I went into birds unlimited, spoke to Mr. self proclaimed Grumpy behind the desk and told him I was intending on leaving with a bird. He was very nice to me and patient and before I came up to ask for advice, I walked around the store to see who was still here and who wasn't. One of the black caps had been adopted, and there was a baby miltred who had the biggest beak for his body size I'd ever seen, and he made the baby "Feed me"" noises, I wanted to hold him but he wasn't the baby for me. I saw a citron cockatoo...biggest freaking one I've ever seen. Like, wow, I didn't know they got that big poor boy was pinkish too lol. And he had his sister/friend in the cage with him. After eyeing around, I found the parrolets and asked him about them, he got one down and let me sit with her, I did, talked to her a little bit then pet her....then she bit me several times and I decided she's not the one for me. So I gave her back to him and went back out to look at the other birds. Yes I wanted the other sunny I saw there, I felt so bad because I was at that store a year ago when he was weaning her...I saw her grow up through my periodic visits, and someone went and adopted her sister but not her (btw I don't know her actual gender). I wish who ever adopted her sister had taken her too, now she's all alone.

So after eyeing around at all the babies an adults.... my eyes rescued on my fabled nemesis...the cockatiels. I went over, looked at the glass container and steeled myself inwardly because I mean, I was ready to pee myself memories of Elway playing in my head, those awful 8 years of that brat lording over me. Hes been rehomed like 3 times now. First cousin jimmy had em then Great grandma and now he's with Aunt Virgina and her Zon's. I've got no clue how he's doing beyond that and don't want anything to do with that little monster. I couldn't take any of the babies out because they were fledged, but not weaned so they could take off or hurt themselves. So he told me to put my hand in, which I did and the baby noise they made sounded like the noise an alien preditor makes as they crowded beaks open around my hand I almost cried.

But as the baby cockatiels crowded around my hand, two stayed back and watched me nearly ... myself. He watched me, I watched him, and tried to relax, he seemed to understand I was scared and I appreciated that he sat back and let me be scared rather than running up with his beak open. After I took my hand out I said he was the one (not his sibling) because I didn't really look at the other birds...just that he didn't try to scare me. I know birds are on some level empathetic because of how they act with their pet humans and instead of letting his stomach drive him he didn't frighten me more.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of him, but, if you viewed him from the left, he looks just like a lutino (no red eyes) but from the right....he has a black spot on his wing. The shopkeeper called him a Heavy Pied. Everything else about him is whitish yellow with his orangish cheeks. I paid about 108$ for him. I've never touched him, or held him even while there. I am still reeling a little bit from this decision, I've been doing research on him since I came back home. By the by from my birthday, JEAN GOT A HUUUUGE CAGE. like, I have to stare at a minute to find him in there, I believe it's 18-19 by 22 by 30. Cost under 50$ (shipping included) and it is a chinchilla/ferret/bird cage. It only has 6 toys hanging in it so it looks a little bare, but I don't think he needs any more in it. He's got so much more space he should get to enjoy it.

His old cage you ask? the small one? -.- well, baby cockatiel will be staying in it for the next 6 months max. I know that sounds awful I guess but it's only a baby and it will have another cage just like Jeans when he grows up if he likes. Or maybe he'll be a girl and they'll bond together and they can stay in the same cage during the day, and sleep seperately at night. I can dream can't I? Honestly I don't feel 19x19x19 is that small it's big and hard for me to manuver around with how laden with toys it can get. The name of the baby is Data because he's yellow like the uniform of data on TNG (star trek) and he'll probably beep like a machine. I am still a bit timid of the new baby, it won't go unloved but it'll take me a good few days before I get the gall to reach in there and touch him. You have to understand for those who don't know, I was tramatised for 8 years by another cockatiel growing up and those kinds of memories are hard to get away from. I know they're supposed to be sweet, loving and wonderful but if I get on here bawling because he's scaring me it's just because I'm trying to get over my phobia. I'm hoping my roomie's kids will help me with it because they have no fear of Jean (who keeps trying to kill them unfortunately -.-() )like... 6 years from now, when I hope to have kids, neither bird I am expecting to like children, in fact I'm fairly sure Jean will hate them and the new bird I am hoping will just tolerate them. I did think about this future wise, how I'm going to plan around them. My boyfriend doesn't want me to have more birds because he doesn't want an animal house, so I'm like, okay. But someday there will be one large bird in this house and that will cap my bird needs, besides the teacup Yorkie (when I get one of those, it'll be named Worf hehe) I b ring up my plans for the future because I read Leighrivera's thread about "I don't think you should have a bird" and I just felt it'd be important to state what my plans are for em. I already love the new bird, I want him to have a long happy life with me, and thankfully I know he'll be patient with me about me having to learn to socialize with him

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cool that you let the cat out the bag, see I did not give your secret away.

