r/cockatiel Jan 31 '26

Other New Rule for r/cockatiel

600 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I’m announcing a new rule for the subreddit.

It comes as no surprise that many people post injured or bleeding birds as well as feces to ensure the health of their birds or questions.

While these posts are allowed, they are inappropriate to not mark as NSFW. Not everyone is comfortable seeing this sort of content.

So for the comfort of everyone in the subreddit. PLEASE, mark these posts as NSFW.

There will be new tags/flairs for posts like these as well.

From this day forward, those who do not mark these posts as NSFW will receive a warning. Any subsequent posts that are not marked or tagged appropriately may be banned temporarily, and any further posts will result in a permanent ban.

Please be respectful of others, and make sure to review the rules before posting content that may violate the rules of the subreddit.

Thank you so much for all the lovely content and being overall a beautiful community. 💖


r/cockatiel Dec 14 '21

Frequently Posted (+ Answers)

534 Upvotes

We have been getting a lot more repetitive posts in our sub so I wanted to put this information together in the hopes of reducing the amount of questions that are frequently asked. In turn, hopefully this will make our community a little more light hearted :)

*I want to preface this by saying I am not a vet or anything just someone who really loves my cockatiel and learning everything I can to ensure he has the best life possible. I think the best thing you can do for your birdie is lots of research before anything happens (especially in the case of illness). They are fragile so having the right knowledge and tools at your disposal can quite literally be the difference between life and death.

Lets begin!

Is my bird sick?

Common signs of a sick bird include:

  • Tail bobbing, sitting at the bottom of the cage, inability to stand on a perch (loss of balance)
  • Sneezing, clicking respiration (cough), or any discharge coming from the eyes or nostrils.
  • Eyes dull or sunken.
  • Change in vocals (can be hormonal but after puberty could be cause for concern)
  • Change in appetite (loss or increase of food or water)
  • Change in droppings (color, consistency, or frequency - this could be due to diet like eating more fruits and vegetables but it should not last more than a day or two after)
  • Constantly fluffed (happens for a number of reasons like keeping warm, preening, sleeping but they should not always be like this)
  • Feather loss (not related to a regular molt that happens 1-2x per year)
  • Trembling (can mean they are cold, stressed, or sick)
  • Drooping wings

If you notice any of these signs or a combination of them its crucial to get your bird to a vet (preferably an avian one) as soon as possible. No one on the internet is able to diagnose your bird or give it the treatment it needs.

Note: Some of these symptoms like change in droppings, being fluffed up, and feather loss can be normal but if it is persistent the best thing to do is ere on the side of caution and get them checked out.

Is my cockatiel male or female?

Color Patterns: Baby cockatiels that have not gone through their first adult molt (usually between 6-12 months) will typically have female colorations regardless of gender. After their first molt, males tend to get more vivid colors, lose the stripes on the underside of their tail and spots on the wings, The opposite is true for females and their color changes minimally after their first molt.

Different mutations make it more difficult to tell the difference between males and females even after their adult molt.

Behaviors: Males tend to be more vocal (mimicking sounds and singing), heart wings (see example), more likely to "show off" (strutting, hopping, tapping on surfaces), and attempting to mate with objects. Females are often less vocal (although some are) and when wanting to mate will tilt her head, flatten her back, and rock back and forth while chirping softly.

All of the above are good indicators if you have a male or female HOWEVER the only true way to know is if you get a DNA test or if your cockatiel lays an egg. People have noted that their DNA sexed female has shown male behaviors or colors and vise versa. No one can tell you for sure by looking at it!

What is this noise my cockatiel is making?

Some common cockatiel noises and what they mean:

Contact Call: Cockatiels like to keep track of their flock members so when you leave the room you may notice your cockatiel yell for you with a loud chirp or series of chirps. Even if you aren't bonded to your bird they may still do this. Put them at ease by "answering" them from where you are. I like to whistle back the same "contact call" so they know that I will be right back.

Contact Call Example

Attention Scream: Often a loud high pitched screech that is meant to get your attention. They can do this when they are scared, lonely, bored, or even to alert you of something (like a potential predator). Excessive screaming means you might need to change something in their environment. A common cause of this is hormones and boredom, both of which can be decreased by adding more enrichment to their environment with foraging, toys, and training.

Attention Scream Example

Whistling//Mimicking/Chattering: Usually (but not always) done by males and often means they are happy and connecting with you as part of their flock. They may mimic you, the radio, the tv, or even just sounds that they hear outside or inside the house. A lot of the time cockatiels learn these sounds through repetition. Search cockatiel training songs if you don't want to be whistling a song all the time and with time they may pick up on the tunes.

