Cockatiel Bird Facts, Behavior and Health Care Info

If you are new to owning and raising birds, a cockatiel may be just what you are looking for. These birds are friendly and are great for beginners since caring for them is not that difficult. Cockatiels love to have their necks scratched and enjoy cuddling with people. Many love whistling and can be quite talkative as well.

Behavior and Characteristics
For a smaller talking bird, cockatiels are among the best, but not nearly as advanced as the African gray. If your cockatiel is eager to learn, his high little voice could produce as many as fifty different words. This takes a considerable amount of time working with them and some cockatiels would rather just whistle a tune than talk. Many owners can’t even get their birds to say hello to them.

The dander from shedding cockatiels could be problematic for people who have asthma or allergies. These birds have a lot of dander, making them similar to African grays and cockatoos. Spraying your bird’s feathers each day with a light mist can aid in keeping the dander down in the event that allergies and asthma are a concern. A plexiglass cage can also be used to prevent the spread of dust and dander that could intensify your symptoms.

Appearance
After you have decided to go with a cockatiel, the next thing to consider is choosing one of the many color mutations. Cockatiels are available in many different colors due to many years of being bred and raised in captivity.

Commonly, cockatiels will be the standard gray variety, with mature males having bright yellow faces with orange patches. A bird with a popular tan mutation is the cinnamon cockatiel. Males of this variety develop the same facial coloring as the standard grey as they mature.

Pearl cockatiels get their name from the pearly white spots on their wings and chest. Male pearls will lose those spots as they mature, though. Grey cockatiels look similar to normal pearls whereas cinnamon pearls resemble cinnamon males.

Another favorite color choice are pied cockatiels. They have yellow or white bodies with blotches of cinnamon, pearl or grey on them. One that has colored wings with an all yellow body is called a clear pied cockatiel.

Other color options include whiteface and yellowface, as well as Lutino cockatiels. Lutinos are bright yellow in color, making them extremely popular as pets. The downside of this type of cockatiel is that they are so high strung that sometimes they appear to become frightened for no reason at all. Although this is not always the case, a Lutino may not best the best choice for your first bird.

Cockatiels Care Info
After you have chosen the cockatiel with your favorite color combination, you will need to consider what type of cage to use. The spacing of the bars on the cage should be your main concern when choosing a cage. If the bars are too far apart your bird may stick his head through them. At this point, your bird may injure himself by trying to stick his head back into the cage through another set of bars rather than pulling backwards back into the cage.

Many cockatiels have been injured or killed in this fashion. Be certain that the cage you plan to use is suitable for cockatiels. ¾ of an inch (1.91cm) is the maximum recommended space between bars.

         

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