Some of the questions I receive and the answers I give about the wonderful Cockatiel.

How long do Cockatiels live?
This varies a lot between birds, but the average would be 12 – 17 years of age. It is not uncommon to have a cockatiel that lives to the late 20's or even into the 30's, but it is more apt to be one of the normal coloured cockatiels that reaches the higher ages.

Should I clip my Cockatiel's wings?
This is something that you will have to decide – based on your situation. Cockatiels are extremely fast fliers and must have a safe place to fly if you do not clip the wing feathers. They do love to fly and they also love to get into everything. For more information, please see Wingclipping

Do Cockatiels talk?
Yes, the male cockatiel can talk quite well. Some female cockatiels will also talk, but usually not as much or as clear as the males. The females are generally much quieter than the males are and often much more cuddley. The male cockatiels also sings and sometimes very loudly (especially in comparisson to their quiet talking voice) and some people can be bothered by the loud song.

Where is the best place to get a Cockatiel?
A cockatiel breeder would be the best place to purchase your bird. If you do not know any breeders, look for a parrot or avian club in your area where you might find a breeder or two. The breeder is likely to provide you with your pet's age and sex as well as information on the parent birds. He or she is usually available to answer questions after purchase as well. Many Cockatiels are purchased from pet stores, where the age is guessed, the sex is guessed and there is really no support after purchase.

How do I know if I have a male or female Cockatiel?
When your cockatiel is about 6 months of age, you can visually sex the normal coloured cockatiels easily. The males have the bright yellow on their heads and brighter orange cheek patches. If your bird is not the nonral grey you can still tell them apart by looking at the underside of your bird's tail (again, after the moult or about 6 months of age). The female cockatiel will have lines running across the tail. This works even with lutino cockatiels, but the lines are very pale. Unfortunately, there is no visual way to tell the sex of pied cockatiels. Another way to tell is by the song. Some male cockatiels will begin singing very young – even while still in the nestbox, while others do not sing much, if at all, until they are older.

Why does my Cockatiel lay eggs? She is the only bird I have.
Some female cockatiels do lay eggs when they are kept on their own. This means that she is nice and healthy and since she is in breeding condition, she just lays them. The best thing for you to do is to leave her alone as much as possible. Let her sit on the eggs until she leaves them – usually that will happen shortly after the eggs would have hatched if they had been fertile. If you let her sit on them, she will probably not lay any more for several months, although she might lay and incubate a second clutch before stopping. If you make the mistake of taking the eggs away as she lays them, she will continue laying more and may become ill or egg bound.