Cockatiels

(Nymphicus hollandicus)

Wonderful Cockatiels originate from Australia, where they are still abundant in wild flocks. There are many variations of the Cockatiel in captivity and the most common is the normal grey, pictured above.

In the normal grey Cockatiel the main, (but not only) distinction between sexes is the colouration of the head and facial features. The males having a bright yellow face and orange cheek patches, the females are mainly grey around the head with a fainter orange around the cheeks.

They are approximately 12 inches from head to the end of their long tail. Because they have proved to breed quite easily in captivity they have become quite common, but because of this they should never be underrated. They make the most excellent little pets with a fairly long life span of up to 30 years.

The cockatiel on the left was bred by us and still lives with us. The right foot as you will notice sits at an odd angle. This was caused by damage in the nest box, possibly the result of having been sat on by other birds. This slight disability does not hinder him in any way at all in his daily activities.

The males make the best talkers, rather than the females, but why this is so, no-one really knows. Their diet in the wild consists of small seeds, fruit and berries, and in captivity they should be offered a good quality seed mix with a variety of fruit and vegetables offered, plus millet spray. Our cockatiels always have cuttle fish bone and iodine blocks available also.

If they are kept as pets they should be provided with a good size cage.

Do not opt for the smallest because the bird is small, however you must be aware of the bar spacing on the cage.

If the bar spacing is too wide your bird could get its head stuck.

A cage with at least three different dishes is essential, one for seed, one for water and one for fruit/vegetables.

Cockatiels do benefit from fresh vegetables such as broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, carrot, sweetcorn (ours like a corn cob spiked on a nail which they peck at) also fruit such as apple.

Cockatiels will breed on a colony system, as they are not aggressive towards each other, as some other parrots can be They will lay eggs most of the year if they are left to do so, therefore it is best to remove the nest box in the autumn, although this will not necessarily stop them from laying, and you may find eggs on the floor of the aviary or on ledges in the aviary. Careful check must be kept on your birds if this happens in the winter months, as the cold weather could contribute towards your female cockatiels becoming egg bound. When breeding they will lay six or seven eggs, and usually rear most of the clutch unaided, provided there is extra soft food available.

They will become tame quite easily without having been hand reared, (which is not necessary) provided they are acquired at a young age.

Whilst cockatiels are hardy and will survive the winter months, some form of shelter from the wind and rain is necessary. They do however like to bathe in the rain, and it is a lovely site to see them flapping their wings excitably, clearly enjoying their natural bath.

With this in mind it is a good idea to have at least part of the aviary roof open to the elements.

Cockatiels are basically miniature cockatoos. They are also ground birds, i.e. they will forage on the floor of the aviary for food, as they forage on the ground in their natural environment, so it is a good idea to worm them at regular intervals. They also do like to fly and exercise, so their aviary should be not less than 12 feet in length.

For further reading and information on the care of cockatiels both as pets and breeding we recommend the following books, packed with good information for the beginner and the accomplished breeder.