I’m thinking about adopting a cockatiel As of right now I’m taking care of a little sparrow unable to fly from a friend of mine It awakened some bird love inside of me, and I did find cockatiels really cute and easy to get
So any advice about them, on a daily basis, what should I know before hand, what not to do, what should I prepare for, etc Would be very appreciated, thanks!
Hi! It’s great to see people asking questions about owning a cockatiel before getting one. I was planning to make a resources megapost on this topic, but sadly have been too busy recently to do it. So here’s a quick TL;DR on some things to consider!
Lifestyle considerations:
Make sure there is a specialized avian vet near where you live. Emergencies can happen at any time and parrots tend to hide their illnesses very well until things get severe.
Cockatiels ideally need at least 2 hours of out-of-cage interaction/bonding time per day.
Bird lungs are very sensitive. You will need to stop using any Teflon cookware, candles, aerosols, and diffusing scents. Teflon fumes have been known to kill parrots.
Cockatiels shed a lot of feather dust. If you have pet dander allergies, it might be better to choose a different bird.
Cleaning: Like all parrots, cockatiels poop everywhere and are messy eaters, so cleaning up bird food and poop is a daily occurrence. Cages also need to be cleaned every few days.
Cost considerations:
The bird itself.
A variety of food (Pellets, seeds, treats, fresh fruits/veggies)
Large rectangular cage for home
Travel cage and/or carrier for vet trips and short road trips
Vet costs: Annual checkups and emergency visits
Toys (need to be replaced/rotated every so often to avoid your bird getting bored)
Bird-sitting/boarding fees if you travel
That is all I can think of off the top of my head. Hope this helps!
Thank you! I’ve trying to be as prepared as possible watching videos, reading articles, and with your reply!
I have a question getting the cockatiel out of the cage, I would love to let it out of the cage immediately, but it would be better to let it get used to the environment inside the cage some days before taking it out?
Cockatiels like to zoom around flying so make sure all windows are covered in the beginning to make sure they don’t fly into them.
Birds can get seriously injured or even die flying into windows. Once they’re comfortable in that space start thinking about how to teach them about the glass windows and doors. We stick decals, stickers and tape over glass surfaces so the birds can clearly see there’s something in the way.
Yes, letting the bird get used to the cage is usually recommended for the first week or two. Every bird is different though, so it’s best to see what your bird is comfortable with. Some birds are naturally more shy and apprehensive than others, and need extra time inside the safety of the cage to feel comfortable before interacting with humans. Other birds (like my Snow and Jaina when they first came home) will want to play with you right away. If you want to be extra safe, it’s best to leave your new bird in the cage undisturbed for a while and see how it behaves.