The cockatiel bird is one of the most popular birds one can buy. It's a small parrot from Down Under, offering the perfect blend of cuteness and personality. With a cockatiel by your side, you're guaranteed to never see a dull moment. Famed for their singing and lively nature, this is the perfect pet for someone that wants to brighten up their life.
If you're thinking about buying one of these cute little birds, it's essential to know what you're getting into. This post will provide as much information on cockatiel ownership as possible. By the end, you'll understand where to buy one, how long they live for, and many other key pieces of information.
Cockatoos for sale: Where to buy a pet cockatiel?
The good thing about a pet cockatiel is that it isn't hard to come by. As mentioned previously, these birds are some of the most popular house pets around. Thus, you can find a cockatiel for sale on many reputable websites.
Our advice is to choose a pet shop you can trust - preferably one with excellent reviews. PetsAtHome is a prime example, you always know that you're getting a quality service from them. Other online shops exist, but it helps if you can visit a physical location to see the bird before you buy. This will give you an inkling into its personality, and the bird will also get more used to seeing you.
How long do cockatiels live?
As with all members of the parrot family, cockatiels have an impressive lifespan. On average, they will live up to 20 years. Naturally, this makes them an ideal family pet as they stick around for a very long time.
What do cockatiels eat?
A big part of owning a pet of any kind revolves around understanding what they eat. For a cockatiel, this means you have to get your hands on the right foods to suit its diet.
Thankfully, this little parrot doesn't have a very difficult diet to appease. As far as main meals go, you can buy pre-made cockatiel mixtures that include a balanced nutritional content for them. We have a selection of these products on our website that you can purchase right now. These food products tend to contain ingredients like oats, seeds, buckwheat, etc. Cockatiels are very big on grains/seeds, so that makes up the build of their diets. Of course, this is because they're small, so they can only handle small particles of food.
If you wanted to give your bird some of the leftovers from your dinner, then we recommend avoiding this to be safe. However, it is okay to provide them with some fresh vegetables, provided they're cut up as small as can be. As far as drinks go, you only need to give your cockatiel a constant supply of water.
Cockatiel care tips
Cockatiels love attention and are very social pets. So, be sure to spend a lot of time with your bird and interact with them as much as possible. Petting your bird is absolutely fine, just use a light touch.
You must provide your bird with a big enough cage for it to live comfortably. The cage should be large enough for the cockatiel to flap its wings without coming into contact with the sides.
Can cockatiels talk?
Although a member of the parrot family, cockatiels aren't inclined to speak. Instead, you will likely hear them whistle and chirp. They make all kinds of noises, and your cockatiel will soon be singing along in its cage! If you really want a talking cockatiel, your chances are better with a male one. They are slightly more likely to talk than females, and with the right training can learn many words and phrases. As you can imagine, this makes them a very entertaining pet to have and to bond with.
Additional information on cockatiels
The last couple of things to know about aren't essential but may be relevant to some of you. Firstly, if you're keen to know the specific colours, cockatiels usually come in grey, white or yellow.
Secondly, if you're interested in breeding cockatiels, there are a few things to know. For one, they only breed when bonded with one another, so you have to spend time getting both birds acquainted. Secondly, male cockatiels must be at least 18 months old, and females should be 2 years old. The diet becomes even more important when breeding, so be sure to feed them whole foods as well as food mixes.
On that note, that's all the information you need to know about buying and owning a cockatiel. As mentioned before, this is such a common household pet as the bird is so lively and affectionate. If you're looking for a small bird to become part of your family, this could be it.