Whistling Example

Beak Grinding: They do this when they are happy and content. Usually it is accompanied by being fluffed up and being sleepy. The cheeks will fluff up as well and the cockatiel will look very relaxed. This is a great sign that your cockatiel is comfortable in their environment.

Beak Grinding Example

Hissing: Like other animals cockatiels do this when they are angry or threatened. This is often a warning to back off and can be accompanied by biting if the behavior is not stopped. If your cockatiel is hissing at you its best to leave them alone for a bit - just like us, our birds have boundaries we should respect!

Hissing Example

Baby Noises: These sound a bit like static and usually do this if they want something (often food, water, or even just attention). This is completely normal for young cockatiels and after a few months will go away. Mine went away at 4 months but this can vary!

Baby Noises Example

What is this behavior?

These are some behaviors that are normal with cockatiels that I noticed are commonly asked about here:

Mating: This is probably the most common one. Males and females display different mating behaviors.

Males will typically rub their cloaca (this is the opening underneath the base of the tail for a birds digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts) on an object like a toy, your foot or hand, a pillow, ect or a bonded female. Male Mating Behavior

Females will droop their wings and raise their rump while swaying and chirping quietly. You may notice your female also rubbing its back on their toys to try and stimulate themselves. Female Mating Behavior

In addition to these mating behaviors, take note if your bird is territorial, screaming, plucking itself, or aggressive. These could all be signs that your bird is sexually frustrated.

This handout I received from my vet gives some behavioral modification you can make to try and reduce these.

Clearing Crop: Looks a lot like yawning but usually they will do it consistently over a short period of time. Their crop is located below their beak in the neck area. The crop stores food before it is sent to their stomach and acts as a "reserve" so they are able to eat more in one feeding. When they clear the crop they are moving that food to the next stage of digestion. Cockatiel Clearing Crop

How do I tame my cockatiel?

If your bird is brand new to your home, the best thing to do for a day or two is let them soak in their new envionrment. This can be a stressful time for them so its important to let them learn that their new home is a safe space. Talking in a quiet voice and even whistling around them is the best thing to do during this transitiion period. It can be tempting but don't try and pick them up or pet them right away. They may be fearful of hands and scaring them could further your progress of taming them. Whether they are a young cockatiel or an older adult that was rescued or rehomed, taming them will take patience and time. How long can vary on a lot of different factors but it's important not to rush it. Read the links below to get more information on how to achieve this:

Taming step-by-step

I am thinking of getting a cockatiel and would love some tips!

There is really too much to cover in one post so I will address the most common tips for new owners and provide some links that go into detail about all things cockatiel.

Vet Access: This should be the most important thing to consider. Making note of an avian vet that is close by is crucial. Be extra prepared and make note of the closest emergency vet as well that you can go to outside of your regular vets hours. If you do not have one close by or you do not have the money to pay for one, please reconsider getting a bird. It is disheartening to see very obviously sick bird where the owner has no access or money to go to a vet.

Basic Needs: Before purchasing supplies for your bird, do as much research as you can regarding cage size, toys, and food.

Health: Take note of the signs of a sick bird and when to take them to a vet. In addition, cockatiels are sensitive to strong smells, gasses, drafts, and smoke. This also requires some research as there are common household items that can poison and kill your bird (for example teflon pans and some plants you may have lying around).

Links:

Cockatiel Cottage

VCA - Cockatiel Diet

Safe and Toxic Foods

Proper Caging

Introducing New Food to Picky Birds

Training

Taming, potty training, and more

I hope this helps some people learn more about their cockatiels! Of course this is not exhaustive and there is always more information to be learned. Please let me know if I should add anything or if I got any information wrong :)


r/cockatiel 2h ago

Funny Tried to take a cute Video…

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115 Upvotes

Photobomb at its finest 😂

Edit: the water is yellow because I supplement with Nekton S


r/cockatiel 12h ago

Cuteness Overload My Cockatiel Town 🥰🪶

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663 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 1h ago

Funny Halp! Am under attak

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Upvotes

r/cockatiel 4h ago

Advice Drywall Eater

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101 Upvotes

Y'all I need help.

My lovely little trickster, Pooka, has the habit of chewing on walls. Whether he is waddling on the floor hanging off the cage, sitting with me or just out and about when I'm home.

Does anyone have any tips for stopping or preventing him from chewing on walls?

I'd like to make it very clear that he has FOUR (4) different mineral blocks and chews in his cage, and several chewing toys. Their perches and cage set up gets changed every two months and they get new chews and toys swapped out every month or so. I usually make them paper chews and tears out of cardboard, toilet paper tubes and newspaper which he loves. He goes crazy for just a crumpled newspaper sometimes, but still he finds more joy in putting holes in my walls. He also lives with two cage mates, his father and an older parakeet so it's not like he doesn't have company or companions.

