looked like punks with their headfeathers looking like a mohawk. It was a good decision.
Cockatiels are very lively birds. They are like children.
Our
first birds were called Summer and Charly. Unfortunately Charly died a
half year later -
curiosity
killed the cat - because he ate the leadballs from our curtain. It was
a hard time to see how our bird died a slow death because of the poison.
Suddenly Summer was alone. She was screaming for her Charly.
So we bought Cosmo. It was love on first sight! A great couple. (By the way: Summer is male, Cosmo is female). They were together all the time. It was a boring situation for me and my girlfriend, because both birds got only eyes for themselves. That was the time when we bought Pedro. A whitehead-cockatiel. He knows that he is an attractive bird and he tried to get in love with Cosmo. So we bought Lena for his heart. But - Pedro still loves Cosmo.
But Summer felt in love with Lena and now we have two happy couples - Summer and Lena / Pedro and Cosmo.
They are out of their cage as often as we can let them go out. They are little terrorists. They destroy everything. They show no respect to religion, they are sitting on the head of Jesus on the cross at the wall. Wallpapers? No problem for them. Newspapers? A lovely toy for them. They come to our table, they walk on the floor.
I love them so much. If you want to buy a pet - buy a couple cockatiels (but buy no single bird, they feel so lonely when you are not at home).
the following article and picture has been taken from "WP-Magazine". click on the bird to go to their homepage. there you'll find more infos about birds.
Description: grey; breast and abdomen paler, some birds tinged with brown; crest, forehead, cheeks and throat yellow; large orange-red patch to ear-coverts; greater wing-coverts and foreward secondaries white; lower back, upper tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers pale grey; outer tail-feathers and tail underside dark grey; skin to narrow periophthalmic ring grey; bill grey; iris dark brown; feet grey. Female with face and crest noticably mixed with grey; patch to ear-coverts dull orange; outer tail-feathers yellow on upperside marked in grey; greyish-white patches to inner webs of flight feathers. Immatures as female; bill flesh-coloured, adult plumage attained at 3 months; young males with more yellow feathers to head.Length: 32 cm (12.5 ins)
Distribution: Australia except for eastern, northern and southern humid areas near coast.
Habitat: virtually all types of open terrain; prefers areas near water courses and holes; grain growing areas.
Status: common, very common in some localities.
Habits: usually in pairs or small flocks; occasionally large flocks of up to several hundred birds when sufficient food available or during seasonal migrations; mostly lands in shallow water to drink; drinks quickly and does not remain at waterhole; nomadic; feeds on ground; very wary there; rests on bare branches of dead trees; less conspicuous there; very quiet when foraging; calls mostly when flying; flight swift, direct and even.
Natural diet: grass and weed seeds, seeds from bushes and trees; fruits and berries; forages regularly in grain and millet fields often causing considerable damage.
Breeding behaviour: breeding season mostly between August and December, but virtually possible all year; depends on favourable climatic conditions; several breedings one after another possible; prefers to nest in hollows in branches of tall, dead trees; territorial during breeding; 2 to 5 eggs; incubation 19 days; both parents brood; young leave nest at 5 weeks; egg measures 24.5 x 19.0 mm (0.96 x 0.75 ins).
Aviculture: quiet parakeet with melodious voice; quickly becomes confiding; not hard chewer; inoffensive to other birds; communal aviary with budgerigars and Neophema species possible; hardy.
Accommodation: large cage or outside flight 2.5 x 1 x 2 m ( 9 x 3 x 6 ft) with adjoining shelter; communal aviary 1.5 sq. metres (16 sq. ft) per pair; protect from frost in winter.
Diet: seed mix of canary seed and various millets, some oats and weed seeds (also sprouted); greenfood; various fruit and vegetables; latter often eaten with reluctance.
Breeding in aviculture: very readily breeds; no fixed time for breeding in indoor accommodation; characteristic display song; sideways tripping and flight with sudden turns during display; male seeks nest box; eggs laid every two days; clutch averages 4 to 5 eggs, occasionally 8; incubation 18 to 19 days; fledging period 33 days; young fed for further three weeks by parents.