I have a cockateal (spelling?) who spends alot of time tapping his beak on anything he can over and over again. Why does he do this?
I dont’ know a lot about birds, but I have cats and read a lot about animals. Seems to me that this kind of repetitive behavior in any animal may indicate boredom. Does he have stuff to chew on? I think many (all?) birds need to grind down or sharpen their beak on something. My grandmother raised parakeets and always kept a cuttle bone (pet stores have them) in their cages for them to use for this purpose. does he have toys? Maybe you need to spend more time with him. Maybe he needs a bird companion.
A friend of mine used to own a big green parrot, no I don’t know the proper term for it, which developed repetitive behaviour syndrome.
The house was empty during the day and the explanation he got from the staff at a zoo (Flamingo Land)was that it was not being stimulated enough and that birds like this should be kept entertained .
Eventually it was rehomed, not easy with said type of bird, and it now lives in an aviary with other very similar birds
I was amazed at how much more lively it was and noisy too.
Apparently they need to have company most of the day as that simulates their situation in the wild.
I have checked my books here and I can’t find any mention of this kind of behavior. It would be extremely helpful if you gave some more information on this. In what circumstances does this occur? Is it when you are in the room? If so, is it when you are playing with it or not?
It is true as many have said, that pet birds require attention. Maybe this is a problem with boredom. Play with your bird more often, or get it a playmate. Put some toys in its cage if there aren’t any so it can entertain iself.
The cockatiel (that is the correct spelling, and a variant, but still correct, spelling is cockateel) has the scientific nomenclature of Nymphicus hollandicus. They are one of the most popular pet birds and are found in the wild in Australia.
P.S.: I know much more about wild birds than domestic. But I will try and help.
It sounds like your cockatiel might be bored.
Is its cage in a quiet corner somewhere or is it where the bird can see and hear other animals and people? What toys does it have? Some birds like bells. Does it have stuff it can destroy like toys made out of relatively soft wood? Do you feed “challenging” food like fruit it has to peel or nuts it has to unhusk?