Cockatiels
Cockatiels
are very popular pets for good reason. In fact, they are so popular that once you
recognize their whistle, you will be shocked at how many you hear chirping from
their homes as you walk through your neighborhood. Cockatiels
have many desirable traits that make them ideal first birds, yet they have a
lot to offer experienced
keepers as well. They have happy, charming personalities and come
in a variety of colors. They are inexpensive, easy to care for, and are gentle
and good
with children and the elderly (or anyone, like my wife, who is fearful of
getting fingers bit by bigger birds). Often people begin their bird search
looking for something really exotic, but don't overlook that Cockatiel available
in almost any pet store!
Description
Cockatiels are native to the arid grasslands of Australia, but the Cockatiels
that we keep outside of Australia
have been bred in captivity for many generations. The normal gray Cockatiel,
like its wild counterpart, is primarily gray with a white patch on its wing and
orange patches on its cheeks (a very pretty bird despite the description of a
gray body). Cockatiels breed so easily that breeders have developed many color
varieties that are not found in the wild and new color varieties are being
developed every year. Some common color varieties are lutino, pied, pearl,
whiteface, cinnamon, and fallow. Many of these varieties, also called mutations
(though don't take that negatively), can be combined to form even more varieties
such as pearl-pied or whiteface-cinnamon. In the bird world, determining the sex
of a bird can often be difficult for a human though
other birds apparently find
it easy. However, Cockatiels, in their normal congenial manner, have made it
easy for us. The gender of a normal gray Cockatiel can be determined by the
amount of yellow on the face. Only the males develop a large vivid yellow area
surrounding the orange spot on the cheeks. Females have only a small amount of
yellow on the face and the yellow is much less intense. It may serve you well to
go to a local pet store and try to compare the adult Cockatiels in a cage to see
if you can notice the difference. Here's the catch though: the males don't
develop the distinctive yellow coloring until 6-8 months of age. Since you
probably will be buying a younger bird, you will have to rely on the breeder or
pet store to provide you with their educated guess. Further, determining the sex
of some of the other color varieties, suchas the pied, is not as easy.
Choosing your Cockatiel
When choosing your new pet Cockatiel, it is most important to acquire a young
bird. A bird 2-3 months of age is
ideal. Young Cockatiels offered for sale are often hand-raised
(hand-fed by people from a
very young age) and naturally tame already. Parent-raised Cockatiels can make
equally tame and delightful pets if tamed as soon as possible after they are
independent from their parents at approximately 7-8 weeks of age.
Feeding
Cockatiels, in
the wild, feed primarily on the seeds and shoots of Spinifex grass, which is
native to Australia. Don't worry, you don't need to grow a field of Spinifex
grass for your Cockatiel. We can simulate their diet in captivity by feeding a
good quality seed mix, usually one containing lots of millet and grains. The
seed mix should have a low percentage of oil seeds such as sunflower or
safflower as these can promote obesity, acommon malady of caged pets. It is
essential to provide fresh greens and other fresh produce such as grated carrots
to supply important vitamins and minerals that are not
present in seed. This is
easy to do if you get in the habit of setting aside a small portion
as you chop veggies for your
evening meal. Do note, however, that once your pet becomes accustomed to this
routine, he will complain loudly if dinner passes without him being served. You
may consider this annoying, or simply use it as the reminder it is intended to
be.
A well cared for Cockatiel will have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. Do
consider this when your college bound 17 year old asks for a Cockatiel. Any size
house/apartment can easily accommodate a Cockatiel's cage requirements. The
minimum size cage for a pet
should measure roughly 18"X16"X18" (LXWXH), but bigger is always
better. Larger cages allow for more toys and room for exercise. Many
times I am asked if mites are a problem with pet Cockatiels. Mites are usually
only a concern in outdoor breeding set-ups where the mites are passed from wild
birds into the nest boxes. There, they can multiply and irritate the baby
Cockatiels. I generally donot recommend mite sprays or repellants for indoor
birds, as the mites are rarely present there, and good hygiene will prevent them
before they become a problem.
The voice of a Cockatiel is not loud compared to similar sized parrots such as
Conures. This makes Cockatiels ideal birds for apartments or condos. Their
natural sound is a short high-pitched
whistle. They generally whistle when they are excited, startled or want
attention, though they are not generally considered annoying as other birds can
certainly be.
Cockatiels are ideal birds for the beginning aviculturist as they are easy to
breed and are usually good parents. Cockatiels are one of the few birds in the
parrot family that can be bred in a colony set up (more than one
pair in the same cage). Many breeders, however, have
better results by housing individual pairs per cage. I have bred single pairs of
Cockatiels in cages as small as 18"X36"X18" (L X W XH), but more
room is recommended to allow for
plenty of exercise to keep the breeding birds in good shape. If you wish to
colony breed, a large walk-in style aviary is needed. For 2-3 pairs, the aviary
should measure at least 6'X4'X6' (L
X W X H),
or longer. It is important that extra nest boxes are provided to prevent
squabbling over nest sites, usually 4-6 nest boxes for 3 pairs. Nest box
size is approximately 10"X10"X12"-20" (L X W X H).
