If truth to be told, I never kept birds before because I never liked them. I always thought they were boring, like fish... unlike cats, whereby you can hug and stroke them adoringly and have your love and dedication returned. Cats are interactive pets. I mean, can you have your bird linger at your feet seducingly just to get your attention? Can you have your bird to crawl up to you just to get reassurance that you love her?
Therefore, when someone wanted to give me a cockatiel as a gift he bought from a pet store - instead of selling it to other people with mucher higher price, which was his initial plan - I didn't have the heart to reject. Totally clueless about birds, I didn't know what to expect.
Therefore, when someone wanted to give me a cockatiel as a gift he bought from a pet store - instead of selling it to other people with mucher higher price, which was his initial plan - I didn't have the heart to reject. Totally clueless about birds, I didn't know what to expect.
Photo: Sun-Ray, my very first bird. With their gentle temperament, cockatiels make ideal and wonderful pets for first-time bird owners.The cage is pink in colour - so very me. The first time I set my eyes on the frightened bird, it was then I knew I couldn't help feeling affectionate towards the vulnerable creature. From my extensive readings from various books at MPH and articles on the Internet, this is the brief profile:
Scientific Name: Nymphicus Hollandicus.
Country of Origin: Australia.
Livespan: Up to 30 years.
Original Colour: Grey.
Mutations: Pied; Cinnamon; Lutino; White-Faced; and Pearl.
Interesting Facts: Both sexes are able to imitate whistles and sounds. Males are found to have the ability to also mimic speech, rarely found in females. They are sociable, intelligent, as well as easily tamed and trained. The crest indicates different types of mood, which help owners understand how they're feeling at a particular moment. And surprisingly when they're angry, they hiss... just like cats!
Name of Cockatiel: Sun-Ray.
Age: Six months old, as told by the pet shop owner.
Sex: Initially thought a male, but as time passed, I'm having doubts. It may take years for me to be sure. If my tiel was a female, then she would be laying eggs. Females are able to lay eggs, even without a male. When shown Sun-Ray's picture to a certified avian specialist from America, drawing from the mutation indication, my tiel may be a male. She may need to check the pelvic area or I could have a DNA sample to accurately determine.
As Sun-Ray is my very first avian pet, moreover a bright bird whose capabilities could be capitalized, I have kept a 30-day record of his progress.
DAY 1 (SATURDAY - 13 MAY 2006)
Evening: Looking at the yellowish and greyish streaks of the body, plus the orangy spots that cover the ears, thus came the name. Sun-Ray was very hostile on the first day. He hissed a lot, moved away from the perch to the cage bars whenever my hand tried to touch him... but never succeeded. And he was never seen touching the sunflower seed.
DAY 2 (SUNDAY - 14 MAY 2006)
Morning: When the food and drink cups were touched by me, he was extra alert, afraid that my hand would grab him. Sun-Ray also turned his back on me whenever I talked to him, which is a sign of fear. Somehow, the quiet little bird screamed in an urgent tone afer being left alone after that. I assumed that he was either already getting used to the attention showered on him or exhibiting anxiety to the sounds of wild crows outside. The whole day he had his meals whenever I wasn't around, from the mess he made.
DAY 3 (MONDAY - 15 MAY 2006)
Early Morning: At first, this naughty cockatiel acted a little bit cold when I spent some time with him - calling his name, whistling, blowing gently on his face, making bird sounds. He seemed to have gotten used to my hands when I clicked my fingers, as he wasn't as scared as the first day. One time when I moved away, he started moving on the perch to the closest to where I was standing. By this day, he was seen drinking water much more than eating the sunflower seed.
Evening: A packet of white millet was bought for my darling cockatiel. He enjoyed it very much than the sunflower seed!
Photo: White millet - something that Sun-Ray likes better than the sunflower seed.DAY 4 (TUESDAY - 16 MAY 2006)
Night: A frightful day of feather-clipping. I covered my face with a piece of cloth, so that he couldn't recognize me. Feather-clipping, actually, isn't as cruel as it sounds. It reduces the ability for the bird to fly and escape, and also intensifies the level of dependency on its owner.
