockatiel fly around the house providing the necessary pre-cautious methods are in place to make sure your cockatiel does not get hurt when flying around the house
Related articles you’ll find beneficial –
Should I let my cockatiel out of his cage?
Cockatiel flying around the house
Wrapping Up
Cockatiels are intelligent, comical, and excellent companion birds.
Crashing into walls is a common pet bird habit, including your cockatiel.
As discussed above, cockatiel will crash into walls of an unfamiliar room, or if they are young and still learning how to fly.
Training and patience are crucial to eliminating this behavior.
Once they are comfortable with their environment and are fully developed, they can fly without hitting the walls.
