My cockatiel is 4 months old now and he loves his cage free time. He has gotten into the habit of standing our heads... when he does it to me or my husband we take him off and set him down, my 14yo son just lets him hang out there. Is this bad behavior or normal?
To keep your bird out of biting and dominance behaviors, always keep it below eye level. In the wild, the top bird is at the highest branch...so at home when your bird climbs onto the top of your head, it's kind of the birds way of trying to move up in the pecking order. The problem isn't as bad with cockatiels, because they can't chomp your finger off...but to keep a nice 'tiel, I wouldn't put it on your head or allow it to remain for long periods of time above you. This will reduce biting that may manifest if you allow this behavior to continue. Some birds will always fight for the dominant position. I'm training an Umbrella Cockatoo that has a problem of jumping on people backs an piercing their ears. Of course, when it was younger, it was cute to let it be all over you. Not so much anymore. So, if you plan to get a larger bird in the future...you may want to keep that in mind. Good luck with you 'tiel!
A habit of being on your head is really yours & the birds choice. They do not dominate by being higher than eye level. This has simply never been proven & just something that we as humans like to believe, that dominance exists in all creatures. Not so in parrot life.
They DO love to usually be eye level, shoulder birds, because they like eye contact when being with you or communicating with you.
I can tell you why our tiels & cockatoos choose height reasons in the wild. Not all of them do, but the most nervous ones who prefer to keep a look out for predators are on the highest possible branches. This HAS been proven. Those that are a little more care free are usually playing on the ground & in lower perches.
If your tiel ever becomes cranky there would be another reason for this, not for being allowed to sit on heads. If you prefer your tiel didn't allow you to sit on your heads then simply don't allow it. Teach your son this also, but no it will not teach the tiel bad behaviour.
In larger birds eye level is whether you have trust issues or not or if you know the bird well enough. Yep I know there are stories out there of birds who suddenly attack out of the blue, doesn't mean it happens with every single bird.i completely trust ALL my birds big & small & only refuse shoulder rides if cranky hormonal or an unknown rescue. I simply learn their body language so I know when to leave them be.
Anyway as you have a tiel, it's certainly no issue whatsoever that needs to be conserned about.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kimforster,
Most bird behaviorists would probably disagree that parrots show no form of hierarchy. I've worked with both wild and domesticated parrots and the idea of the "pecking order" has long been established in flock oriented birds. The idea of keeping your parrot below eye-level is a tool that has been used by many trainers to keep aggressive birds at bay. It shows that you are the top bird and rule the roost, so to speak. The problem is not as severe with cockatiels because they are smaller birds, but with larger psittacines the problem can manifest into such a severe situation that the bird is abandoned. Most of the birds that have been left at my clinic have attacked the spouses of their owners...stalking them...flying at them...piercing their collar bones, ears, etc. This behavior is attributed to trying to establish pecking order. "This is my mate, not yours'. Get in your place." Some cases are more severe than others when it is the type of bird that will mate for life...like macaws. I would appreciate it if you did not dictate further what has and has not been proven, because it's wrong. The idea of dominance in pet birds is still a debated issue. Some believe that parrots biting out of what seems to be a sign of dominance is really "displaced aggression." However, a lot of traners find it funny that many parrot aggression problems are solved simply by moving a cage to a lower level and/or keeping your biting bird at lower levels. Coincidence? Probably not. And, that is what is still debated. It doesn't mean that any side of the debate is wrong or unproven. In fact, it is rare that you can prove Anything in science. Science is about disproving and probabilities...but I'll save that for a biology lecture. Furthermore, what wild birds do and what pet birds do is somewhat an unrelated issue. In the wild birds will rarely use their beaks against each other to inflict harm. They are prey...they need all of their feathers and beaks attatched. Yet, pet birds are usually stripped of the things they have in the wild and are forced to use fight responses over flight responses. Also, in the wild the bird in the top of the tree is usually the bird that gives watch over the flock. It isn't because it is nervous and/or carefree. It's protection of the flock as a whole. This is usually the bird in charge. Coincidence that the bird at the top of the tree is usually always male? I don't know. Maybe so, but probably not. My point is, before you go on saying what is right and what is wrong, think a bit. If it works for many trainers...there might be something to it...I'll put my 15 years of experience on it. Also, just because someone has a cockatiel over a Hyacinth Macaw makes it no less of a responsibility in training. It may inflict less damage, but it still needs to be trained to act accordingly. I've got more cockatiels than I can deal with at my clinic that have been abandoned, so please don't encourage anyone to do less than they are willing to.