Tinna I think you made an excellent choice. A Tiel will never attack your Sun and you really only have to "worry" about Jean with the Tiel so to speak. I don't see any reason why they can't be sociable with each other. Just protect the Tiel...like never trust Jean with the strong beak. They should be good keeping each other company when you're not home, too.

See if you're more comfortable holding the Tiel on your chest like you would any baby thing. She/he probably won't be nutsy there. And try the scooping method, imo, not wagging a finger to step up which he'll have no clue probably but just cup both hands and scoop him/her out. No way will even a nip hurt with a baby like that, ime. Versus a Budgie hen lol.

It's not the biting I'm scared of it's the bird itself. I just have never, ever met one in person besides Elway and I've seen them in the store, but never gone up and tried to get to know them I just view them from a good...safe....distance. My momma's bringing it down to me too so maybe I'll play with him/her when she's holding it. I don't think Jean's ever really been with other birds either, he's only seen a Jenday conure at the store, and didn't much care for it. The budgies down the road that I helped the neighbor kids get (I feel bad for the one it keeps ripping it's wing open but I've supplied them with striptic powder, and instructions on keeping her wing clipped. She's already got a semi crippled one from the previous home I think because she always hitches it noticibly lower) and when he was with Shadow and Snickers, he always tried to sidle up to them like he wanted to preen them. But I never let him get close enough I was scared he might snap their necks. He'd open his mouth slowly, and lean towards them when he was about 6 inches away, my hand between the two birds but I'd never let them touch. I'm hoping he accepts the baby willingly.

Just remember...a bird will sense your fear. You really need to start the bonding process right away. He is young and will not intentionaly hurt you. I have had many Tiels over the years and never did one of them actually hurt me when it bit. Tiels make great companions if given the attention they need. All but one of the nine I have had, would sit on my shoulder supervising as I cleaned the house, did dishes, eat at the table with us...Please get over your fear or you may end up with a bird that you just sit and look at in it's cage.

I intend to, I can't bond though with a bird that's not weaned, he can't come home until he is. I am fond of the idea of him, I want to play with him I do love the little one I'm just paranoid of touching him. Thats why I'm going to employ my mom or my roomies kids to help me with it, I think it'll be easier for me to do it if someone else is holding him at first. At least that's what I'm feeling most comfortable with and then I will work on getting him out of the cage myself. I have no intention of abandoning this baby to sit in the cage. Just, if we video tape me getting to try and hold him I'm pretty sure I'm going to cry on the video, I can't help it. Heh...with him not here yet I kinda laugh at myself for being scared, I know it is dumb to be afraid of a baby who won't hurt me but I intend to get over my paranoia with him, I'm going to try to quickly as well I'm just going to need my roomie and her kids to help which they seem more than happy to do because we've kinda gotten close and I feel like I'm family here now. I don't feel bad when they laugh at me for being scared anymore either so it's almost like preconditioning for the new arrival.

Congrats on the new baby! I know how you feel. I was always a little nervous around lovebirds after having a brat of a hen for 3 years. So, you have 2 bird, yay! I'm sure they'll get along together great. I don't think they could ever live together as they need their own space, but maybe you could get a big playgym for them to be out together during the day...

What happened with the last tiel? Sorry I missed that story. But thanks for letting the cat out of the bag, I was wondering what it was!! I hope your new baby fits in wonderfully at home!!

It was my grandmothers after my cousin dumped it on her because he had to go to college. I spent from the age of 9 until 17 being tormented by it when it was out of the cage or when I went into the kitchen to sit down it'd be at it through the bars trying to get me. He made me scared of cockatiels because I couldn't trust him period. I stayed far out of his reach when she let Elway out of the cage too I stayed up on the couch while He and the poodle played tag on the floor. I don't know why the bird hated me or what I did to offend it but growing up it just tried to make me miserable when I was there. I think my aunt virgina has the bird now, or it's died. Something of the like, either way, she owns some Amazons and I want to see em but until I know that bird's dead I won't set foot in her house. I'll go play in the barn with the horses or with the dogs, but you'll be hard pressed to have me go in there even if the bird is in the cage. I resent that cockatiel with every breath in my being.

Tinna you might enjoy reading at this site. There's tons of information that explains why birds do what they do. I have enjoyed reading there on and off this afternoon. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Natural Encounters, Inc.