Cuddly, outgoing and comical are just three reasons why the cockatiel is the No. 1 pet bird in America. Cockatiels are also talented whistlers, and male cockatiels in particular are known for their whistle serenades, which can be directed at their favored person, their favorite object or their mirror reflection. When not whistling or keeping themselves busy foraging for food and fun around the cage, cockatiels often enjoy spending their downtime snuggling on their favored person’s shoulder. A healthy, well-socialized cockatiel can make a great family pet and is also ideal for apartment living.
What's So Special About Cockatiels?
There’s a reason why the cockatiel is one of the most popular companion birds — this slender Australian parrot can be both cuddly and bold. Cockatiels can also be curious and, at times, feisty. With a cockatiel in the house, you are likely to hear a repertoire of chirps and whistles. Don't let their small stature fool you! They ARE a parrot, and they WILL remind you! Learning about them can help you give your buddy the very best, while being prepared for his worst!
Native Region / Natural Habitat
Cockatiels are native to the semi-arid regions of Australia. This open environment might be a reason why cockatiels don’t have the ear-piercing screech of parrots originating from dense rain-forest habitats. Wild cockatiels fly to the ground to forage for food. Cockatiels readily breed in the wild, and they are also easy to breed in captivity, which makes them widely available as pets at a lower cost than most other parrot species. Wild cockatiels are always on alert for predators and are light sleepers. A pet cockatiel might have an occasional night-fright episode, where it thrashes around the cage at night as if startled. You can help your cockatiel find its way back to its perch by leaving a night light on in its room, and using a smaller cage with low perches as a "sleeping cage"..
Care & Feeding
A cockatiel needs a cage spacious enough to accommodate multiple perches, toys, food bowls and have plenty of room to flap its wings without hitting them against anything. A cage with a large door front is ideal because it makes it easier to return a cockatiel to its cage, especially since cockatiels can be flighty birds. Cockatiels are natural ground foragers and will forage on the bottom of the cage if given the opportunity; cover the cage floor with newspaper and sprinkle crumbled treats or millet sprinkle seed for your cockatiel to find. Cockatiels are social birds and thrive when given opportunities to interact with you, whether it is gently petting their cheek feathers, being talked to or simply being in the same room as you. A healthy cockatiel diet includes commercially balanced diets, complete with fortified pellets, as well as other food, fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, nuts, and some seed. A well-cared-for cockatiel can live for more than 20 years!
Personality & Behavior
The position of a cockatiel’s crest feathers can tell you its mood. Straight-up crest feathers can mean the bird is startled or highly curious. A defensive cockatiel will hold its crest feathers flattened close its head, and it might be especially stressed if it also hisses. A relaxed cockatiel will have slightly held back crest feathers, as well as fluffed cheek feathers and you might also hear it contentedly grinding its beak.
Toys designed to be destroyed by small beaks are perfect for cockatiels and include pieces of paper, cardboard of soft wood or non-toxic rawhide to chew up. Cockatiels also like toys with hard-plastic elements, such as beads to fiddle with. Male cockatiels often seek out mirrors and other reflective items to whistle to, but these should be limited or avoided all together to prevent hormonal behaviors. A cockatiel might be inclined to fly down from its cage or playgym onto the floor, so be extra cautious whenever your bird is out of the cage so you don’t step on it and that other pets, such as cats or dogs, cannot get to it. A female cockatiel might seek out a dark, enclosed area to nest in, such the corner of a cabinet or behind furniture (even if there is no male cockatiel present), so keep these areas off limits. Cockatiels can be taught to whistle back to you on cue but generally aren’t known for their trained tricks.
Speech & Sound
Cockatiels are more inclined to whistle than talk. Male cockatiels are more likely to talk than females, and some can learn to speak a few words or phrases. Cockatiels tend to chirp rather than screech, and their relatively lower noise volume makes them a good apartment pet. Your cockatiel might chirp a contact call if you leave the room in an attempt to keep in contact with you. Females are generally quieter, while males can belt out their songs at all hours of the day and often on repeat!
Health & Common Conditions
It is normal for a cockatiel to sneeze a few times a day to clear out dust or dander from its nares, which might be accompanied by a clear discharge. If the sneezing is persistent and/or the discharge is not a clear color, contact your avian veterinarian. Cockatiels are excellent fliers and need more frequent wing clipping than other parrot species because they are capable of flying not long after having their feathers trimmed. Cockatiels molt (shed old feathers and begin growing new ones) a couple times a year.
