Ask Lafeber

My bird got obsessed with mirrors

Hello. So i have a cockatiel and an indian ringneck. My cockatiel doesnt bond with him and he is very shy . Its been 2 years since im having him and my indian ringneck for 10 months. They are always together on the same perch high up near the ceiling so that they can be high. A few months ago i inteoduced my cockatiel to a mirror. From that moment onwards he got so obsessed with it he would never leave it. But i didnt take it seriously. He would always look into it and sing and dance but he’s scared of my other bird that the other bird might come to him and take the mirror instead of his place. My cockatiel is a very shy and a scared one. So now for a few days i started giving him the mirror very often and he got lonely and he started looking in his reflection through walls and wherever he sees something, he makes his relfection out of it and talks to it. I dont know what to do. He never really bonded much with me even its been 2 yrs. I always spend as much time as i could with them. My indian rignneck doesnt come near me he’s very scared of me but whenever my cockatiel is on my hand i think he gets jealous and tries to come as near as he could. Should i separate them or.. what should i do? Very obsessed with mirrors and reflections and ringneck never bonds with me. Please help.

Hi Aysha,

In this situation, a mirror is a better companion for your Cockatiel than the IRN(Indian Ringneck). These birds come from different continents and would not have any natural interaction. While they are similar in size, the IRN has a larger beak, and definitely a much more powerful beak. They tolerate each other and may enjoy the companionship, but as you have discovered by accident, the Cockatiel is much happier with his own species. I have know “odd couple” birds with a size difference that do well together, but I have also seen tragedies where the larger bird gets irritated one day and accidentally kills the smaller bird. This can happen in an instant and most of the time the intent was not to cause harm. But when spats happen between the same species, they rarely cause injury while with different size beaks, the larger beak ends up causing damage or death simply because the bird didn’t know his own strength.

IRN are often standoffish, so I am not surprised at the lack of bonding. Even when they are hand fed, they can revert to a wild state if not handled every day. I have seen this happen countless times with weaned chicks waiting to be sold at a bird shop, but not handled daily. When birds are not bonded with a human, they prefer another bird, and sometimes any bird will do. Your IRN prefers the Cockatiel to you, and probably is acting in jealousy when you handle the Cockatiel. This is when a fatal attack can happen, however, if the IRN strikes at you or the Cockatiel out of jealousy.

I would not keep them caged together. As both birds mature, hormones are going to cause problems. It’s OK for the Cockatiel to have the mirror, but he will continue to prefer it to you or the IRN. So if you plan to keep trying to form a better bond with the Cockatiel, then do not give him mirrors. If he is going to be alone, then at least the mirror can give him the sense of having a companion. Mainly both birds need plenty of toys and interesting foods and treats to keep them busy.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda