There’s a lot of fantastic parrot advice out there these days, and while most of it applies to cockatiels, each cockatiel owner will tell you that her bird is unique. That approach may appear biased, yet it is accurate. Cockatiels require several special considerations that new owners should be aware of to properly care for these distinctive birds.
10. Define Noisy With Cockatiels
Many people get cockatiels because they aren’t “loud.”
Well, volume is subjective, and there are plenty of cockatiel owners with neighbors who would argue otherwise.
Though the cockatiel makes a lot of bird sounds, it is very persistent in its vocalizations. I once had an African grey that learned the cockatiel call in his previous home and repeated it at ten times the loudness; the worst of all worlds! Do not acquire a cockatiel because you believe it will be a quieter parrot.
Get one because you enjoy the bird’s entertaining demeanor and docile, quirky disposition.
9. Expressive Crests On Cockatiels
Cockatiels are the only tiny parrots that have a head crest. The bird’s mood determines how high or low the crest is. As you grow to know your bird, you’ll realize what each crest position represents. When the crest reaches full height, it usually indicates that the bird is eager, scared, or curious. A reduced crest, with only the tip sticking up, showed that the bird was satisfied. Subtle variations in crest locations might convey a completely distinct tone. For example, an enraged tiel may clutch its crest hard against its skull, frequently accompanied by a bent back.
The cockatiel is also one of the few small parrots that hiss and spits when scared or angry.
8. Cockatiel: Long Tail, Big Bird Cage
The cockatiel, with its long tail, needs a larger bird cage than a similar-sized bird with a shorter tail; otherwise, its tail will rake against the bars and dip into the water cup, making it perpetually ratty.
Cockatiels, too, must exercise to avoid becoming “perch potatoes.”
An overweight cockatiel can develop fatty tumors, gout, heart disease, and general illness. Better to allow your cockatiel daily exercise than to spend a ton of cash at the vet’s office.
7. Good Housemates For Cockatiels
The cockatiel is ideal for outside aviary life. This bird is an agile flyer, and it appreciates the opportunity to use its inherent ability. It will also like being outside in good weather, soaking up the sun.
Sunshine is important for a bird’s overall health. Since it is a fairly docile bird, it does well in a large aviary with other docile birds, such as budgies, some species of grass parakeets, and some varieties of finches.
Do not house cockatiels with lovebirds or larger parrots; the cockatiel is unable to defend itself against these more aggressive birds.
6. Special Trims For Cockatiels
The cockatiel is a light bird, so it needs a less conservative wing trim than heavier parrots. The typical wing-feather trim involves trimming the ends of the first five or seven flight feathers.
The cockatiel, however, needs all of the flight feathers trimmed and even a few of the lift feathers. A cockatiel with just a few flight feathers trimmed can fly like the wind!
5. Respiratory System
All parrots have sensitive respiratory systems, but the athletic cockatiel is particularly susceptible. This bird has a light body for its size and is highly affected by fumes.
Keep your bird’s air clear of toxins and away from fumes from nonstick coatings, candles, air fresheners, and aerosol sprays.
4. Night Frights and Cockatiels
It’s the middle of the night, and the sound of writhing and banging awakens you from a deep slumber – terrifying! You know it’s not an invader; it’s your cockatiel suffering “night frights,” also termed “night thrashing.” Cockatiels are infamous for engaging in this activity.
Something in the darkness frightens the bird, possibly a noise, lights, or shadows, and the bird tries to flee to protect itself, thrashing around its cage in terror. It is not uncommon for a bird to damage itself in this manner, typically harming an eye or leg or breaking feathers.
To prevent or reduce the frequency of night frights, use a night light in the bird’s room, though some birds do better covered in complete darkness using bird cage covers. You’ll have to evaluate your bird’s individual preferences after the night frights occur.
Try to identify and eliminate the source of the night terrors. Perhaps your pet cat stalks the birds at night, or headlights shine sporadically into the window as motorists drive by, startling the bird.
