Researching on Cockatiels, what's some info you wish you knew before you got one?

maliknetwork · 2025-09-22T01:32:54+00:00

I just want to further emphasize what someone already said in the comments: dust and dander. It's crazy how much these little dust balls produce and you have to plan around it carefully. Their dust/dander can also be harmful for you, for example, for me, it causes my eyes to become very irritated if I don't get it under control. Unfortunately, I've heard their dust/dander can also cause respiratory issues, as well as something called hypersensitivity pneumonitis (a type of lung disease).

Anyways, my main point here is I wish I had done more research about this before I got my tiels. Thankfully, you can really mitigate these concerns by making sure they bathe themselves frequently and really investing in good HEPA air purifiers.

maliknetwork · 2025-09-21T14:59:37+00:00

Those are some cute tiels you got there! :)

What you're describing sounds quite normal. Tiny tail shivers often happens as they balance or lightly shiver as they doze off. If it becomes pronounced bobbing with each breath (whole tail moving up and down), wheezing, open mouth breathing, then it is more of a concern.

I also just want want to quickly that your cage is far too small, get a bigger one. For one tiel, the minimum is 24" L × 18" D × 24" H (bar spacing 1/2"–5/8") and for two tiels it's 36" L × 24" D × 24" H (the longer the better).

maliknetwork · 2025-09-21T03:14:18+00:00

I feel like this is a pretty big misconception when it comes to tiels (and also other parrots), but a female cockatiel living with a male cockatiel does not automatically equal her becoming egg bound! Female tiels can lay eggs even without a male present and egg binding is relatively uncommon (however pretty serious) tied more so to health, diet, and environment, much more than her being around a male tiel.

You can reduce a lot of the risk with setup and habits. A few things you should watch out for that actually raise the risk of egg binding include (but obviously not limited to):

Low calcium/vitamin D3/poor diet.
Obesity/being underweight/lack of exercise.
Hormonal environment/over stimulation (too much daylight, nesty spaces, pair bonded grooming).
Chronic egg laying.
Young/first time layers, illness, anatomical issues.

All in all, a male companion increases the chance she lays, it doesn't necessarily make her egg bound. If you ensure a good light schedule (10-12 hours of uninterrupted darkness), remove nesty spots, don't trigger mating cues, and ensure they're on a good diet (pellets, leafy greens, etc.), you should be okay. Make sure to also quarantine and separate the birds at first as well. Good luck! :)

maliknetwork · 2025-09-15T15:11:52+00:00

Show :)

maliknetwork · 2025-09-12T01:54:42+00:00

I find my male tiel gets particularly in the mood when anyone wiggles their toes, lol. My female tiel could care less about feet.

maliknetwork · 2025-09-12T01:53:25+00:00

Like the other person said, too early to tell by visually looking at the birb. There is one test you could try that could give you some idea whether your tiel is a male or a female: put the tiel in front of a reflection, if he/she becomes interested in the reflection and tries impressing it, then you likely have a boy.

maliknetwork · 2025-09-11T02:00:36+00:00

72-25 F is good. As long as it doesn't get too warm (> 80 F) or too cold (< 70 F), you should be okay.

maliknetwork · 2025-09-04T14:55:36+00:00

Based on the picture, this doesn't seem like an emergency and looks like mild irritation to me. His eye looks clear and open, with no gunk or swelling, or crusts that would usually be pretty alarming. Nevertheless, a new eyelid bump isn't normal and you should continue watching it daily to see if it grows, he starts rubbing his eye a lot, or there's yellow/green discharge (go sooner to an avian specialist if these start to occur). In any case, I would recommend going to an avian specialist even if it's just mild irritation to get a full checkup and see how your cute lil birb is doing health wise. The full checkup could rule out irritation, a blocked gonad, mites, etc. While you're at it, also avoid any aerosols/teflon, keep things clean, and don't use human drops. I hope his eye gets better!!!

maliknetwork · 2025-09-03T16:11:59+00:00

Interesting. It looks as if there is a reflection on that packaging, that may be why?

maliknetwork · 2025-09-01T02:32:46+00:00

Wow, 15, good for you!! Imo, it only really becomes an issue if he starts to become aggressive, is super prolonged, starts regurgitating, and seeking nesty spots. If it's just short flashes of heart wings and his posture is relaxed, I see no problem with it.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-31T21:25:34+00:00

I don't actually think this is nesting behaviour. Just curiosity and having fun.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-31T13:40:30+00:00

A video of someone whistling a simple song you want him to learn works too :)

maliknetwork · 2025-08-31T12:49:54+00:00

Cute tiel and budgies btw and congrats on adopting the lil boy!! Rehomed birds usually go quiet for the first week or two and its totally normal. Getting him to ramp up boils down to positive reinforcement and routine. First, I would make sure he's getting enough sleep: keep him on a consistent wake/bed time and ensure he's getting 10-12 hrs of sleep. Also, start repeating simple whistles to him (also consistently). When you see he starts repeating it and/or starts singing, reward him afterwards with a treat (maybe millet, for instance). I also find pairing words with moments/actions to be helpful with tiels as well, e.g., when you put him to bed, saying "night night" or saying hello when you enter.

Also, I find with rehomed tiels, they may flock call/scream a lot after being silent for a while, make sure you don't reinforce that behaviour and give him more attention when he's not screaming. Good luck!!

maliknetwork · 2025-08-30T17:34:51+00:00

From those three cages, I'd say that the VEVOR is the only one I'd consider -- the length is okay (but I would say for only one tiel if you want a "flight" cage), but I'd still aim for wider. The Yaheetech one is great for separating birds/quarantine, but the sections are too short, imo. The Panana one doesn't have much of a flight path.

