All about cockateils?

Question

well i want to know ALL about cockateils. how and where to train them ,how to bond with them,and how to stop their aggression,also how do i know if its a male or a female..she knows the step up command fairly well.i would like to teach her some tricks .Easy tricks please.and if u could describe the tricks really well.also if u have a viedo or anything please let me know.

Answer 1

As the No. 1 pet bird with BIRD TALK readers, the cockatiel doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. These slender Australian parrots, available in a variety of mutations, are affectionate, playful and opinionated. They’ll cuddle up under your chin as readily as they’ll wander around the house (on foot) calling out to intruders. “Milder temperament than other parrot species; very sweet family birds; less prone to “psychological problems” than other psittacine birds.” -Liz Wilson, CVT  

Cinnamon Mutation Cockatiel Stats



Scientific Name:  Nymphicus hollandicus

Size:  12 to 13 inches

Native Region:  Australia

Life Expectancy:  15 to 30 years

Noise Level:  Moderate. Males usually sing to attract a mate or at the beginning and end of the day, while females chirp to get the attention of their owner or mate. Males are known for being more vocal than female cockatiels, whose chirping is softer.

Talk/Trick Ability:  Moderate, a 25-word vocabulary is said to be the average. These parrots will imitate household noises such as the microwave, telephone ring or dog bark.

Cinnamon Mutation Cockatiel Species Profile



Traits:  Cockatiels are curious birds that will snoop around and climb into nooks and crannies, bookcases, cabinets and other tight spots to investigate. These pet birds also enjoy tasting the food their owners are eating. Beak tapping occurs with some cockatiels, where the bird taps their beak on a food dish or perch to get the attention or to motivate someone to let the bird out and play. Night frights are a common occurrence with this pet bird when some shadow in the window or noise from outside startles them. To avoid or minimize night frights, move their cage away from the window so shadows do not startle them and keep a dim light plugged in the bird room. A mutation, such as color or pattern, occurs naturally. However, bird breeders can breed for certain traits, and they have been breeding for different color mutations in cockatiels since the 1940s. Cinnamon is a color mutation, where the color is a light brown.

Behavior/Health Concerns:  Cockatiels will sometimes hiss and sway as a way to intimidate someone they see as an intruder. Cockatiels often swing down beneath their perch to spread their wings for exercise, and they are also known for performing stretching exercises. In the wild, these birds are ground foragers. As pets, cockatiels pick up seed and other food that has dropped to the bottom of their cage. To keep cockatiels from eating their droppings, it is recommended that there be a grate at the bottom of their cage. Common medical concerns for cockatiels include upper respiratory and fatty liver diseases. Keeping your cockatiel on low-calorie, balanced diet will minimize the chances contracting fatty liver disease. Giardiosis, an intestinal parasite is another common medical condition in these birds. The fungal disease aspergillosis usually affects a cockatiel’s sinuses, lungs or air sacs. Cockatiels like to shred or chew the paper lining at the bottom of their cage, however, males and females do this for different reasons. Female cockatiels shred paper during certain seasons for hormonal purposes, preparing her nest site. Males chew on paper to entertain themselves and to satisfy their chewing urge. Cockatiels will “flirt” with each other. Females spread their wings while hanging upside down to get noticed and male cockatiels strut around singing a special melody while standing upright with their wings held out to the side. The male will move up to and away from the female until she signals approval by going into a crouching position on the perch, elevating her tail feathers. Female cockatiels commonly become chronic egg-layers if they are fed a seed and fruit diet because the fat in seeds encourages egg laying and the limited diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals. Egg binding is an emergency female reproductive disorder in which the bird cannot pass the egg out of her oviduct and vent blocking her excretory system.



Normal Grey Cockatiel Stats



Scientific Name:  Nymphicus hollandicus

Size:  12 to 13 inches

Native Region:  Australia

Life Expectancy:  15 to 30 years

Noise Level:  Moderate. Males usually sing to attract a mate or at the beginning and end of the day, while females chirp to get the attention of their owner or mate. Males are known for being more vocal than female cockatiels, whose chirping is softer.

Talk/Trick Ability:  Moderate, a 25-word vocabulary is said to be the average. These parrots will imitate household noises such as the microwave, telephone ring or dog bark.

Normal Grey Cockatiel Species Profile



Traits:  Cockatiels are curious birds that will snoop around and climb into nooks and crannies, bookcases, cabinets and other tight spots to investigate. These pet birds also enjoy tasting the food their owners are eating. Beak tapping occurs with some cockatiels, where the bird taps their beak on a food dish or perch to get the attention or to motivate someone to let the bird out and play. Night frights are a common occurrence with this pet bird when some shadow in the window or noise from outside startles them. To avoid or minimize night frights, move their cage away from the window so shadows do not startle them and keep a dim light plugged in the bird room. If you went to Australia to look at cockatiels in the wild, you’d find a predominantly gray flock. They still have the yellow heads (the males) and orange cheek patches but their body color is gray. Many cockatiels offered as pets come in this “normal grey” color. The color of gray can vary from cockatiel to cockatiel. In the US, we use the English/Australian spelling of the word gray when referring to the color type of the cockatiel.