DAY 5 (WEDNESDAY - 17 MAY 2006)
Afternoon: Sun-Ray's first time of taking bath! He may appear struggling hard to escape from the rain shower and the spray mist, but he certainly loved the drying process! A table fan was put directly in front of his cage, and he came nearest to it and dried his feathers in style! My cockatiel didn't take his eyes off me when I kept praising him for being "a good boy".
Evening: A bird toy by Hartz was installed in his cage to reduce boredom. Of course, I didn't expect him to straight away play with it. Just like any other parrots introduced to a new toy, Sun-Ray needed some time to get the idea that the toy wouldn't hurt him. I'm sure it was very difficult for him to adjust himself quickly. First, new location. Second, toy. But cockatiels are adaptable birds, so I believe he would do fine.
Photo: Toys are essential for mind stimulation for parrots, being the most intelligent group of all birds. Boredom could lead to feather-plucking.DAY 6 (THURSDAY - 18 MAY 2006)
[No record was made]
DAY 7 (FRIDAY - 19 MAY 2006)
[No record was made]
DAY 8 (SATURDAY - 20 MAY 2006)
[No record was made]
DAY 9 (SUNDAY - 21 MAY 2006)
Night: For the first time, Sun-Ray played with the toy! He seemed curious, biting and swinging it here and there with his head. I was very much delighted with this development. Finally he had something to occupy himself with, rather than preening himself or sitting still on the perch for the whole day. Boredom is one of the reasons that leads to feather-plucking, and that's the last thing I want him to do with those beautiful feathers!
DAY 10 (MONDAY - 22 MAY 2006)
Early Morning: Since it was already in the second week, I felt that it was time to teach Sun-Ray the Step Up command - the training process that serves three objectives: first, it helps the bird more in becoming tame; second, it shows the bird "who's the boss"; and third, it is the foundation practice before teaching birds advanced tricks. As the name suggests, this command is basically about getting the bird to "step up" (or, step on) to its owner's finger or arm. It is said that this process may take days - or weeks - for the bird to get the idea of it, and naturally, I least expected any of the attempts would be successful. Sun-Ray kept running to the cage bar, tried to bite my hand, but every attempt was made everytime he was perched on the perch. Sometimes, he would drink and eat during this more or less 30-minute session. Although my presence was already welcomed, but apparently my hand being inside the cage was not. So, what triggered me to brace myself to get bitten several times? The first reason is since the bird has adapted to its surrounding, the owner's hand should be properly introduced. And the second reason is, Sun-Ray wasn't only seen playing with the toy, but also was caught lowering down his head for stroking whenever the toy was moving back and forth. This, to me, indicates that my sweetheart craves touch of affection!
Video: Caught in the act!
DAY 11 (TUESDAY - 23 MAY 2006)
Night: Still on the taming process. He tried to fly away frantically inside the cage at the first few minutes. Later when my hand touching the perch was prolonged, Sun-Ray calmed down a little bit. But he still hissed fiercely and tried to bite when my hand got closer to him. At one point, I got really fed-up and disappointed.
Photo: To Sun-Ray, his cage is his ultimate territory.DAY 12 (WEDNESDAY - 24 MAY 2006)
Afternoon: Since cockatiels have white powder on their feathers that makes them and the surrounding dusty, I decided to take him to bath again this week. During the taming process, I opened the cage door and let him come out by himself. Being an inquisitive bird, Sun-Ray didn't take long to explore what was beyond his home. Before the fly-aways got worse, I gently grabbed him with a t-shirt... and gave him head strokes!
Evening: I went on a little further by handling him with my hands. By this time, Sun-Ray had already learned to perch on my hand. The feeling was indescribable! Sun-Ray's most favourite spots: the top of his head; the base of his crest; around his neck; and the orange patches. Sun-Ray's least favourite spots: the breast; the wings; the back feathers. I believe, by looking at the way he lowers down his head to be scratched simply melts anyone's heart!
Photo: My, that feels good!DAY 13 (THURSDAY - 25 MAY 2006)
Afternoon: While resting on my left arm, Sun-Ray pooped two times on the floor... and one on me!
