So you brought home a new pet cockatoo days or weeks ago. He seemed so nice when you picked him up. You love him no matter what, but you’re really worried that he’s so afraid of you. You’ve tried everything you can think of. Now what?

You had such high expectations, but now you wonder what went wrong and if you can fix it. Well don’t despair, help has arrived. This is one of the most common scenarios I see on the bird board forum. Common factors are:

1. The bird is a new addition.
2. The bird is afraid of the hands in the cage.
3. The bird flees from you
4. The bird flies away from you out of the cage.

If we look at the fact that the bird is a new addition, this explains why it doesn’t know you. The surroundings are new. The cage is new. The food is new. You are new. Any questions?

Cockatoos take time to acclimatize to their environment. 2-5 days to acclimatize is not uncommon. But they still have no reason to trust their surroundings. Confidence takes longer than acclimatization. Now, let’s coax your little one out of the cage. While your bird needs readily available food and water, don’t give him treats in his cage just yet. Keep treats out of the cage. Cockatoos like to perch in one area and hang out there most of the day. You must have an area for them to do just that. You may want to set up a bird gym or something that is clearly a place for them. A common area is above his cage. This should be the place they want to go when they want to get out of the cage.

Now that you have a gym/hanger area (which they are afraid of), how do you persuade them to go up there? Take out candy. Cockatiels love millet spray above all else and they love sunflower seeds too. No, we also know that cockatoos are foragers, so put out some seeds for them to scratch.

Remember, they are afraid of new items, so wait for them to acclimate. Now let’s talk about the second element. She tries to talk him out of it, but he is afraid of his hands. I tell you “That’s right”. Cockatoos do not like you to be in their space. Period. Get over. they are territorial. Over time he will understand when you need to clean the cage or put food and water in it, but right now he doesn’t care. I offer to take my birds out of the cage, but I don’t force them. They love me very much, but it’s their cage. I don’t even force them out when I clean.

Now, I didn’t say you couldn’t persuade them to come out. My birds would kill me and then ask me for a potato chip (I know they’re not good for them, but we’re talking about building trust here). They will stomp on each other getting to the door for a chip. Why would I force them out when I need to clean? So let’s review that concept for a minute to make it clear. Do not put treats in the cage. Put them where you want them to go. It may take time. You may need to start at the cage, move it to the door, then your hand, then the gym. But they will follow and find a reason to trust you.

Now let’s look at the third and fourth elements. The bird escapes. Building trust like the above is good. But if the bird likes treats and still runs away or flies away, you have a new problem. Now it’s time to clip the wings. Much has been written about the advantages and disadvantages of wing clipping. Many feel that it is not “natural”. What is natural about having a wild bird in your house?

Let’s start with the premise that feathers grow back. If you don’t know how to trim, find someone who does. Pay the $10-$15 and learn how. Some people worry that their birds will hate them if they get cut. They don’t, they get over it in about 5 seconds. I also guarantee that you will see an immediate change in attitude. In a few minutes they will understand that they cannot fly and will gladly accept your help to move from one place to another. Although attitude will change instantly, trust may take a few days or weeks, but it will happen, and quickly.