Angry Cockatiel/Bites and Shrieks

Aloha! My girlfriend's 5 month-old cockatiel escaped the house and spent almost a week out in the open, here on the Island of Hawaii.

He returned voluntarily and at first seemed happy to be back with his human and canine family, singing and being his uusal affectionate self. He appears healthy in all respects (although he lost a couple tail feathers during his soiree), eating, drinking, pooping, etc. He has free reign of 2 rooms in the house (which have been "cockatiel-proofed" as well as possible) and enjoys free-flying, usually only going into his cage to eat or sleep...he seems to have returned to this behavior since he came back to us and appears normal in most respects.

However, the last couple days he has become irritable, agitated (especially when my girlfriend is in the room), occasionally shrieking and biting angrily when anybody tries to pet, hold or rub his chest (all actions he was very fond of and actively sought a lot before his big outdoor adventure). Inasmuch as this bird lives with small children and occsionally accompanies my girlfriend to work at her medical practice, this new and aggressive behavor is both mystifying and worrisome.

Is there any advice out there? Could little Petey Bird have picked-up a virus that has him irritated? We don't have an avian vet here in the community...we'd have to take him over to the Island of Oahu on the plane to get him treated.

HELP!

Dr. Donald B. MacGowan

 

Hi aslong as he is eating drinking and pooping as normal then i dont see any reason to be worried.

The thing with most cockatiels is they have mood swings especially the males who can get very agressive for no reason.
This usually passes in time with the help of trying to calm him again.

Start by caging him back up this he will not like but gives you and your girlfriend more control.

Slowly introduce him to your hands again if he pecks or attempts to bite do not jump or show fear towards him as all birds know when there owners are scared and this can work to the advantage.

Take it slowly with him and hopefully he will come around and go back to the way he was.

But like i say this is very typical behaviour of male birds.

mike