We all want our cockatiels to be happy, but our busy works schedules can sometimes mean that cockatiels need to be left on their own. Unfortunately, cockatiels are social birds that are unhappy without a friend or companion. As a result, a single cockatiel may manifest physical and behavioral symptoms that you need to identify. In this article, we will talk about how to tell if your cockatiel is lonely and what you can do about it.
How To Tell If Your Cockatiel Is Lonely A lonely cockatiel may refuse to eat while growing irritable and withdrawn. Also, you may notice that your cockatiel suddenly becomes less active and playful. Stress hormones can sometimes trigger a change in your cockatiel’s poop color due to sadness and loneliness.
Cockatiels can engage in self-destructive behaviors when they feel lonely. So, you need to figure out the reason behind your cockatiel’s melancholy and take steps to help it feel better.
7 Signs Of Loneliness In Cockatiels
Loneliness in cockatiels is difficult to spot and won’t be apparent in the first few days. While cockatiels can mimic human speech, they can not tell you that they are lonely. Instead, you can tell if your cockatiel is lonely by observing changes in its behavior.
Here are the seven signs that you need to watch out for.
1. Your cockatiel’s appetite decreases
One indication of cockatiel loneliness can be a change in its appetite. A lonely cockatiel may begin to eat or drink less than it used to. A change in its feeding patterns may be linked to stress or anxiety, with loneliness being one possible cause.
It is important to remember that loss of appetite at mealtimes can also be a sign of medical issues or even snacking too many treats throughout the day.
Never force your cockatiel to eat. Instead, please take it to an avian vet to have it checked out. That is because a lack of appetite can be triggered by illness.
2. Plucking feathers
Feather plucking is typical behavior in your cockatiels. Most of the time, it is caused by the cockatiel:
- Feeling bored
- Being sexually frustrated
- Failing to receive proper nutrition
- Experiencing loneliness
Feather plucking results from the stress your cockatiel feels at being alone. It may try to preen itself to calm down but doing this too often can damage its feathers in the process.
The frustration of being alone may also cause your cockatiel to turn destructive on purpose. For example, it could shred its toys, cage liners, and its feathers as a way to act out.
3. No singing
Happy and healthy cockatiels tend to be active and loud throughout the day. They will often spend hours singing, talking, and playing with their owners and other cockatiels.
If your cockatiel suddenly stops singing and doesn’t want to engage, this is an indication that it is unhappy. Also, if you have recently separated it from a toy or other cockatiel or have been working long hours, this sign can indicate that your cockatiel feels lonely.
4. Isolation
Cockatiels will tend to isolate themselves when they feel sad and lonely. This often happens when a cockatiel is grieving the death of its cage mate.
Cockatiels will often withdraw from others if they are struggling with loss. Therefore, if you observe your cockatiel shying away from you or hiding in its cage when you attempt to play with them, it is handling the complicated feelings of loneliness.
New cockatiels sometimes may hide from their owners out of fear. So, don’t automatically conclude that your cockatiel is lonely, especially if you have just recently brought it into your home. Your cockatiel needs the time to get familiar and comfortable with you and their new environment.
Never force an isolated cockatiel to engage with you if it does not seem enthusiastic about it. It will become irritated due to this, and it may lash out or bite.
5. Self-mutilation
Some cockatiels will not only pluck out their feathers when they feel lonely but may resort to chewing their skin.
This results in major injuries, putting them at risk of infection and other health issues. Depending on the severity of the injuries, a cockatiel can even die from self-mutilation triggered by loneliness. This is more likely to happen if your cockatiel ruptures its muscles or breaks its bones.
If you notice your cockatiel engaging in these self-destructive behaviors, immediately take it to a vet. Your vet will be able to recommend fitting your cockatiel with a recovery cone to prevent it from causing further harm to itself.
6. Sleeping more than normal
Noticing that your cockatiel is sleeping more during the day or not settling down at night could indicate that they are feeling lonely.
