![]() Cockatiels can grow so attached to their owners that they may try to ‘protect’ them from anyone that tries to come near them, such as a partner or family member, by biting or hissing. If left of their own, quiet birds will frequently make contact calls with their owners, calls that sometimes can be quite loud if the person is out of sight. Twelve hours of sleep at least is required for a happy pet, sleep taken away can cause sickness and grumpy pets. They can be made more secure (in the mood for singing/mimicry, playing, etc) when they have a consistent few hours of quality time per day with a person or in a person’s company and a good night’s sleep. Their vocalisations range from ginger cheeps to piercing cries. This “hiss” is a form of mimicry used in a defensive attempt to confuse the cockatiel’s most common predator, the snake.Ĭockatiels do have a reputation for being quite noisy and demanding of the attention of their owners on a regular basis. Some birds will emit a distinctive “hiss” when irritated, retreating rapidly or defending with pecking bites, which can be relatively strong for their size. Cockatiels which are hand-fed and purchased from a young age are more readily suited for physical contact. Many cockatiel owners develop regular bonding rituals with their animals, engaging in preening, scratching, and even petting. Some cockatiels enjoy physical contact, lending themselves well to taming. Generally, well-socialised birds are gentle and friendly. Some birds are quite gregarious and sociable while others can be shy, retreating to the back of the cage when an unfamiliar figure appears. Like most other pets, the manner in which the animal is raised, handled, and kept has a profound effect on the temperament of the animal. ![]() Diet and exercise, much like in humans, are often major determining factors in cockatiel lifespan.Ĭockatiels are generally regarded as good pets having a “sweet” demeanor, though this is by no means a guarantee. A cockatiel lived to be 27 years old in Manchester, UK. The Cockatiel’s lifespan in captivity is generally given as 15-20 years, though it is sometimes given as short as 10-15 years, and there are reports of Cockatiels living as long as 30 years, the oldest confirmed specimen reported being 35 years old when it died. They are the only Cockatoo species which can sometimes reproduce in the end of their first year. They are absent from the most fertile southwest and southeast corners of the country, the deepest Western Australian deserts, and Cape York Peninsula. To farmers’ dismay, they often eat cultivated crops. Sometimes hundreds will flock around a single such body of water. Visual sexing is often possible with this variant of the bird.Ĭockatiels are native only to Australia where they are found largely in arid or semi-arid country, but always near water. The face of the male is yellow or white, while the face of the female is primarily grey or light grey, and both genders feature a round orange area on both ear areas, often referred to as “cheek patches.” This orange colouration is generally vibrant in adult males, and often quite muted in females. The “Normal Grey,” or “Wild-type” cockatiel’s plumage is primarily grey with prominent white flashes on the outer edges of each wing. The latter ranging between 300 mm to 600 mm (12-24 in) in length. At 300 mm to 330 mm (12 to 13 ins), the Cockatiel is the smallest and only parakeet type of Cockatoo species. ![]() In contrast to most Cockatoos, the Cockatiel has long tail feathers roughly making up half of its total length. The crest is also held flat but protrudes outward in the back when the cockatiel is trying to appear alluring or flirtatious. (Some say “emotional state.”) The crest is dramatically vertical when the cockatiel is startled or excited, gently oblique in its neutral or relaxed state, and flattened close to the head when the animal is angry or defensive. The Cockatiel’s distinctive erectile crest expresses the animal’s state of being. Cockatiels are natively found across the outback regions of inland Australia, and favour the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bush lands. They are hence now classified as the smallest of the Cacatuidae (cockatoo family). However, more recent molecular studies have settled the debate, showing their closest relatives to be the black cockatoos of the genus Calyptorhynchus. The only member of the genus Nymphicus, the Cockatiel has previously been considered a crested parrot or small cockatoo. They are relatively easy to breed and keep in captivity and they are kept throughout the world as pets. The Cockatiel ( Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the Quarrion and the Weero, is a diminutive cockatoo endemic to Australia and prized as a household pet.
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