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 What is the best way to train a young cockatiel?
|  I'm not sure what you want to train your cockatiel to do. But I'm assuming just to sit on your finger and enjoy your company. This is easiest with a cockatiel that has been hand-fed from an early age. If your bird was not hand-fed, have the feathers trimmed, take the bird out of the cage, sit it on your lap, and just spend time with it. Feeding the bird its favorite foods, such as millets sprays, from your hand will help. If the bird panics and keeps jumping off, sit on the floor in a small room, such as the bathroom, with it. And be patient, you can't force a human being to love you, let alone a bird. Time will work it out.
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| I bought a baby African Grey parrot 3 months ago. It is very tame and sweet but makes no effort to talk. What am I doing wrong?
| | Nothing at all. African Grey parrots typically take as long as 1 to 2 years to start talking unlike the Amazon parrots that start talking at about 4 months old. Just take good care of him and let him think he is a member of the family and he will start talking when he is ready.
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| My Yellow Nape Amazon only likes me. She hates my wife and kids. They can't touch her at all. Is there any way to change her? Everyone else is jealous.
| | Most parrots will bond to one family member and refuse to have anything to do with other people in the household. Unfortunately this is a basic part of the nature of these birds and there is not much you can do to change your Amazons behavior. If your wife and kids really want a bird to touch and hold I would get another bird just for them, preferably a bird such as a Cockatoo. Cockatoo's are pretty open-minded and do not usually direct their affections to one member of the family.
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| My Macaw does not pluck or mutilate his feathers but he never looks as good as the birds I see on TV What can I do to make his plumage look better.
| | Apart from giving your bird a balanced and nutritious diet, you must remember that parrots are rainforest animals and must be misted with warm water from a plant mister everyday. Just fill a plant mister with plain old warm water and mist it up over your bird's head so it falls over the bird as gentle rain. Don't just squirt the bird directly. If you do this everyday your bird will be show quality in no time.
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| What should I look for when I buy a bird?
| You want to make sure you get a healthy, happy bird. In general look for:
1. An alert disposition. The bird should be interested in its environment. It should be active. Avoid puffed-up and sleepy-looking birds.
2. Feathering. Make sure feathering is shiny and without bare patches. On long-tailed species like Macaws, take a good look at the tail. If there are thin lines running across tail feathers, it's usually a good indicator of poor nutrition. Please note that baby birds often look rather tatty, with the feathers somewhat frayed. This is normal. Lutino Cockatiels will have a bald spot, which varies in size behind their crest. This is genetic and cannot be helped. Although do try to avoid cockatiels with extremely large bald patches.
3. Eyes. The eyes should be bright and clear. There should be no discharge. There should be no swelling.
4. Upper and lower parts of the beak (the mandibles) should meet cleanly, with no signs of separation. In Cockatoos, the beak should be grayish, covered with powder. Baby Cockatoo beaks will be somewhat shiny.
5. Feet should have all toes, although a missing toe or claw for a pet isn't a bad thing. It is however, out of the question for a show bird. More than one toe or claw gone will hamper the bird's perching ability. The bird should be able to grip its perch or your hand firmly. The feet of a young bird should be smooth and soft. Older birds have feet that are scalier. Excessive scaliness is not good, and can be indicative of vitamin A deficiency.
6. Breathing should be regular and even. No wheezing, snorting or straining allowed.
7. While the person has the bird, have them turn it over and check the vent area. It should be clean and clear of stains or pasted feces.
8. Ask to handle the bird yourself. Observe it. Is the bird steady? Calm? Does the bird come readily to you? Does it show good socialization behavior? Did it bite the hell out of you?
9. Aside from the bands, another way to tell a baby or younger bird is by looking at its beak and feet. In a young bird, these are soft and smooth. Older birds have scaly feet and beaks that show wear. Also, in some species, the eyes change color as the bird ages. Baby Congo and Timneh Greys have dark eyes that lighten. Macaws' eyes lighten, too.
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