Oftentimes, you would hear strange grinding or rubbing noises out of nowhere.
For all the times you’ve spent with your precious cockatiel, pretty sure you’ve also witnessed them rubbing or grinding their beaks on hard things, like perches.
We know that beaks are extremely important for birds.
So, is there something to worry about when your cockatiel starts rubbing their beak on perches?
It is true that cockatiels rub their beaks on their perches, but it is not because they are feeling in pain or something’s wrong with them.
In fact, rubbing their beaks could only signify that they are in good health.
Cockatiels grind or rub their beaks against hard objects or surfaces to maintain them and keep their beaks in optimum condition.
In other words, it is a kind of maintenance and hygiene activity among your feathered friends.
Let’s get into more detail
Carry on reading..
Why Do Cockatiels Rub Their Beaks On Things?
Cockatiels rub their beaks for one certain reason: maintenance.
It is also called beak wiping which is a grooming or maintaining activity for your cockatiels.
After all, beaks are widely used by birds in their day-to-day activities and everyday living.
It is essential for them to keep it healthy and in great condition to live happily.
To further elaborate as to why your cockatiels need to rub their beaks on perches, here are the specific possible reasons:
1. To Keep Their Beaks Clean
Cockatiels, like any other birds, use their beaks most of the time and in majority of their activities.
They use their beaks to eat, to pick up something, to even groom and interact with their partners.
Of course, their beaks would naturally have food, dust, dirt, and feathers on them that are difficult to remove.
Hence, your cockatiels will rub their beaks against hard and rough surfaces, like perches, to get rid of these gunks.
They will do this from time to time to maintain the cleanliness of their beaks and groom themselves.
2. To Keep Their Beaks In Great Condition
Aside from the reason that beak rubbing is your cockatiel’s way to clean their mouths, it is also to keep it in great condition.
This means that they intend to sharpen, hone, and shape their beaks to keep it perfectly fine.
After all, birds treat their beaks similar to a blade or knife needed to tear, chop, cut, and crack hard things.
Beaks can also grow and become longer little by little as time passes by Cockatiels keep themselves comfortable through shaping their beaks as well.
This is to keep it finely-shaped and honed, essential to make their living easier.
Why Is My Cockatiel Grinding Its Beak?
Now that you know that your cockatiels rub their beaks for hygiene purposes, you would probably wonder about beak grinding too.
After all, not only beak wiping and beak grinding are often interchanged by owners, they also go hand-in-hand for your cockatiels.
Cockatiels grind their beaks for the same reason as to why they rub it on their perches.
This gives the similar benefit of keeping their beaks sharp and clean.
Though it might sound pretty concerning, it is a normal activity for them which also implies they are in great health.
How To Stop Your Cockatiels From Rubbing Their Beaks on Things
Naturally, you would worry that your cockatiels might overdo their beak maintenance.
As it is essential and extremely critical for your pet birds to keep their beaks maintained, they might also damage it instead.
Unfortunately, you cannot really stop your feathered friends rubbing their beaks.
It is a normal and a needed process for them to live happily as they can.
Most of the time they would rub or grind their beaks on perches and other hard objects which can end up also tearing or getting their beaks chirped.
Just make sure that you give them perches that are cockatiel and bird-friendly.
You can also purchase safe toys or bird items they can use to keep their beaks maintained.
Avoid giving them hard and pointed objects that could chirp or tear away their precious beaks.
Additionally, keep an eye on your pet birds.
Consistently check if there are any beak damages and resolve the problem immediately with a veterinarian.
Try to train your cockatiels not to groom themselves anywhere with anything.
Sometimes, a simple ‘no’ or discouragement can be effective.
Here’s some related articles about cockatiels which you may find interesting
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Wrapping Up
Your cockatiels would rub their beaks on hard objects like perches from time to time.
Whenever they do this, you don’t have to completely stop them as they only do this to keep their beaks properly maintained.
Birds rub and grind their beaks to groom themselves, keep their beaks shaped, sharp, and clean.