Biting Cockateil

Question
Hi,

I got a cockateil from a friend.  Her grandmother had the bird for a couple of years (I am not sure of his exact age).  I know she kept his cage covered a lot during the day when she slept.  However, when she was awake she would let him out and he would sit near her, or near a mirror.  I also know he would nip at her, especially exposed skin.

He has been living at our house for four months.  His cage is in our family room where we have an Alexandrine and two parakeets.  I never cover his cage.  When we first got him?, he would hiss at us whenever we went near his cage and we couldn't touch him.  I gave him a mirror at first when I started to let him out of his cage, but have stopped doing that and he has become much more social and interested in us.  He bows his head down to ask to be petted.  However, if you do pet him, he always nips you when you are finished.  He also insists on only sitting on your shoulder (I feel like a pirate) or near your face if you are lying down.  When he does this, he "nibbles" at you and then suddenly nips you.  When he nibbles, it is not painful (I would call it love bites), but as he's doing this he can suddenly give you a good nip on the ear or the cheek.  If you don't pet him when he bends his head(he is out of his cage for two hours each night, there is only so much petting you can do!) he also gives you a good nip.

When he nips, I immediately tell him "no" in a firm voice and ignore him. I don't withdraw my hand if I was petting him, but I do stop petting him. This does not seem to have any effect.  It is also making me nervous now to have him on my shoulder, as I don't know when I will get a good bite on my ear.  What should I do to help stop this behavior?  Another question I have is that he used to speak when he belonged to his previous owner.  He has never said a word in our house, although he whistles creatively.  I know it took our Alexandrine a couple of weeks to get used to us and start talking (he was two when we got him) but I figured the cockateil would have something to say by now.

I would appreciate any advice you can give.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi, Robin.  Thanks for posting!

I think your tiel nips at you when you are finished petting him because this is his way of asking you not to stop...he wants more petting!  

When he nips you when he's on your shoulder, does he nip when you put your hand up to bring him off your shoulder?  Have you noticed that your tiel usually nips when it thinks you are trying to put him back in his cage or remove him from where he currently is?  Sounds like your tiel is nipping because he wants the attention he missed out on for so long with the other owner.  When he thinks the attention will be taken away, his nipping is his way of saying "don't stop."  Perhaps your tiel doesn't realize it's nipping as hard as he is.  Nipping is usually their way of getting what they want.  

When the bird nips at you, I recommend you give him a time out in his cage.  Tell him "no" like you've been doing, then immediately put him inside his cage for a few minutes.  Whenever your tiel doesn't bite you when he usually does, you have to always reward him with his favorite treat in order to teach him right from wrong.  Reward good behavior, ignore bad behavior (give time outs).  Be careful not to confuse your bird with this.  When/if your bird bites you when he's on your shoulder, remove the bird from your shoulder and put him in/on his cage.  Do this each and every time.

Your tiel might not be speaking yet because he's listening to you/your family speaking.  When in the other home, perhaps he wasn't spoken to much, thus, his need to speak.  I see this a lot with my own birds.  They talk up a storm when I'm not around/they don't see me, but when I'm around, they don't talk much, as they are more interested in what I have to say to them!  Tiels don't talk a whole lot, but usually when they get started, they continue for a bit!

Chrys