COCKATIELS
General Information
Care
Cockatiels need a lot of attention. If you do not have the time to take it out and play with it every day then I would suggest a smaller bird such as a Budgie, Finch or Canary. Cockatiels love rutine. Try to take them out and play with them at the same time every night. And if you forget to take them out one night, they will start to walk back and forth in their cage and get upset. You also must change the papers on the bottom of their cage at least once a day. They also must be given fresh food and water daily. It would also be good if you provided them with a bird bath. Cockatiles love to take baths, or spray them with a spray bottle (make sure it is set to mist). If you do not have the time to do all of these things daily then you are not ready for a Cockatiel, and remember these are just the basics.
CAGE
I do not suggest a round cage for Cockatiels. Round cages tend to make them go slightly crazy. Even though before I knew this I used to keep one of my Cockatiels in a round cage for a couple of years and it did not seem to effect her, I still here in most cases it can. Also round cages tend to be very small. Make sure that the cage is lage enough for them to spread their wings in, and that they won't be cramped. Also be sure to put a lot of toys in the cage as well so that they do not get bored when you are out.
LIFE SPAN
The Life Span of Cockatiels is what many people must be aware of. If you are buying a Cockatiel you must be prepared to take care of it for a long time. Cockatiles can live on average with proper care 20-25 years. If you are not prepared for that kind of commitment then I suggest you get a smaller bird.
MALE OR FEMALE?
With Cockatiles I do not find attitude wise that there is a major difference between the two sex's in Cockatiels. They both can be sweet loving and affectionate. The only main difference between males and females are the whistling. The males have beautiful whistling calls (which can get loud at certain times). Yet they both make wonderful pets.
HISTORY
The Cockatiels origianted in Australia, and their natural colour is the Normal Grey. All of the other colours are just mutations. Cockatiels were well known and widley bred from the 1840's onwards, yet it was not until a century later that the first mutation the pied became established. It was the emergence of the Lutino mutation in Florida during the late 1950's that first focused attention on Cockatiels.