Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Can you train a female cockatiel? I heard they can't be trained.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | 30 days old | 150 lbs

Can we train a female coctail bird? I heard that we can t train females.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on June 11th, 2018

Most birds can be trained regardless of their sex! Looking up some YouTube videos on training your bird to talk, perch on your finger, etc, can help you figure out what you want to teach Grey to get started.

If Grey has a favorite treat or toy, this can be very helpful during your training sessions- you can offer it every time you interact to help her get used to you, and then offer it every time you work on a new trick together to help teach her that you like what she does! Piece of fruit or veggies, favorite millet sprays, etc are all good choices. If at anytime she becomes too nervous or stressed, simply return to the previous trick or interaction that worked, and try again from there.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

Is it too late to train my 5-month-old cockatiel to talk and tame?

Hello! Cheeko can certainly learn many tricks and maybe words. Cockatiels are not great “talkers” and tend to do much more singing. However, birds are extremely smart and if you put the time into training, you should be rewarded no matter what age the bird is. I highly recommend using positive reinforcement clicker training. Find his favorite food item (like spray millet) and ONLY ever give him this food during training sessions. This helps get his attention for the task and motivates him to learn. You can watch you tube videos or buy training dvds by Good Bird, inc. They are very well respected in the bird training world. Just remember to have patience and be consistent. Good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

How do I get my cockatiel to like me and feel comfortable around me?

I would recommend training Peri with lots of treats, whatever is his favorite fruit or veggie (you should use seeds in moderation). Make every interaction you have with Peri be a positive one, even if you are doing something as simple as cleaning his cage. Once he realized seeing/being with you results in a positive reward he will begin to grow more comfortable around you. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My cockatiel isn't tamed. How can I train him without treats?

Unfortunately, time and treats are the best ways to try and tame a bird. If he's still not comfortable with you, he likely just needs more time and practice. It's possible you are doing too much too quickly and need to step back a step for a few days or even weeks until he is comfortable with that before attempting more handling. If you can't find a treat he enjoys, then a toy can be used instead, however this is something that just takes time and patience, and each bird is going to be different in how long it takes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why won't my cockatiel come out of his cage or let me hold him?

Thanks for reaching out about Copper. Training is more difficult as they age, as they are not as pliable to new situations. It is really de-sensitization to things that needs to be done. Start by scratching/petting, and offering a treat by hand. Then with the treat, try and train to reach his leg up, then to step up. Its a gradual process. The book "A Guide to a Well-behaved Parrot" is a good start. Good luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My cockatiel pecks and won't come out of its cage. Is this normal?

If your cockatiel was not hand tamed then she may be less social and not as handleable. It will take a lot of time and patience to get her hand tame. Try using treats and just leaving your hand in there until she is more used to you. You can find video,guides online for,hand taming your bird. Some birds never tame up and are always less social, but with patience many will come around. Good luck to you!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Do cockatiels have big personalities and bond like larger birds?

Cockatiels can definitely have big personalities. With consistent and training, they can learn songs and may speak though not as good as other parrots. They can certainly bond strongly with you as long as you put in the time and effort.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why isn't my new cockatiel speaking or perching after two weeks?

Hi, and thank you for this question, Two weeks are not always enough to train a bird. Most cockatiels don't speak at all, some will imitate noises but will usually not speak. As to perching on a shoulder or a hand, if the bird was not hand-fed at as a baby it may not be adjusted to humans at all, and may never get really tame. If it is tame and just doesn't want to perch on you, try offering rewards (treats) when he does.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share