If you prefer a tiny bird as lovely and affectionate as a bigger parrot but requires less room, then a cockatiel might be a great option. Because of their lovable nature, cockatiels are prized around the globe. They are simple to breed, gentle, and enjoy handling and stroking. Cockatiels create a smooth noise of chirping and are less loud than other parrots. Cockatiels are easy to tame, cheap, and easy to keep, making for a beginner an outstanding option.
- Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
- Weight: 80-120 gm
- Sexual maturity: 6-12 months
- Avg. life span: 6 years
- Maximum recorded life span: 32 years
Where do cockatiels live?
According to Birdlife, Australia’s largest bird preservation organization, cockatiels are indigenous to semi-arid Australian regions, preferring open environments where they can drill on the floor, to thick rainforests other birds (like parrots) prefer.
Cockatiel Characteristics
“For many households, I recommend cockatiels as first birds because they are excellent starter birds,” Hess said. “They’re large enough to have interactive characters, and if you work with them, they can say a few phrases, but they’re also very social and enjoy hanging out with family members. Plus, they’re not so large they’re afraid of younger kids.
Dr. Kimberlee A. Buck, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Canine and Feline Practice), Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice), said cockatiels can also be defined as playful and social. Overall, these birds like to communicate with individuals, but due to their lower size they should be treated softly, she said. In specific, children should be monitored around cockatiels and instructed to manage them softly without compressing their chests to prevent them from breathing.
Like most birds, cockatiels tend to have relatively long life expectancies and can live in their twenties, Hess said, so it’s essential to remember that your fresh feathered buddy will be in your home for a long time.
Furthermore, if you already have another bird, you may want to think twice before you bring a cockatiel home unless you intend to maintain them in distinct cages. “You can’t generalize that any bird gets along with another bird if you haven’t raised them together since they were young,” she said. “Other birds may be introduced, but I wouldn’t suggest that they live in the same cage.”
Take care of your cockatiels
Consider some of the different ways you need to care for your fresh pet before you bring home a cockatiel, including the following:
Cockatiel Food
While feeding birds a diet of seeds alone used to be a popular convention, Hess said bird experts are usually going to recommend cockatiels live on a diet composed mostly of pellets these days.
“They create pellets specifically for your bird type and they are nutritionally complete, so those pellets should be about 70% of your cockatiel intake,” she said.
Apart from pellets, the other 30 percent of your cockatiel’s diet can consist of tiny quantities of new fruits and vegetables as well as seeds as treats (they have too much fat in them to be deemed a regular source of food). “Cockatiels have elevated demands for vitamin A, so bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, and vegetables are good to feed your bird in tiny amounts,” said Hess.
Steer clear of avocados and onions that can be poisonous to birds, and with salt, chocolate, or caffeine. If in doubt, ask your vet for something fresh before feeding your bird. Also remember that your bird is likely to graze all day long, which is fine, but at the end of the day, be sure to remove any fruits or vegetables left behind that may grow stale in the cage.
Grooming
In the wild, by jumping on branches and rocks, cockatiels are constantly wearing down their nails, but in captivity, every few months you will have to cut those nails yourself.
A tiny nail trimmer intended for a human infant can be used to securely cut their nails (if you remain away from the reddish-pink blood vessel running down the center of the nail that can bleed when trimmed) and an Emory board or Dremel drill can also be used to file the nail tips.
While wing trimming is somewhat contentious, Hess proposes it for birds that fly freely in the house from time to time as they may accidentally fly into (or out of) windows and mirrors.
It’s nice to have some control over where your bird can fly if you’re attempting to train your bird to step up to a perch on your side. Of course, it’s a matter of view whether or not you cut the wings of your bird, Hess said, and it will rely on every scenario. Trimmed wing feathers will grow back in a couple of months.
Cockatiel Care
According to Hess, cockatiel owners in their birds should be searching for reproductive problems. “Cockatiels are the most prolific layers of eggs we see, with the capacity to lay eggs every 48 hours,” she said.
For domestic birds, this prolific egg-laying can lead to issues like egg binding (where the eggs get stuck in the reproductive tract) and other reproductive issues. These birds are also may develop other medical problems including bacterial infections, nutritional deficiencies, and kidney failure.
This prolific laying of eggs for domestic birds can lead to issues such as egg binding (where the eggs are stuck in the reproductive tract) and other reproductive problems. These birds may also develop other medical problems, including bacterial infections, deficiencies in nutrition, and kidney failure.
“Most people don’t bring their birds to the vet, but when you get it first and then annually, you should bring your cockatiel,” Hess said. “The older they become, the more likely they are to develop problems such as atherosclerosis, gout (or kidney failure), and other age-related diseases.
Because these birds are prey animals, they often conceal their signs until they are really sick, so until it’s too late you may not even be able to say something is wrong. Staying ahead of medical issues is essential.
Habitat
While it’s okay to let your bird fly around from time to time (and you should!), when kept in a cage, your cockatiel will be safest, preferably a wide one with a variety of varying thickness perches, so they don’t always put pressure on the same places at the bottom of their feet, Buck said.
These birds also generally do some sort of “work” in the wild, such as finding mates and seeking nesting places, Hess said, so they should have toys in captivity to keep them mentally stimulated and involved.
Good alternatives include stuff that you can look under or lift to discover your food. “For several hours a day, they will also need exposure to ultraviolet light, which you will need to modify every six months to assist them to create vitamin D in their skin, which is vital to enable them to obtain calcium from their food,” added Hess.
Some birds also like to bathe, so consider placing food in their cage that they can jump in, misting them with a spray bottle every day, or taking them with you in the shower. Since these birds are social, it is possible to keep them stimulated by leaving the radio or television on, particularly when you are not home, Hess said.
For your cockatiel, fresh air and ventilation are essential, so you should never put your bird’s cage in a kitchen. “Birds are susceptible to Teflon pans fumes, and if they’re in the kitchen and you’re burning a non-stick pan, the bird might actually die from the fumes,” said Hess. Ideally, for this purpose, bird owners should not use non-stick pans at all.
Keep in mind that covering your bird’s cage with a towel or a blanket at night is also not essential — most cockatiels will intuitively comprehend the distinction between night and day Buck said.