A main health concern for female cockatiels is chronic egg-laying, which can deplete her body of vital minerals and calcium, as well as egg binding, in which the hen is unable to pass an egg. (A hen does not need a male cockatiel present in order to produce an egg; it will just be an infertile egg.) Female cockatiels, therefore, often need extra-calcium in their diet, such as a calcium-fortified base diet or a supplement like cuttlebone. Since cockatiels are often fed a mostly seed diet, many suffer from malnutrition and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. An all-seed diet is also high in fat, which can lead to fatty liver disease. A healthy, low-fat diet with the right balance of vitamin, minerals and amino acids can go a long way in preventing disease in your cockatiel. Choose pellet and seed mixes that are specially formulated to meet your cockatiel’s dietary needs.
Get a Cockatiel
Pet cockatiels are available in large pet stores, avian-specific retail stores, direct from a bird breeder or through a bird rescue/adoption organization. If you are adopting a pet bird from an bird rescue or adoption organization or an individual owners, get a thorough rundown of the bird’s history: Why is the bird being given up for adoption? Does the bird have any behavioral issues or phobias? How does the bird prefer to interact; does it enjoy being petted? What type of food does the bird eat; does it have favorite treats? Has the bird been to a veterinarian? If you are buying a young bird, make sure it is fully feathered and fully weaned (does not need to be syringe fed or parent fed). Signs of a healthy bird include: alertness, clean and vibrant feathers, bright eyes and nares that are clean and free of runny discharge. Ask if the pet store or breeder has a health guarantee and/or includes a visit to a veterinarian for a health checkup.
More About Cockatiels
Cockatiels are in their own genus (Nymphicus hollandicus) and are related to cockatoos. The normal gray cockatiel has the same coloration as cockatiels in the wild, and males are easily distinguishable from females in that they have a richer color gray and bright orange cheek feathers, while the female’s feathering is more muted, and she also has a barring on her undertail feathers. Pet cockatiels come in a variety of color mutations and cross mutations, including the lutino (yellow), pearl and the pied mutations, as well as whiteface and albino varieties. In color mutations, it might not be possible to visually distinguish males from females.
Cockatiel Body Language
The cockatiel's distinctive erectile crest expresses the animal's emotional state. The crest is dramatically vertical when the cockatiel is startled or excited, gently oblique in its neutral or relaxed state, and flattened close to the head when the animal is angry or defensive. The crest is also held flat but protrudes outward in the back when the cockatiel is trying to appear alluring or flirtatious. When the cockatiel is tired, the crest is seen positioned halfway upwards, with the tip of the crest usually curling upward. In contrast to most cockatoos, the cockatiel has long tail feathers roughly making up half of its total length. At 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 in), the cockatiel is the smallest of the cockatoos which are generally larger at between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in). Cockatiels are relatively vocal birds, the calls of the male being more varied than that of the female. Cockatiels can be taught to sing specific melodies and speak many words and phrases. They have also learned to imitate certain human or environmental sounds without being taught how to do so.
Summary
A new pet can be a fantastic companion, but sometimes the novelty can wear off (some pets live for a very long time). You may find that regular cleaning, feeding and handling becomes a time consuming chore. Please try to handle and play with your pet as often as possible, you will find that you will be rewarded with a much happier and friendlier pet. If you are not 100% sure that you or your children will be able to give your pet the attention that it needs then please think twice.
Exercise
As with any parrot, activities will make a cockatiel happy and help maintain its physical and mental health. If your bird spends most of the time in a cage, be sure it's large enough for the bird to fly. Provide plenty of toys that can stimulate the bird's natural inclination to play. Perches, ladders, and toys should be plentiful but not to the point that it hinders the bird's movement around the cage. Offer a variety of toy types from shredder toys, to noisy toys, to foot toys!
If you can, give your cockatiel at least an hour outside the cage every day. Although this is not as crucial as it is with other parrots, out-of-cage helps with socialization and allows the bird to stretch its wings. You wouldn't like to be locked in your house all day, and neither will they. Your cockatiel will give you back every drop of affection you show them tenfold.
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