Cockatiels are about as close to the perfect pet
as you can get! With their happy personality and easygoing nature,
these attractive little parrots will soon win you over, lavishing
you with love and attention!
In their native habitat, the arid interior of Australia,
these small parrots are quite nomadic. They travel in flocks following
food availability, settling in scrubby low desert vegetation but
always close to water, such as creeks and rivers.; When their food
supply dwindles they move on.
The cockatiels native habitat has made them well suited
as pets. They are hardy, adapt easily to change, and are easy to
breed. A big plus is that cockatiels are not noisy and can be left
alone for long periods of time. Their intelligence and inquisitiveness
makes them easy to train. This coupled with a very gentle nature
makes them a pet that children can safely care for!
Description:
These attractive little parrots are considered part of the
cockatoo family (Cacatuidae). As a member of this family, they display their
cute little erectile crests, as well as have their male/female colorings
and their nesting behaviors. Young cockatiels are more slender than the
adult, have incomplete feathering on the head, extensive barring on their
breasts, and pinkish to light gray bills. Young birds reach full size at
about 9 months, though they begin to molt at about 6 months and will continue
to molt yearly from then on. The adult cockatiel weighs 3 to 4 ounces and
is 12 inches from beak to the tip of the tail. The adult generally has darker
feathers and beaks. Male cockatiels generally have brighter yellow heads
and check patches, as well as prominent crests. Most cockatiels live 12
to 14 years, though they can live as long as 20 to 25 years.
In the wild, the cockatiel is predominately gray. There
have been a variety of color variations, or mutations, resulting in domestic
breeding which are generally referred to as Pied, Pearl, Cinnamon, Lutino,
and Silver. The basic pigments in the cockatiel are yellow, red, and black.
The first mutation is the Pied, which has white and yellow spots
on their bodies wherever they lack black pigmentation. The second mutation
is the Lutino, which is where they lack black pigmentation, and the
female generally becomes more brilliant than the male. The third mutation
is the lovely Pearl, where they have white and yellow feathers with
dark gray borders. The males molt back to gray while the females coloring
holds. The fourth mutation is the Cinnamon, where the black pigmentation
turns brown. The fifth mutation is the Silver, this a paled gray
resulting because the black pigmentation has been partially reduced.
Distribution:
All cockatiels are native to Australia and and live in the
subtropics and temperate regions.The cockatiels are found over most of
Australia except the coastal areas. They are not found in Tasmania.
Care and feeding:
A commercial cockatiel seed mix is generally regarded
as suitable along with a good vitamin supplement. You can also
supplement with green foods such as dandelion leaves, weeds, carrot
tops, celery, watercress, spinach, peas, seedling grasses, and millet.
Various fruits will also be enjoyed such as apples, oranges, bananas
and others. Proteins can be offered in the form of mynah pellets,
game bird starter, dog food, and even mashed hard-boiled eggs. Pelleted
diets will also provide a fairly balanced feed, however it does not contain the phytonutrients (antioxidant pigments) that are found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and seeds, so should be supplemented.
Although it was previously thought that grit was needed by cockatiels,
it has been found that they do not need grit and can actually
cause problems if given to cockatiels. Parrots that eat seed whole without
shelling it first require grit, but cockatiels shell their seed before
eating it so grit should not be provided . Cuttlebones are
still recommended to help provide calcium and to help keep the beak trim.
It is important to keep their wings clipped! This
will prevent them from taking to the air and you never seeing them again,
as well as facilitate you taming your bird.
Fresh branches from trees and bushes such as oak,
maple, and fruit trees will give hours of chewing and climbing pleasure
while exercising and trimming the beak and nails.
Give you cockatiel fresh drinking water every day.
You can also provide soluble vitamins and minerals to the water.
Your cockatiel will enjoy a bath!; Either with a dish
in the bottom of the cage or a light misting with a spray bottle.
Housing:
Cockatiels love roomy cages! It must be at least wide enough
for the cockatiel to spread it's wings out without touching the sides,
so a minimum of 18" wide by 18" high by 24" length (45
x 45 x 60 cm) is essential. A chew resistant metal cage is important,
a wooden cage will easily be destroyed. A cage with horizontal bars on
the sides are nice as they love to climb. Provide one or two perches about
3/4' in diameter and dishes hanging from the side for feed, water, and
grit. Try to place the perches away from dishes so the food and water
dish do not become soiled with bird droppings. Do not use plastic because
your bird will chew and break the plastic which can become hazardous.
A cage skirt or fine screen around the bottom of the sides will help lessen
seed scattering. Place the cage in an area out of drafts and sudden temperature
changes. Putting it at eye level or higher will make the bird feel more
secure. Covering the cage at night is not necessary but will help to keep
the bird calm and give it a greater sense of security.
The cage bottom can be covered with paper, sand, gravel or
a corn cob litter.
A roomy outdoor aviary (depending on your
area) can be a good choice. Cockatiels in an aviary can be housed with
some finches and canaries. Do not house with lovebirds, however, as lovebirds
can be very aggressive birds. The outdoor aviary needs to have a protected
shelter that can be heated and cooled where necessary.
Maintenance:
The basic cage care includes daily cleaning
of the water and food dishes. Change paper bottoms daily and litter coverings
every 2-3 days. Weekly you should clean and disinfect the cage. Wash and
completely dry the perches and toys whenever they become soiled. Sand
floors in aviaries should be renewed annually.
