Training Cockatiels

Cockatiel owners love their birds. They want them to be healthy and happy. However, sometimes they develop bad habits such as plucking their feathers, biting, and screaming. Not only does feather plucking make the bird unsightly, it is not healthy. While other behaviors are certainly annoying, feather plucking can be quite traumatic for both owner and bird. The good news is, training cockatiels not to pluck their feathers is possible, and it is necessary.

Veterinarians estimate that nearly half of all domesticated birds over-preen or pluck their feathers. Cockatiels are more predisposed to doing this. Some veterinarians believe the reason is because they live in large flocks in the wild. Once separated from this large flock, they become fearful and anxious. This may lead them to over-preen.

Can we know what causes a bird to begin self-mutilating? Scientists believe the reasons are medical, behavioral, or environmental. Here are some possible causes:

Medical - Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections may be the culprit. However, external parasites, an allergic reaction, or nutritional deficiency may also be to blame.

Behavioral - Is your cockatiel nearing breeding season? Hormones may be the culprit; they may be plucking feathers to breed and prepare a nest. Birds may pluck feathers to incubate their young, pay attention and determine if this might be an issue. They may also pluck their feathers out of sexual frustration. 

Does your bird have toys that will provide mental stimulation? If not, it may be simply bored and needs something to chew on or keep itself occupied.

Environmental - Perhaps your bird cage is too small, the lighting is all wrong, or your home needs additional humidity. The quality of food they are fed may also be a determining factor.

Whatever the cause, the important thing to do is to stop this activity. If you don't stop it early on, it will progressively worsen. A bald bird is not a pretty bird, or a healthy bird. It will also be more difficult to keep it free of infection or keep it warm.

Take your cockatiel to a veterinarian and have them thoroughly checked out. Rule out medical reasons. They may have developed itchy skin, feathers aren't growing in properly, or their skin is irritated so they need to itch. Change their diet to something that is more balanced, or do whatever else the veterinarian recommends.

If the reason isn't physical or environmental, they may simply pluck their feathers out of boredom. It should be noted that boredom is often the cause of other unwanted behaviors like aggression, biting and screaming. Training is the answer for all undesirable behaviors. Training cockatiels to do tricks may help alleviate their stress or boredom which leads them to pluck their feathers. Teach them some tricks that will occupy their time or give them some new toys to play with. Keep an eye on your cockatiel and see if these additions to their lives illicit a change in their behavior.

Be sure that you're not inadvertently reinforcing their feather plucking. If you notice them over-preening, don't rush over to fuss at them. If they are already starved for your attention, they may continue to pluck feathers just to get you to spend time with them. Like children, they may think that any attention given to them is better than having no attention at all.

Training cockatiels also includes redirecting their feather plucking behavior. Watch your cockatiel. When you see it start to chew on its feathers, do something to draw their attention away from what they're doing. Then when they stop plucking at its feathers, praise them and give it attention.

There are no quick fixes when it comes to stopping this feather plucking behavior. If your bird is just beginning to do this, it will take the same amount of time for it to re-learn as it did for it to begin. However, once your bird has begun to pluck its feathers, it may always have a tendency to do so.

Training cockatiels to stop plucking their feathers, and to eliminate other unwanted behaviors, is not an easy task. It will take time, dedication, and consistency on the part of everyone who is around the bird. Begin now to address the problem, don't let it go. Take your cockatiel to the vet and have them checked out. If there isn't a medical reason for the activity, double your efforts to involve the cockatiel in family life, and you may find that the activity stops.