DAY 14 (FRIDAY - 26 MAY 2006)
Afternoon: A bird - any bird - needs to have trust and feels secure on being perched on its owner's fingers or arms. I suppose, since Sun-Ray hasn't fully developed the trust and security feelings towards my hand, it makes it harder for me to teach him the Step Up practice. Therefore, I took him on my arm and brought him with me for a walk. Under the roof, of course! Even with clipped wings, a cockatiel could fly because of the aerodynamic design of the body. Thanks to the brief stroll, he has learned the Step Up command... AND the Laddering command - stepping on each side of my fingers alternatively!
[Note: In training an animal, to enforce a desired behaviour, two important things are: Praise and Reward. (Recall your Introduction to Psychology subject!) Because I have yet to find the perfect treat for Sun-Ray, typically I would just offer him head strokes and scratches. With those eyes shut and mouth slightly opened, it's easy to tell that he simply loves my touching him! It is said that millet spray makes a good treat, but ever since I bought a packet and introduced a spray to him a few days back, he was never seen eating it! I had to take it out eventually, because it was full of his poops!]
Evening: I took out my Arabic Mahaarah Kitaabah (Writing Skill) textbook and read a passage to him. At first, he was busy preening himself. Somehow throughout my reading, Sun-Ray was gradually paying attention and staring intensely at me, as if he was thinking, 'Well... I totally have no idea what the heck she's blaberring about, but this sure sounds better than the usual accent!'
DAY 15 (SATURDAY - 27 MAY 2006)
Noon: Taking bath again, something that he dreads so much!
Evening: Like any other days, he was caught pulling the toy and letting it go. He, then, took the advantage of the moving toy to get a good rub on his head. Everytime he does it, how can I resist the temptation to take him out of his cage and offer him head scratches? It was more than half an hour that I had to reluctantly send him home... and to which he reluctantly conformed!
DAY 16 (SUNDAY - 28 MAY 2006)
Afternoon: I think I owe it very much to the head scratches, now that everytime I'm nearby Sun-Ray's cage, he gets down from the first perch to the second one - just to be close to me. Isn't that cute? Despite considering his home as his territory that he still hisses angrily whenever I put my hand inside, my tiel comes to the 'meal perch' (that's what I call the second perch, as that's where he has to perch for eating and drinking) simply to attract my attention, as though to say, "Hey, look at me! I'm down here, closer to you!"
Late Afternoon: The main reason I bought a packet of millet sprays was to serve as a treat for Sun-Ray. Cockatiels love millet sprays, from my readings, and that's why owners should give them as a special reward on training or on ocassional basis. Perhaps the long spray seemed daunting to him, so I decided to separate the millet seeds from the spray. But, no, this is one cockatiel that doesn't like millet sprays!
Photo: What bird doesn't like millet spray? But my cockatiel find it horrifying enough that when I put a spray inside his cage, he wouldn't come near it!DAY 17 (MONDAY - 29 MAY 2006)
Night: My current concern is Sun-Ray's seed-only diet, and consequently, my biggest challenge is getting him to eat different kinds of food. It is said that cockatiels that feed on seeds only won't get to see their 15th birthday coming. The other day I tried mixing the white millet with small pieces of mango. But as soon as he looked down and noticed a slight difference in his food cup, he backed away. My easiest solution was to purchase a box of Hartz's Cockatiel Diet from Pets Wonderland that contains wheat, oat groats, cracked corn, sunflower seed, white millet, safflower seed, flaked corn, dehulled soybean meal, ground corn, red millet, ground wheat, canary grass seed, corn gluten meal, yellow split peas, and - phew! - added with vitamins and minerals. With so many choices, how could Sun-Ray not like it?
Photo: Hartz's Cockatiel Diet. He wouldn't trade the world for this one!DAY 18 (TUESDAY - 30 MAY 2006)
Noon: I was wrong! Not only did my baby tiel like it, he loved it!! At one point, I took more than 30 minutes watching him enjoy the food.
DAY 19 (WEDNESDAY - 31 MAY 2006)
Daytime: No physical contact was made today because I'd been having a flu and cough a few days back, and this day was the worst. Bird flu?