Social Behaviors:
Cockatiels are very docile and friendly to people as well
as other birds. In the wild they live in groups of about twelve birds,
though they will flock in the hundreds after breeding season and where
food is plentiful. Consequently they can be housed very well with other
small birds of the non-parrot family. They like attention and handling.
Both males and females make equally good pets!
Handling/Training:
Very little time is required for training and cockatiels
are easy to handle.Young birds, about 12 to 14 weeks old, are the easiest
to train. It is easier to tame and train a single bird than two birds,
as they will prefer the company of each other to you. Females are naturally
quieter so males are better to train to talk. Have your cockatiels wings
trimmed to limit the ability to fly, and have one person do the training
to avoid confusion. If the bird is a biter, stick train it first and then
move on to the finger.
Taming and training is best done in a small room with few
distractions. Training involves acceptance and trust between you and your
cockatiel. Speak softly to the bird to calm it and always move slowly.
Start from the floor and approach the bird from the side rather than head
on.; With a treat held between two fingers, coax it onto your hand. It
may try to fly and you may have to repeat this several times. Once it's
on your hand, then you start having it step up from one hand to the other.
If a bird bites hard and persists with biting, say "no!" in
a loud firm voice and repeat the training. Repeat the hand-taming lessons
several times a day but for short periods of time, about 20 minutes a
session.
Most trick training is accomplished with food rewards. Some
of the more advanced training includes climbing ladders, ringing bells,
and spreading it's wings. Cockatiels are more adept at learning beak tricks
than claw tricks. They have high pitched voices and are not the very best
talkers, but they can be trained with patience and repetition.
When trained by one person, be sure to introduce the cockatiel
to others to avoid it becoming a one person bird. Repetition, patience
and time are the keys to successful training! For help with tricks and training, try Chet Womachs Parakeet/Cockatiel Training Course. For speech training try Teach Your Parrot to Talk.
Activities:
Cockatiels love climbing and stretching their wings, as well
as playing. Keep the quantity of toys and accessories in the cage light
so that you don't inhibit the bird's movements. They enjoy a variety of
toys such as seed treats, swings, ladders, bells, and mirrors. Tree branches
and wooden chews provide excellent exercise and keep the beak trim. Bright
shiny plastic toys are for parakeets, not cockatiels! Never give them
rubber toys!
A tame cockatiel will enjoy a playpen outside of the cage.
It makes a superior cockatiel toy and can be equipped with ladders, perches,
swings and hanging toys.
10 to 12 hours of rest are needed each day for a healthy,
well adjusted cockatiel.
Breeding/Reproduction:
An excellent breeding choice because cockatiel is on of the
easiest of the parrots to breed in captivity. In the wild, cockatiels
will often pair for life, building their nests in tree hollows about 6
or more feet above the ground. A good size breeding cage is 48" wide
by 48" long by 24"-36" high (120x120x60-90 cm high). The
recommended nest box size is 12" wide by 16" long by 12"
high (30x40x30 cm high) with a 3" hole. The box should have an inch
or two of wood shavings or pine bedding in the bottom.
Cockatiels should be 18 months to two years old to begin
breeding. Keep in mind that pet cockatiels can often become aggressive
toward you during breeding. Mating can be immediate or may take up to
4 to 6 weeks, during which time there will be a lot of mutual preening.
The female will lay an egg every other day for a clutch of between 3 to
9 eggs. The incubation period is 18 - 20 days. The chicks will begin to
leave the nest at about 5 - 6 weeks and will be totally independent about
2 weeks after leaving the nest.
Potential Problems:
The cockatiel is a very hardy bird. However, signs
of illness to be aware of are if a bird shows a lack of activity,
the feathers are ruffled, or if it shows any signs of weight loss (weight
loss can be quick and fatal).
Some of the common illnesses and injuries your
cockatiel could contract are broken wings or legs, cuts and open wounds,
overgrown beaks and nails, lameness or sore feet, feather picking, feather
cysts, weight loss, heat stroke, shock, concussions, egg binding, indigestion,
eye disease, mites, watery eyes, colds, tumors, Psittacosis, coccidiosis,
French molt, goiter, E. coli, Aspergillosis, conjunctivitis, constipation,
diarrhea, arthritis and rheumatism.
Set up a hospital cage where you cover all but the front
of the cage and add a light bulb or heating pad to keep the interior cage
at a recommended constant temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove
all perches and put food and water dishes on the floor. If you don't see
improvements within a few hours, an ailing parrot should be taken to a
avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
Behavior problems usually stem from something missing in the bird's environment. Cockatoos are particularly vulnerable to feather plucking because of their intense need for socializtion. Boredom, lack of trust, lack of interaction with other birds or people can lead to problems like biting, feather plucking, and screaming. Try to develop a bond of trust and spend time with your bird to help avoid these problems. We have also had good success with Chet Womach's Parrot Training Course. He offers free 3-day introductory course so you can try it out before you buy anything.
Availability:
The Australian government instituted a strict ban on the
export of these native birds in 1994, consequently, all the cockatiels
in the United States are from captive breed stock. They are readily available
in the pet industry in their natural grey coloration as well as in the
many color mutations. Cockatiels are a fairly inexpensive little parrot.
