New Bird, Need Help With Taming!

[liz]

Cockatiels can love just as much as larger birds. The only thing with them is their more fearful than the big birds. Each one has it's own personality and makes contact in different ways. Even Phoenix and Gimpy, though very afraid because of their pasts, want to have tweet conversations with me. I just keep my hands down and let them "talk to the face".

[Pajarita]

Well, I believe aviary birds are just as much of a companion as larger birds. Maybe they prefer their own species, but they still love us no matter what. What about quakers, Poicephalus, caiques, and other mid-size parrots? Where do they fall? What even determines an aviary vs companion parrot? Tiels are the same size as GCCs, so why aren't they considered companion birds too? I've never heard anyone classify parrots into 'aviary' and 'companion' birds, I just thought all of the ones that interacted with you were companion birds.

Quakers, pois, caiques are all companion species as are macaws, amazons, grays, toos, all the conures, etc. Budgies, plets, lovies, tiels, grass keets, psittaculas, etc are aviary.

Again, the difference is whether a bird would choose being with its human or with another bird of their own species when it reaches the age of sexual activity. All the companion species will prefer the human while all the aviary species will prefer the bird. Both aviary and companion interact with their human and both companion and aviary love their human but although -obviously!- we make terrible companions to our companion birds, they would rather be with us while aviary birds would rather be with another bird. It all has to do with what makes them happiest IF given a choice.

Personally and if I was going just by what I would prefer, I would have only aviary species living in flocks in huge indoor-outdoor aviaries because I would know without the shadow of a doubt that the birds would be as happy as they can be in the wild only better fed and safe which, in my mind, is a win-win situation. I would have birds to enjoy and love as well as complete peace of mind without any of the worries I have now about whether my birds quality of life is enough or not.

[Trick or 'Tiel]

Cockatiels can love just as much as larger birds. The only thing with them is their more fearful than the big birds. Each one has it's own personality and makes contact in different ways. Even Phoenix and Gimpy, though very afraid because of their pasts, want to have tweet conversations with me. I just keep my hands down and let them "talk to the face".

I totally agree. Ducky is always afraid of new things and flies away immediately, whether people, objects, or noises. Bluebell is even more fearful than Ducky, and any sudden noise like something dropping will send her flying for her life!