r/cockatiel Jan 31 '26

Other New Rule for r/cockatiel

592 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)

536 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 3h ago

Birthday! It’s Peaches 18th Birthday!

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326 Upvotes

This is Peaches 🧡 I got her for my 16th birthday alll the way back in 2008. She’s been my little feathered companion for more than half of my life now! She’s been through so much with me. From graduations, to heartbreak, to coming to college with me, to moving to our first apartment, through jobs, and friends, and moves, and road trips, and adventures, this little feathered angel has been by my side through it all!

We did a photoshoot to commemorate this milestone birthday! ✨

Happy birthday my love!!


r/cockatiel 2h ago

Funny Why is she doing that? 😂

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244 Upvotes

She's been staring at the wall for a few minutes (well she did move around, but she is very interested in that corner). Like.. What are you even doing??

Edit: These comments are peak comedy 😂 Please keep them coming!


r/cockatiel 7h ago

Funny Chimken legs

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382 Upvotes

bebe shows leg


r/cockatiel 3h ago

Cuteness Overload grinding beak sounds 🥰

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125 Upvotes

love the grinding beak sounds 🩷… anyone else find them so cute?


r/cockatiel 22h ago

Funny This morning, I woke up to distressed tiel screaming. The birds were supposed to be in their cage.

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1.4k Upvotes

Too fat to leave treat jar he got himself stuck in. There was no poop in it so he must’ve thrown himself into the stupid jar and then immediately regretted his choices because the lack of poop tells me he was only in there for at most 10 minutes. Fat baby, you have millet in your cage.


r/cockatiel 5h ago

Advice How can i help her

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51 Upvotes

She screams like this all day, shes been hormonal but i did all of the text book steps to reduce her hormones, she layed eggs just like 2 weeks ago and only a few days ago stopped laying on them and now shes back to being hormonal

Im most worried because i cant sit her down and make her eat, she just flies away to the too of the closet

We moved out into a new place around a month ago and for the fist few weeks she had to be just on pellets because all of the kitchen stuff were messed up but now i got her on chop again

Another problem im having with her is play time, again she just flies away and doesnt allow me to let her do tricks and all of that, but also its been a while where i was trying to teach her how to play with toys, i tried to train her to play with them but she doesnt use them at all so she must be awfully bored to

She has a full 12 hours of bedtime too


r/cockatiel 14h ago

Cuteness Overload This is Maui. He will be 26 on October 30th. He's lost two mates and is now best pals with his former rival Vinnie, who is older but came to us as a rescue, so we're uncertain of his precise age. Maui really likes to make up to the camera. He's also pals with our young boy, CD.

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251 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 9h ago

Funny He’s molting so much holy moly 😭

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82 Upvotes

I think he’s abusing the infinite keratin glitch, those feathers are just a fraction of the gifts he’s leaving me. Shedding all these feathers and he’s still just as FAT


r/cockatiel 19h ago

Cuteness Overload Wholesome

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373 Upvotes

They’ve been pretty close ever since I got my pied cockatiel Lemon almost 5 years ago. The whiteface was immediately drawn to her and while she was only 6 weeks old, he treated her as his own chick 🥹 I did have to separate them due to her chronic egg laying about a year ago but they get to spend plenty of time outside the cages. Yesterday I witnessed this. He’s never done that before nor did she let him do that.
He’s usually really skittish and not fond of hands but recently doesn’t mind sitting on my shoulder (with her as a bribe of course)


r/cockatiel 26m ago

Health/Nutrition Stool check! (Swipe right)

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Upvotes

Sorry for the yucky topic, but does anyone have any idea what these orbs are in my boys poop?

We thought they were seed casings that he was eating and having issue with digesting, but they don’t seem to be casings at all, rather full orbs.

HE HAS A VET APPOINTMENT TOMORROW

Just curious if anyone has seen this before?


r/cockatiel 16h ago

Funny Breaking news: ferocious creature attacks

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209 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 53m ago

Funny The neils and double naming

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Upvotes

This is neil. He’s on the left and the right. Grey bird was my first bird and was supposed to be my only bird. Well, ya girl had a small little eensy weensy psychotic break of some sort in went out and bought yellow on a whim. I took him home and didnt know what the hell to name him. I landed on McDonald’s Sprite, but it just did not fit him at all. So I went with Neil two. My entire family is pretty bad at naming things. My two cats are named June and July. My dog’s name is Zoey and my name is Zoey. Do you know how hard it is to call any pet in this house? “Neil- er- neil 2.. i mean.. jun-i mean july wait no i meant zoey THE OTHER ZOEY”


r/cockatiel 5h ago

Funny He is a true warrior

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20 Upvotes

Thou shall not pass


r/cockatiel 23h ago

Cuteness Overload The Last Thing You Ate will be it's Name??

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500 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 3h ago

Advice any suggestions on toys and or how to improve this playground?

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11 Upvotes

i have the back covered in a cloth because he wants to eat the wall, not under my watch tho

im mostly looking for toy ideas and inspo from your guys' playgrounds so i can improve the lil lad's


r/cockatiel 22h ago

Funny See… mama is still feeding the baby

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352 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 8h ago

Advice What's this squeaking sound she's making?

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23 Upvotes

Ive had her for over a month and this is the first time Ive heard her make this sound—almost like a dog whining/sneakers squeaking. Apart from that random sound, she's playing, eating, and acting normal 😅 Oh, and she's about 3ish years old so I doubt (?) it's baby noise.

Thank you!

(Pic for bird tax)


r/cockatiel 1d ago

Cuteness Overload Old Lady Leela

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504 Upvotes

Update: she is NOT dead in this photo. She just lays down for pets due to her leggies being weaker in her old age.

She is about 20 years old and loves to fly down to hang out on my wrist rest while I work.

She is kind of scraggly but she still is full of life and loves napping.


r/cockatiel 21h ago

Funny Dumb ahh bird tries getting on top of a ball

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215 Upvotes

Poor Romi 😭


r/cockatiel 2h ago

Funny What makes your cockatiel fly to you?

5 Upvotes

The number one thing that causes Bailey to fly to me is the telephone. He loves to talk to people on the phone (he is a Covid baby) and won't stop until the person on the other line tells him how beautiful he is. What about your tiels?


r/cockatiel 1d ago

Cuteness Overload They grow up so fast….

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276 Upvotes

r/cockatiel 1d ago

Success Story She's back!

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190 Upvotes

2 months ago I made a post about Sylfie. She flew away and was bever then mentioned in numerous local groups I found. After 1 mo th since she flew away I lost hope to find her and that is why I bought Pedro, my another boy.

But today I've got a phone call and one woman told me that she dound a publication on local marketplace about lost cockatiel (it's called OLX and it also allows to post publications about lost animals) and told me that she found a cockatiel walking around the park she was in with her family! And it seems like this is my bird!

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure that it's definitely my birb, but by all the characteristics of behaviour I noticed so far it seems like it's Sylfie. The most puzzling thing is that she doesn’t have an identification ring she had, however, there is blood on that one leg. I'm not sure that she's my birb, but in case she isn't and nobody will find her, she'll stay with me and my other 2 cockatiels.

She is currently on a quarantine since I have no idea what could have happened to her for the last 2 months. She is also very thin as her goitre is very strong after eating. But she is safe now.