If your bird still thrashes at night, try utilizing night-time bird cages with no perches or toys and lined with towels.
3. Cockatiels Can Be Seed Junkies
An all-seed diet considerably increases disease in most parrots and significantly reduces lifespan. But what do we feed a bird whose natural diet consists mostly of seeds?
The cockatiel uses the same natural habitat as the Australian grass parakeets, and the foods it eats are similar, although the cockatiel has also been seen feeding on vegetation and insects. Also, the wild cockatiel’s diet consists of both young and mature seeds of all varieties, even seed crops, much to the chagrin of farmers.
There is no way to replicate the cockatiel’s natural habitat in the average home. The wild cockatiel consumes significantly more food than a pet cockatiel, but it also expends far more energy.
It also doesn’t have a shot at living as long as your cockatiel. So, it’s best to feed your cockatiel according to the research and advice that we use for all parrots; variety is key. Some cockatiel bird food is fine, but supplement it with pellets, cooked diets, nutritious vegetables, and fruit.
Even though your cockatiel might love seeds, don’t make it the only item in your bird’s dish.
2. Egg-Laying Cockatiels
Most hens have the single desire to produce more cockatiels, even when there is no male present.
Frequent egg laying is a concern in cockatiels, and while egg laying is biologically innate, many female cockatiels lay far too many eggs in a short period, producing potential health issues such as egg binding, paralysis, and bone weakening.
Just because she is laying eggs does not imply that your cockatiel requires or desires a mate or offspring.
It indicates her body has received external signals that it is time to nest, and she is unable to control her instincts. A cockatiel will typically begin mating when the light gets longer in the spring. A cockatiel will seek to build a house if there is plenty of food and water available.
If your hen continues to lay eggs, limit the amount of light she gets instead of restricting her food and water. Use sun lamps and/or a cage cover to limit her exposure to sunshine to 10 hours each day until her hormones stabilize and she quits nesting.
Allow your bird to lay and sit on her eggs for a few days before removing them. Many canary breeders substitute the eggs with plastic eggs, however this is unnecessary.
This will only prolong her sitting on them. Nesting is very stressful for a female cockatiel without a male.
Most pairs take turns sitting on the eggs, so if she’s alone, she might forgo the food and water dish to protect her eggs, even if they’ll never hatch.
If you have a pair of cockatiels and your hen is laying a lot of eggs, eliminate any potential nesting locations, and you may need to relocate the male to another room temporarily if egg laying becomes an issue. For further information on this topic, speak with your avian veterinarian.
1. Cockatiel Dust
The cockatiel is one of three regularly kept parrots that produces a lot of bird dust. Other dust-producing birds include the cockatiel’s near cousin, the cockatoo, and the African grey parrot.
You may see a layer of fine, white dust covering almost everything near your cockatiel’s cage, particularly devices that attract dust with static, such as the television. This dust is made up of white powder-down feathers that develop close to the bird’s skin. These feathers appear among the down feathers and are utilized to help insulate the bird. The powder-down feathers are remarkable in that the tips crumble into a fine dust as the bird preens, dispersing the powder throughout the feathers and helping to waterproof the bird.
The dust isn’t a problem for most people, but it can create respiratory issues and even aggravate asthma for others.
Cockatiels can trigger allergic reactions in other pet birds nearby; macaws appear to be more sensitive to dustier bird species.
Bathing your cockatiel on a regular basis helps to eliminate feather dust, and keeping an air filter near your bird’s cage, such as a HEPA filter, will clean the air and lessen the likelihood of respiratory problems.
Bathing your cockatiel frequently helps reduce feather dust, and placing an air filter near your bird’s cage, like the HEPA filter, will polish the air and cut down the possibility of respiratory issues.
I’ve had several cockatiels throughout the years, and I’ve never sneezed from the dust. And I’m not a compulsive duster.