Most bird behaviorists would probably disagree that parrots show no form of hierarchy. I've worked with both wild and domesticated parrots and the idea of the "pecking order" has long been established in flock oriented birds.
Ok this I am very interested in finding out about as myself & others haven't found any bird behaviourists that thinks a pecking order has been establisged. I would like to know more about this. So called hierarchy & dominance issues & opinions from experts I've always been keeping an eye & had a keen interest in.
You're right, wild to pets can be somewhat different, but not always.
As for the nervousness in them taking to the heighest branch? Then you can argue with OUR experts here over that one.
I never encourage people to do less than they're willing to do! I try & advise people to the best of my knowledge whether you or anyone agrees or not, this doesn't mean I am wrong. We may not agree on much but it doesn't mean I know nothing because I'm not the expert you are.
I'm sorry you have so many abandonments over there, we have a great deal less & we care for our birds much differently than you do. I also know only too well some of you don't like some of the ways we do care for our fids. It doesn't mean one is right & the other is wrong, it means we got our own opinions on things. I do not encourage people to do less than they ever should & I never have.
Whatever you & I think we know better does not mean one is right & one is wrong. Just because I'm not an expert, it doesn't mean I don't know where to get my recources from either.
Okay, so I'm not sure if you know me or what. This disagreement from your group and my group. I really have no knowledge of who you are and who you work for. I'm an avian vet and trainer. I've studied in Florida for my graduate studies in medicine, and in Costa Rica, Australia, and the Galapagos Islands in behavior studies in the wild. That's really as much about myself that I am willing to give out on the internet. Anyway, in those studies in the wild, we observed from a distance flock behavior. We conducted individual research on feeding habits and flock communication. Some people chose to study different things. I am only posting on what I've seen and researched. As it was a scientific study, human characteristics and personalities were not attributed to the birds. It gives a somewhat cold data, but it is more accurate data. I'm not familiar with your study or experts. I read many scientific journals that do not agree with social hierarchy in some birds, but neither of us can truly say what is going on because we can't exactly ask the birds. (Just like I can't say that people who do not believe in evolution are wrong. I think based on what I know and have studied, that I am right. It does exist. However, I can't exactly say for sure. I wasn't there, so to speak). I try not to be biased on what I study and read as that makes for biased data, so I'm willing to read any scientific journals that you have on your idea of social lives in birds. In my studies, I've found that it isn't usually one individual in a dominant role. Rather, it is individuals. I've reported that in given situations, one bird will win in dominance roles. A bird that will lose in dominance role in the ground may win in dominance of the hens. It's called "flock organization." There is a great study of flock organization in Shell Parakeets. It studies the birds in their win-lose, lose- win situations. These types of studies are being performed on larger parrots, but data is still being collected. It isn't quite as widespread as ring-doves and pigeons in its data. Also, I'm not sure about this "abandonment over here versus abandonment over there" issue. The birds that I have in my clinic are given the best care. They are checked every quarter by me for health issues, are on healthy diets, are allowed to be in outside aviaries, and recieve at least 8 hours of socialization a day. I really do not know how my care for abandoned parrots has anything to do with your advice on training a cockatiel with a willing owner and caring owner. I never said you were wrong in the care for your birds. I do not agree with your view on parrot socialization. The care for my birds and their training is not the reason I house abandoned birds. I really do not know how that assumption was put together. I care for birds without homes because I'd rather see them in my care than dead or in unhealthy situations. Some birds, I had no say on when they came in. Their owners put them in my clinic to board while they were on vacation, and let's just say it has been years that they've been on vacation. I'm only required by law to house them for 30 days. I keep them for longer...with my time and my money. Furthermore, I've never said you were to be disregarded because you are not an expert. I agree with a lot on what you say about some methods of training and care for birds. I might have a degree and a lot of experience, but I still know that I have a lot to learn. Every bird that is brought into my clinic for anything but healthcare is a new challenge and a new learning experience because of the individuals that they are. Lastly, I think that your comments on some of my advice to people is inappropriate. When you say that I am wrong, it opens up for me to disagree with you as well. And, when I disagree, I will pull out my experience both medically and in the field.
its fine behavier. the bird just thinks your head is a comfortable perch. WHen my father had birds, they used to hang out on his head. i imagine they think it as a comfortable nest.
