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Frequently Asked Questions
The following are questions that I frequently get via email/instant message from new owners.

1. What can I expect the first couple weeks?
   Well, first, don't expect your bird to be an instant velcro bird who loves spending tons of time with you. If you wanted something like that, you should've gone for a puppy or a kitten.
   For the first week it's recommended that you NOT try to handle the bird, and just let it be. Only enter the cage to change food, water, and cage paper. This is to give the bird some time to settle down and settle in to its new surroundings.
   If your bird is shy, it may take a little while before he'll readily come to you.
   NEVER push a bird too hard. Your bird will give very clear clues that whatever you're doing is frightening or upsetting him. A totally flat crest, hissing, head down/beak open, snapping at you, and/or biting are all signs of a frightened bird. If your new bird exhibits these behaviors and you don't back off with what you're doing, you'll get a well deserved bite.
   If your bird becomes frightened when you're too near the cage, back off a little bit until he calms down, then just sit there(below his eye level, this makes him feel more secure) and talk to him quietly.
   You can't force your bird to like you or become tame, and taming and training must be done at whatever pace the bird is comfortable with.
   Be persistent, and be gentle, and he'll eventually come around.
   Some birds, especially pet store or parent raised, can take many months to even come out of the cage and not be fearful of you.
   
   
2. My bird grinds its beak...what's it doing?
   Beak grinding is a sign of contentment. Most hookbills do this right before they settle in to go to sleep, but they may also do it if they're very relaxed, comfortable, or happy.
   
   
3. Why does my bird stretch its wing & foot when I walk by the cage?
   This is a type of greeting. It's sort of like a non-verbal way of saying "hello" to you.
   
   
4. My bird sleeps on one foot, is this normal?
   Yep! Nearly all healthy parrots sleep on one foot. It looks odd to us, but it's comfortable to them.
   
   
5. I just brought my bird home and it hisses/runs away/bites at me whenever I come near it! Why??
   Simple. It's in a new home, with new sounds, new sights, new people, and it's frightened. Give your bird at least 7 days to adjust, and bother him as little as possible during this time. A bird from a pet store may take longer to settle in as they are not usually as well socialized as a baby from a good breeder. If your bird is a rescue, has had many homes, or was abused in past homes, it may take even longer for it to settle in. Just give the bird time.
   
   
6. HELP! It looks like my bird is always pulling at its feathers!!
   Is your bird actually pulling/breaking feathers, or just running them through its beak? If your bird isn't actually plucking feathers out or destroying them, she's just preening. Preening is normal, and a healthy bird preens quite frequently.
   If your bird is actually plucking feathers out or mutilating its feathers, there is something very wrong(usually a disease, parasite, or infection) and your bird needs to be seen by a vet ASAP!
   
   
7. How do I tell the sex of my budgie/cockatiel?
   If the bird is a baby, you cannot visually sex it no matter what the pet store people may tell you. Certain mutations, like lutino or cinnamon in cockatiels, are sex linked so if you know the mutations and splits of the parents it's possible to tell the sex.
   With most budgie mutations(excluding albinos and some pieds), as they mature the males will get a blue cere(the fleshy part of the face around the nostrils) and a female will get a cere that can range in color from purplish, to white, to pink, to tan to brown. When budgie hens go into breeding condition, the cere frequently turns dark brown and can take on a 'crusty' appearance.
   With cockatiels, it depends on the mutation.
   With a normal mutation or a normal cinnamon mutation, the males will get a bright yellow head and bright cheekpatches as they mature. Females will retain "baby" coloration.
   With normal whiteface mutations, the males will get a white face/head, and the females will retain a grey head and face.
   With pearl mutations, males will lose a lot or even all of their pearling after the first couple molts; females will retain the pearling.
   Lutinos, albinos and pieds are impossible to visually sex.
   Behavior is not always an accurate sexing method. I have one hen, who is a KNOWN hen(she's laid eggs:)), who whistles, mimics, and displays. These are generally male charactaristics. My late male Rommel was very quiet and very reserved, even before he succumbed to cancer; 'quiet' and 'reserved' are generally female traits.
   
   
8. How do I tell what mutation my bird is?
   A couple links:
   If you have a cockatiel, try this site
   If you have a budgie, try this site
   
   
9. Can you recommend some good books?
   Sure. First and foremost, I recommend a subscription to Bird Talk magazine.
   For books:
   
   • Guide To A Well Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan
   • Taming and Training Cockatiels by Nikki Moustaki
   • The Essential Cockatiel
   • The Essential Parakeet
   
   
   
10. How do I know if I have a budgie or a parakeet?
    A budgie is a parakeet. To be more specific, all budgies are parakeets, but not all parakeets are budgies. "Parakeet" is a general term used to describe any hookbilled, zygodactylous(two toes pointing forward, two pointing backward) bird with a slender body and a long slender tail. There are many types of parakeets, including cockatiels, alexandrines, and some say macaws.
    There are two varieties of budgies, however; the kind most commonly found in pet stores are "American" or "Australian" budgies. These are the type, if a normal green, that you would find in the wild in Australia. English budgies are generally harder to find, more expensive, and have a 'grandfather' like stern look. English budgies are what you would commonly see at a bird show or exhibition. They are sometimes referred to as exhibition budgerigars or "show quality" budgerigars. Before you ask, budgie is short for budgerigar. :)
    
    
11. I heard that cockatiels are related to cockatoos, is this true?
    Yes! Cockatiels are the smallest member of the cockatoo family. More info here.
    Interestingly enough, cockatiels are also 'parakeets' whereas other members of the cockatoo family are classified as 'parrots'(zygodactylous hookbills with a short tail and a more 'stocky' body).
    
    

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