DAY 20 (THURSDAY - 1 JUNE 2006)
Daytime: Still no physical contact. Today I saw the other side of Sun-Ray I had never seen before. Does that Hartz's Cockatiel Diet really taste so good? Otherwise, my bird wouldn't have come hastily to me when I sat in front of the cage, bowing several times in a rapid manner to the food cup. I think I assumed it correctly that he wanted the food cup to be refilled, because once I did just that, he ate greedily like there was no tomorrow!
Video: Sun-Ray's bad behaviour that shocked his owner.
DAY 21 (FRIDAY - 2 JUNE 2006)
Afternoon: Perfect day for cleaning his dirty house. And, of course, perfect weather for taking Sun-Ray to shower!
DAY 21 (FRIDAY - 2 JUNE 2006)
Afternoon: Perfect day for cleaning his dirty house. And, of course, perfect weather for taking Sun-Ray to shower!
Photo: "That was more like a windstorm to me!"
DAY 22 (SATURDAY - 3 JUNE 2006)Night: I still recall on the first day, Sun-Ray was so full of anxiety that he wouldn't eat the sunflower seed I tried to hand-feed him. He would just stare at it or run away from my hand. But it's a different story today. Since Sun-Ray has already gotten used to my company during his mealtime, I attempted offering him from outside the cage. Very much to my joy, he took all the sunflower seeds from my hand!
DAY 23 (SUNDAY - 4 JUNE 2006)
Noon: Taking advantage of Sun-Ray's willingness to accept food from my hand, I bought a packet of pennywort leaves and hand-fed him. Getting my baby tiel to eat a healthy, balanced diet is no longer an issue!
DAY 24 (MONDAY - 5 JUNE 2006)
Midnight: I let him out of his cage and be on his own, but he was a little bit afraid that whenever I was nearby, he would want me to take him. I did, and today, he climbed up to my right shoulder.
DAY 25 (TUESDAY - 6 JUNE 2006)
Daytime: Little interaction occured between us. I was a little bit concerned about my tiel's cage-bound behaviour, and so I decided to post a question to Yahoo! Answers and see what other people would say.
DAY 26 (WEDNESDAY - 7 JUNE 2006)
Afternoon: The majority of the answerers suggest that I should let him out more often than I do now, which was what I began doing today. Cockatiels are very curious, but Sun-Ray didn't explore far from my sight.
DAY 27 (THURSDAY - 8 JUNE 2006)
Daytime: Sun-Ray was let out of the cage for almost one hour, and at the same time, received the petting that he loves so much!
DAY 28 (FRIDAY - 9 JUNE 2006)
Night: I hope I'm not guilty of spoiling my feathered "baby". If Cockatiel Diet was too much for Sun-Ray to take, can he handle Hartz's Cockatiel Treat?
Photo: Can Sun-Ray handle this?
DAY 29 (SATURDAY - 10 JUNE 2006)
Noon: Knowing that I'd be away for one day, I filled half of the food cup with Cockatiel Treat. As I expected it, Sun-Ray was so engrossed munching it that he couldn't care less when I said "Good-bye".
DAY 30 (SUNDAY - 11 JUNE 2006)
Afternoon: One of the characteristics of a healty cockatiel is eating throughout the day. Normally that's what Sun-Ray does, and I noticed that he's been eating much more since I bought those two food products by Hartz. And probably that was what he'd been doing the day before that the moment I saw him today, the food cup was almost empty (he even ate the skins of the seeds!). Of course, there he was... eagerly waiting for me, demanding me to pour food for him by agitatedly moving inside the cage.
Night: I noticed that within this week, there were two or three feathers on the cage floor. If I assume it correctly, Sun-Ray is going to experience molting - changing of feathers that occurs when a cockatiel is six months old, one year old, and once a year afterwards.
WHAT HAVE I ACHIEVED FOR ONE MONTH?
1. Clipping Sun-Ray's feathers, making him more dependent on me.
2. Petting him on my hand, making him more tame than before.
3. Teaching him the Step Up practice, making him obey my commands.
4. Getting him to take food from my hand.
5. Getting him to eat a variety of food.
6. Getting him to TRUST me, which is the most important thing of all.
WHAT AM I ACHIEVING AT THE MOMENT?
1. Altering Sun-Ray's cage-bound behaviour.
