What Cockatiel Sounds & Behaviours Mean! | TheParrotTeacher

15:00 My tiel will do this! I came to this video to find out what it means. Thank you David!

Hi David! I would appreciate some advice, but I did just type out a wall of text, sorry about that! I think I got a general idea of my cockatiels’ bodylanguage and speech in this case, but since it’s a delicate and a crucial moment (they’re meeting for the first time) and there are so many ways to interpret their behavior, I would love to hear your view on this.

We’ve now got 2 male cockatiels (the female went to a home that suits her needs and general character a lot better 🙂 ). Mango is almost 1 year old, Moki is 2 years old (if the previous owner wasn’t lied to by the pet shop). After 1,5 months in the same room in their own cages, I introduced the males face to face outside of their cages for the first time. What happened was:

They both INSTANTLY started beak snapping (I think?) simultaneously. It was a very clear and conscious behavior from both of them from the moment they were close. It sounds like clicking and they lick the inside of their beak just like in your video. It’s just louder, it seems. Mango soon stopped and cuddled up a bit intrusively; putting his head on Moki’s chest (hoping to get preened?) and using his head to pet moki’s chest and side (almost like a cat would do when they like something). Moki continued beak snapping and started to sing a song he’s been singing whenever Mango came close to his cage while they still wouldn’t be allowed out at the same time. He continued the beak snapping all through this encounter and sometimes poked softly at Mango’s crest. Not preening, but more like… poking but not aggressively. Mango also poked at Moki’s wings (the previous owner clipped the poor guy way to rigorously, so it might be just curiosity at the odd shape?). I then separated them once they had about 2 minutes to meet, just to be sure it was a short and positive experience, rewarding with millet afterwards.

Mango used to bow his head towards Miiku (the female) and eventually got aggressive towards her because she refused to preen her. He’d do his flirting dance and song, but when she got close he started plucking her crest feathers… I really do not want Moki and Mango ending up in a similar relationship.

My interpretation is that the first meeting was exciting for both. A bit more so for Moki (maybe because he’s only been in our home for 2 months and this room for 1,5 months and Mango has spent almost his entire life here (about a year). Mango appears to be incredibly loving and cuddly in nature, but he’s also pushy about it and if he doesn’t get what he wants after a few weeks of trying he’ll get a grudge. I’ve got the feeling not all birds enjoy that pushy cuddliness and that’s where I’m afraid they’ll have some conflict.

Any advice would be helpful! If I’m on the right track, a confirmation is also helpful. If you’ve got some different interpretations I’m open to hear them and see if I can use that information on the next sessions 🙂 If you think I ought to approach this differently that’s also something I would want to hear. It’s an absolute joy to see them finally together! I intend to do one short session a day for now, with the both of them out of their cage. Then we’ll see how this all develops 🙂 Very exciting for us too! Moki’s singing happily now after the encounter, it seems positive so far.