Ask Lafeber

cage refusal and flying away

My boy cockatiel used to always come to me since he was baby. He is nearly 1 now and he flies away from me and wont go to his cage. I had him in a bird sitting place for 2 weeks while on holidays where they free flight everywhere. My girl cockatiel very bonded to me and wants to hang with me all the time. She is not interested in him they tolerate each other. But my boy cockatiel has now chosen my son as his person, despite him always been quite attached in the beginning. Any advice appreciated. I dont want to get his wings clipped. But they don’t live in their own room, so they are in living room area. So, when there is coming and going I do need them to go to cage but so hard when he is refusing.

Hi,

At a year, he is experiencing his first hormones, so his behavior is very normal. For training purposes, you may need to consider a modest wing clip to slow him down. His feathers will come back when he molts. You should not have the male and female together at this age. Both are much too young for breeding, and you don’t want the female to start laying eggs. If she is only a year old, too, she is at a higher risk of becoming egg bound. And of course if these birds are related, they need to be kept separate and can never be allowed to breed. Even if breeding is not your plan, with a male and female, it will at some point be their plan, so do not cage them together. As for getting him back in the cage, this is a matter of training and where clipped wings can help. Many owners make the mistake of letting birds come and go freely. Instead you need to take your bird out of the cage, and then be able to return him to it. If he doesn’t need you in order to get out, he has no incentive to being trained. Treats are great for teaching a bird to go back in their cage. You also might want o consult with a pet bird behaviorist. We work with Lisa Bono and Pamela Clark.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda