COCKATIELS

When buying a cockatiel it is best to buy one that was a handfed baby. Keep in mind that just because a bird was handfed does not mean that it was properly socialized. Baby cockatiels look like females. Females and young cockatiels will have bars under their tails. There are exceptions to this as well, since many of the new color mutations do not have bars on their tails. For your basic grey and yellow cockatiel, however, you will find this barring. A young male cockatiel will also have only a small amount of yellow on their heads. As they get older the yellow becomes more noticeable. With their first complete molt, they will lose their baby tail feathers that will be replaced with tail feathers without the bars. Regarding pearled cockatiels, only the females will retain their pearled markings. Male pearled cockatiels will lose their pearled markings as they mature. There are no visual adult male pearled cockatiels.

They are wonderful companions for a child, provided there is adult supervision. As with any bird, each one will have their own unique personality. Some will be timid and gentle, while others can become very nippy at times. These times seem to be around the mating season and are probably due to hormones.

They are smart and entertaining and can easily be taught a variety of tricks. They do best if they are allowed out often, receiving a lot of attention. You may find that some cockatiels may not like hands or fingers very much. This can also occur with handfed babies that may or may not have been properly socialized. You can use your hand with fingers folded over and then slowly let your fingers show more and more. This seems to work with some cockatiels. It allows them to slowly become used to fingers and at their own rate.

Cockatiels are considered to be a powdery bird like their relatives the cockatoos. Because of this they are not a good pet choice for people with respiratory problems or for people who are neatness freaks. This fine white powder will get everywhere. However, by misting the bird regularly it can cut down on some if this powder.

They are around 75-140 grams and are around 12 inches in length.

Cockatiels are prone to night-fright (certain color mutations such as the Lutino, pearled, pied, and white-faced seem to be more prone to this problem than the grey or cinnamons), fatty liver disease, dietary deficiencies, giardia, color-mutation related problems, and egg laying problems. They can live 15-25 years if they receive proper care and diet.

Interesting facts: 1) Are sometimes called Weero or Quarrion or crested parakeets. 2) Cockatiels are one of the fastest flying of the Australian cockatiels.