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Question:

February 24, 2021

Cockatiel is being weird


Hi! My cockatiel lived with me for 3 years. He never really bonded with me but he does come onto my hands. All he wants is his mirror. I got a girl for him 2 months ago and he seems to not like her at all. He just wants to spend the whole day with a mirror. If i take the mirror away he goes to somewhere where he can see his reflection and will talk to it! I dont know what to do. He’s been like this the whole time. He doesnt want anything to do with the female cockatiel either. She is very quiet. But she does follow him sometimes and he spread his wings when he is far away from her and when they are together he’ll bite her. Can u please tell me what to do? Can i actually get him to like the female cockatiel? I really want them to like eachother!!


Answer:

Hi Aysha,

If the female cockatiel is not at least 2 year old, then you should not have the birds together until she is at least 2 – whether your plan is to breed them or not. A mature male will not have much interest in a young female. In some cases, he might try to court her, but if she is less than 2 years old, she is too young to be breeding or laying eggs. She might be capable of laying eggs, but she really needs more time to finish developing and maturing. Some males will end up attacking a young female out of frustration because she just sees him as a companion and he wants a mate. So please keep them apart until she is old enough. This will be one reason why he isn’t that interested in her.

Males can get obsessed with their own reflection and if they have always been alone, it can take time for him to become interested in a real bird. Once this female is old enough, then you can try removing all mirrors or anything reflective to encourage him to bond with her. It still might take some time or it might not happen at all. Birds do not always like the mate we choose for them. You would need to watch them closely to see if they start to get along. If your plan is to breed them, do not provide a nest box until the pair is getting along and showing signs they are a bonded pair. This will include sitting together, feeding each other and eventually mating. There is nothing you can do to make them get along. You just have to give them the chance and hope they form a bond.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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