Lonely cockatiel often sleeps a lot through the day because there is no distraction. However, this daytime napping can result in restlessness in the evening or waking up in the middle of the night.
Of course, cockatiels need much more sleep than most adult humans. They generally require about 12 hours of sleep per day to be healthy and happy. Because cockatiels are flexible sleepers, lonely cockatiels are likely to fulfill most of their daily quota during the day and be sleepless at night.
7. Being destructive
Does living your cockatiel alone usually mean endless screaming? On the contrary, excessive screaming might indicate that your cockatiel feels bored or under-stimulated without you around.
Some cockatiels fear being left alone that they might knock over the food bowl, make a mess, or tear up toys. In these cases, your cockatiel is likely suffering from anxiety rather than simple loneliness. Talk to your vet about how to reduce this behavior.
Why Do Cockatiels Feel Lonely?
Cockatiels tend to live in pairs and develop strong attachment bonds with their partners and flock members in the wild. However, cockatiels rely on their owners for companionship when kept in captivity.
To feel fulfilled, cockatiels need these attachments, either to humans or other cockatiels. If some part of this bond is lacking, or something in the environment creates a barrier, this can lead to loneliness in cockatiels.
Sometimes a human companion is not enough, or two cockatiels don’t get along, which results in loneliness despite the great company. Figuring out why your cockatiel is lonely is a complex task, but here are the most common reasons:
1. Changed position of the cockatiel’s cage
Cockatiels are creatures of habit that tend to form emotional attachments to their homes.
Shifting the position of the cage once it is grown used to the original environment can cause it to feel sad. If the new place is more isolated to give your cockatiel privacy, it can even result in loneliness.
2. Death of the cagemate
Cockatiels are capable of forming deep, emotional bonds with other cockatiels. Whether they are partners or different-sex cockatiels sharing the same cage, this is true.
If one cockatiel dies, the surviving cockatiel will go through a period of grief and loneliness. Unless it receives enough love and attention from its owner, the remaining cockatiel may start engaging in self-destructive habits such as refusing to eat. This will impact its health and sting it further into depression.
3. Deprived of attention
Cockatiels need a regular dose of attention to remain healthy and happy. When deprived of proper care and attention, cockatiels will start to feel stressed and lonely.
Simply adopting and feeding your little cockatiel is not enough. You need to satisfy its emotional need for love and affection. Therefore, it’s essential to set aside time to interact and play with your cockatiel every day.
4. Losing a favorite toy
Cockatiels love to play with their toys and often get attached to them. In extreme cases, the cockatiel may even view a mirror or other reflective toy as a mate and try to pair with it. The cockatiel will get incredibly lonely if the toy is removed, even for its good.
Cockatiels can also have favorite toys, and much like a child, they can experience distress when they can’t find them. If your cockatiel destroyed its favorite toy and needs a replacement, it may act lonely until one is provided.
How To Help A Lonely Cockatiel
Loneliness can take a serious toll on your cockatiel’s health if not remedied soon.
A lonely cockatiel will not only engage in self-destructive habits, such as self-mutilation and refusal to eat. It may also spiral into depression. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to help your cockatiel feel less lonely.
1. Attention
Cockatiels are social birds that require attention and love to remain mentally healthy. When your cockatiel feels lonely after losing a companion or toy, be extra attentive to its emotional needs. Please make a point of scheduling time to interact with your cockatiel and play with it.
2. Toys
Cockatiels are fascinated by toys and will often spend hours playing with the new objects in their cage. If your cockatiel feels sad or lonely, get some different toys to distract it from the difficult emotions.
3. Companionship
Getting a replacement for your cockatiel after they lose a counterpart is something you should consider. It’s best if you can find a companion of the same species, as this will make bonding easier.
Cockatiels are lonely if they lose appetite, withdraw from you and others, and begin to show self-destructive behaviors. If you haven’t been giving it attention, recently lost a cage mate, or had one of its favorite toys taken away, then it is often lonely at play here, not a health issue.
By offering care, attention, and perhaps a new friend, you can help your cockatiel recover back to its formerly bright self.
