COCKATIEL

Generally, well-socialized birds are gentle and friendly. Some cockatiels enjoy physical contact, lending themselves well to taming. Cockatiels and their owners often develop shared rituals such as petting, scratching and preening.

A cockatiel that wishes to be petted will often lower its head or nibble at the owner's fingers to indicate that it wishes to have its head and neck scratched (two places it can't easily scratch on its own), and will emit a low squeak to show its pleasure. Cockatiels which are hand-fed from a young age often enjoy physical contact.
Tamed cockatiels require a consistent few hours of quality time per day with a person or in a person's company and a good night's sleep in an area with very little noise or distractions.

Cockatiels do have a reputation for demanding attention of their owners on a regular basis. Their vocalizations range from soft cheeps to piercing cries.

"The cockatiel's lifespan in captivity is generally given as 16 to 25 years,though it is sometimes given as short as 10 to 15 years, and there are reports of cockatiels living as long as 32 years, the oldest confirmed specimen reported being 36 years old. Diet, exercise and companionship are major determining factors.
Please think before you get a cockatiel as a pet, a cockatiel is friend for life.
A cockatiel is not an ornament you put in a cage and you forget about it. They need proper care and most important, time to spend with you. "

Points of Interest.

Males have great vocal abilities and females are fairly quiet.
Females are more aggressive and they are more likely to hiss and bite.
If you put a mirror in the cage, a female looses its interest faster than a male.
Male cockatiels are better at parenting. While the mothers are responsible for hatching the eggs and caring for the newborn chicks, the male cockatiel doesn't fly off and abandon them, either. In fact, they are quite protective of their family, and in the wild, will face much larger birds and predators just to keep them safe. They are also nurturing and affectionate with their young. In cases when the mother cockatiel was killed, or injured, the father quite capably steps in and assumes all the parenting duties.
Cockatiels are extremely social birds. They have a need for social interaction. A single bird will get more attached to its keeper but if you are not at home a lot it is best to get two birds. It is a fact that two birds of the same sex get along just as well as a mixed pair. Even more so if the cockatiels were introduced while they are still young.

Give your Cockatiel a healthy diet. Bird pellets should make up about 70% of your Cockatiel's diet. Seed can make a good treat, but don't feed it in excess as it's too fatty. You should also feed your Cockatiel healthy vegetables and sometimes fruit; well-cooked beans, and spaghetti are examples of tasty treats you can give your Cockatiel. When you choose fruits and vegetables to feed, organic ones are recommended. You should also thoroughly rinse off uncooked fruit and vegetables before feeding.

• Do not feed your Cockatiel avocados, chocolate, alcohol, onions, mushrooms, tomato leaves, caffeine, or uncooked beans, as these are toxic. Very sugary or fatty foods such as candy bars are also not healthy for Cockatiels.
• Remove any uneaten fresh food from the cage within four hours or else it could attract harmful bacteria (and will just make a mess.)

Make sure that your cockatiel always has clean water. You should change your bird’s water daily. You should also change it when you notice that food or droppings have gotten into it. You should give your bird water that you yourself would drink.

• When washing the water bowl, make sure to use hot water with a bit of soap and rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of soap. Doing this will ensure that harmful algae or fungus doesn’t begin to grow.

Recognize signs of sickness in Cockatiels. Because Cockatiels will often hide their illness until it is very bad, you should keep a sharp eye out for signs of sickness. Very sick Cockatiels will sit with fluffed up feathers at the bottom of the cage. A Cockatiel that is bleeding is also obviously injured. Signs of a sick bird include:

• Crankiness or biting; napping more often than usual; a decrease in your bird’s weight or the amount of food he eats; refusal to eat or drink water; coughing, sneezing, or irregular breathing; lameness; lumps or swelling; inflamed or crusty eyes and nostrils; cloudy eyes; a soiled vent; or a drooping head, wings, or tail.

Be aware that cockatiels can have night frights. 

 

Some cockatiels are afraid of the dark and have "night frights" where they essentially freak out in their cages. To prevent this, put a nightlight in the room your Cockatiel sleeps in, and don't completely cover the cage at night.

• Once you know which perch your cockatiel prefers to sleep on, you should make sure that there are no toys hanging around that perch. If your bird was to have a night fright and get tangled up in a toy, he could be badly injured.

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