Behavior/Health Concerns:  Cockatiels will sometimes hiss and sway as a way to intimidate someone they see as an intruder. Cockatiels often swing down beneath their perch to spread their wings for exercise, and they are also known for performing stretching exercises. In the wild, these birds are ground foragers. As pets, cockatiels pick up seed and other food that has dropped to the bottom of their cage. To keep cockatiels from eating their droppings, it is recommended that there be a grate at the bottom of their cage. Common medical concerns for cockatiels include upper respiratory and fatty liver diseases. Keeping your cockatiel on low-calorie, balanced diet will minimize the chances contracting fatty liver disease. Giardiosis, an intestinal parasite is another common medical condition in these birds. The fungal disease aspergillosis usually affects a cockatiel’s sinuses, lungs or air sacs. Cockatiels like to shred or chew the paper lining at the bottom of their cage, however, males and females do this for different reasons. Female cockatiels shred paper during certain seasons for hormonal purposes, preparing her nest site. Males chew on paper to entertain themselves and to satisfy their chewing urge. Cockatiels will “flirt” with each other. Females spread their wings while hanging upside down to get noticed and male cockatiels strut around singing a special melody while standing upright with their wings held out to the side. The male will move up to and away from the female until she signals approval by going into a crouching position on the perch, elevating her tail feathers. Female cockatiels commonly become chronic egg-layers if they are fed a seed and fruit diet because the fat in seeds encourages egg laying and the limited diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals. Egg binding is an emergency female reproductive disorder in which the bird cannot pass the egg out of her oviduct and vent blocking her excretory system



Training your bird at a young age is ideal when compared to re-training or correcting the bad habits of an older bird. Some pet owners can become sidetracked by the freshness of having a new bird and enjoying their cuteness while they’re still baby birds; however, you must remember that in order to set the stage for the future, it is important to socialize your bird, work on good communication, and establish trust at a young age.  Just as human babies need to learn to eat with a spoon and play well with others before they tackle long division, baby birds need to start with the basics. Spend time with your young bird developing trust and teaching the basics of good bird behavior. For example:

Body handling. If you help your baby bird become accustomed to being gently handled now, you will prevent many problems later. For example, gently playing with your bird’s feet and toes will help it tolerate toenail filing. Gently lift its wings, so a trip to the groomer doesn’t become a nightmare later on.

Toweling: Start using the towel as part of your play with your baby bird, gradually working into wrapping your bird up in the towel. When you or your vet need to wrap the bird in the towel for its own safety, the experience will be much less stressful.

Beaking: Baby birds use their beaks to explore, but now is the time to let your bird know that anything beyond gentle nibbles is unacceptable. Frown and tell your bird “No,” and leave it alone for a minute or two, so it associates biting with being put in “time-out.”

Harness: It can take some time before a bird accepts wearing a harness or flight suit, but things will go more smoothly if you start when the bird is young. Once you get your bird into the harness, take it outside, at least briefly, so it learns why the harness is worth the bother. It’s also a good time to try out the carrier. Take short car rides that don’t end at the vet each time, and your bird might look forward to them.

You will begin to notice better communication between you and your baby bird. Working with your bird frequently allows you to become familiar with the body language and preferences of the bird, making it easier to know what your pet wa

Answer 2

I don't know a ton about cockateils, but if you look at their ceres, (the skin above their beaks where their nostrils are) If the cere is purple, pinky, or brown, It's a female. If the cere is blue or grayish white, then it's a male. So ya..that's really all i know. But if you keep surfing the web for cockateil info, there are some REALLY good websites!! Goodluck! Oh plus if you got to birdlovervideos.com, there are some videos of different birds dancing, singing, and doing tricks! :)

Answer 3

There are tons of websites on Cockatiels. Enough to keep you reading and learning for days. Some are easy to s*x, some are not. The cere theory applies to Parakeets, not Cockatiels.

Answer 4

you could get a book, put out by animal planet, called Cockatiels, it is very very helpful.  (and I only paid 7.00 bucks for it) It tells you everything, from correct nutrition, to bonding, to bathing and things you wouldn't even think you would need to know.

The only trick other than step up that my cockatiel knows, is something I did not mean to teach her.  (and according to that book, its easy to teach them it) but when she is on my finger, I hold her by my face and I say Norma, can I have a kiss? and she kisses my lip or cheek. That book said kissing is something natural to them, so it makes it easier to teach them.