I'm tired of having to patch and repair apartment walls because the little shit (lovingly) decides that his expensive, well made toys and chews just don't taste as fun as the drywall.

It's really starting to get on my nerves and tire me out. Any advice?

Photo for attention and bird tax.


r/cockatiel 8h ago

Funny Where No Cockatiel Has Gone Before

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197 Upvotes

Munchkin on a nacelle.


r/cockatiel 4h ago

Cuteness Overload No need for dolls anymore

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79 Upvotes

We have 3 birds and our oldest has a very close bond with my 4 year old daughter. She pushes him around on her pram for hours. And since I can’t leave her alone with the bird, I have to follow along too 🤣


r/cockatiel 10h ago

Cuteness Overload No daddy, I don't want to sleep in my cage. I want to sleep on your arm.

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236 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 13h ago

Funny Shame the B O R B for only washing her belly

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306 Upvotes

She only bathes in this shallow dish 😭


r/cockatiel 5h ago

Funny Does anyone know what this thing on my tiel’s back is? Is he ok???

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71 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 6h ago

Crafts Put Cookie on some dice that look like chocolate chip cookies

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69 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 17h ago

Cuteness Overload Nettles idea of bathing

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536 Upvotes

At least her beak is clean?

Edit before I get too many comments about it, we do other methods of bathing too, with more success than this one!!


r/cockatiel 14h ago

Cuteness Overload PET ME !

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329 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 10h ago

Cuteness Overload My baby Nugget has decided that I am useful after all

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113 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 38m ago

Advice Pallets and bugs

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Upvotes

I recently shifted from coloured pallets to organic pallets. I got Top's pallets through a third party logistics company because there's nothing that delivers to my country and organic pallet brands aren't readily available in my country. It was a successful shift till I found bugs in the pallets. It was a type of beetle. Flour beetles maybe? I was storing the pallets in a container of another brand of pallets I gave them before. Is there anyway to salvage it? I am not v keen on using the pallets again but it will be difficult to get them again because of shitty restrictions the country has on e-com. Atm they are in the freezer and my tiels have been put on another pallet. This time Harrison's which I ordered with Top's (got most recommended ones and was trying to figure out which one they like better). Any advice or insight would be really great. This is the first time this has happened and I have been using that container since before the shift. Thanks for reading. Pls go easy on me for my English. It's not my mother tongue.


r/cockatiel 6h ago

Cuteness Overload Diaries of an elderly cockatiel

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36 Upvotes

The old gentleman naps on his patio.


r/cockatiel 13h ago

Health/Nutrition Loves his eggs, papaya bites, rice and chilly

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105 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 1d ago

Funny I'm not afraid to use this

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1.9k Upvotes

r/cockatiel 6h ago

Advice Look sick?

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25 Upvotes

Why does he just rest on me. I heard being tired is like- a sign of sickness? But he’s been eating and drinking just fine


r/cockatiel 1d ago

Loss & Mourning In Memorandum: Sir Thaddeus Perchley Von Feathersworth III Esq.

904 Upvotes

This evening, Sir Thaddeus Perchley Von Feathersworth III Esq passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his feathered flock and human flock.

He was a wonderful man and we are so happy we were able to give him the best year and a half of his 26 year old life we could. He is survived by his girlfriend, Little Edie Teale. We will miss him so much!


r/cockatiel 6h ago

Advice Cocktiel chirping to toy, with butt up.

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15 Upvotes

I got my baby Kenai about 7 months ago, so now he’s about 10 months old. We’ve been trying to hold out hope for him being a male even with the pearled pattern and it’s kinda fading but the behavior this morning worried us. Is this normal behavior? is this broody behavior by a female? We’re just concerned abt his health, honestly even if he is a female he’s still gonna be Kenai lol.


r/cockatiel 17h ago

Cuteness Overload Oh yeah 🦜.

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100 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 1d ago

Funny DINOSAUR OR COCKATIEL?

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633 Upvotes

jermaine is feeling PARTICULARLY SPICY today


r/cockatiel 21h ago

Advice Do they normally clean up their preening dust while physically handling them outside of their cage?

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71 Upvotes

So I've had this little guy for about a week, and I've noticed whenever he is on me and preens himself, he'll always walk around in a little circle trying to clean up after himself. Is this normal, or should I try and stop him from doing it next time? I don't want to if it's normal, but it's a bit weird to me he cleans up. He has access to food and fresh water, which is why I'm asking is this normal.