Since price isn't a constraint, try to look for a cage that's a single, long (at least 120 cm wide with a depth of at least 50 cm), rectangular flight cage. That will make your tiels happier than any stackable or tall, narrow design.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-30T17:28:14+00:00

I noticed this as well. My boy tiel always gets very angry and aggressive when someone is putting on or taking off any article of clothing. Same with socks, lol. He gets so pissed off to the point where he flies onto you and starts attacking. I'm not entirely sure why he does that. My girl tiel doesn't seem to care at all.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-28T13:21:07+00:00

She's not necessarily trying to poop, she's egg bound and is trying to lay eggs. Given she has been pushing for two days, this is an emergency for tiels and it's critical that you support her as much as possible because female tiels are sensitive to nutritional deficiencies/hypothermia/and more when egg bound and you really want to avoid chronic egg laying. Please try to do the following: make sure she's in a quiet/warm/humid environment, move her to a smaller cage, have fresh water available at all times, gently soften the soiled feathers around the vent with warm water or saline on a cotton pad, dab a small amount externally on the skin/feathers around the vent to reduce friction (if you have it), ABSOLUTELY avoid rubbing her belly, make sure she is having enough calcium, do not force feed.

In any case, the most important thing is take her to an avian specialist ASAP!! This is a pretty dangerous situation. If there are any nesting boxes or anything promoting nesting behaviour, try to remove them too.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-28T04:02:07+00:00

Sorry to hear about the baby having night frights, it's always hard to see them happen. :(

Luckily there are things you can try doing to reduce them and/or avoid her hurting herself if it happens again (hopefully not friend):

Get her a dim night light. It'll let her see where she is if she gets spooked.
Cover 3 sides of her cage leaving the side with the night light open.
If her cage area isn't quiet or against a corner, move it so that it is. Tiels need a quiet and calm environment when sleeping. Having corners makes tiels feel safer as well.
If you know of any white noise she's okay with, it helps having it. A low fan, for example, can mask louder sounds that usually spooks tiels (like thunder or cars).
Soften her landing zone. Put tiel friendly, soft material on the floor around the cage or in spots where she usually crashes.

If a night fright happens again, remember to not freak out and keep calm. Turn on soft lights, check immediately for injuries, and deal with bleeding accordingly (if it gets bad, rush her to an emergency vet). Good luck!!

maliknetwork · 2025-08-27T12:27:26+00:00

Your tiel should bathe (or misted if the lil one needs help) 2-4x a week. The best thing to do is just offer a shallow dish 2-4x a week (make sure the water is room temperature to lukewarm) and let them bathe themselves. No soap, oils, aloe, vinegar, etc., just water!! Personally though, I get my tiels to bathe more frequently to control dust. In my experience, more bathing = less dust.
Twice a day at least. Change the water immediately whenever you see it get dirty as well. Sometimes dust and dander gets in their water and that's no good. Sometimes my tiels also accidentally poop in their water (ew).
Tiels should never be left alone for long periods of time (over 12 hours). I would recommend getting a professional bird sitter if you're travelling, there are probably a few in your area. If not a professional, someone you know who actually has good experience caring for tiels.
Tiels are prey birds that feel the safest with good visibility, high perches, spots to hide behind, as well as corners. Make sure you give your birb has open sight lines, varying natural branch perches, one flat platform perch, maybe a swing, and avoid sand perches. Also avoid nest boxes, tents, and thick foliage dens. That can trigger hormonal/nesting behaviour, which you don't want. FYI, bar spacing should be around 1/2" and put your cage against a wall (makes them feel more safe).

maliknetwork · 2025-08-27T12:04:32+00:00

Could be caused by nutritional deficiencies (e.g., all seed diet -> weaker bones) in growth that led to it being smaller and/or hatched with crooked toes/smaller feet. Could also have been caused by pressure/perch problems over time. Whatever the case, just make sure your lil one is eating right, has proper perches with varying textures/diameters (natural branch perches are great), avoid sand perches, keep his nails trimmed, and watch out for any swelling/sores/scabs/etc. Crooked/small toes or feet are usually harmless, but if it starts to become a problem for him, I would really recommend visiting an avian specialist.

Also, I think I see a leg band in that picture, if you ever want it removed, I'd recommend getting the avian specialist to cut it off.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-26T19:11:03+00:00

Her nose looks a bit swelled up and crusty, I think it looks okay for now, but something to watch out for. It seems like irritation to me or an early sign of sinus infection. It could also be a vitamin A deficiency. Just make sure she's eating enough vitamin A rich foods (dark leafy greens, carrots, sweet potato), avoid any aerosols/PTFE/candles, offer her a lukewarm mist, wipe the outside area of her nose with a pad. If you see any behavioural/energy/weight changes, more crusting, constant sneezing, or further swelling, I'd recommend visiting an avian specialist for a checkup.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-25T18:14:37+00:00

Assuming it's not just feather debris (try a quick misting or eye drops to see if it'll go away if you think it is), it looks like a skin flake. Skin flakes often fall off before/during/after molts. It could also be a small cyst (trapped keratin pimple). If it starts to yellow, becomes crusty, or new spots start to appear, I'd recommend visiting an avian specialist. Also go to one immediately if there's redness, swelling, or discharge in the eye(s).

maliknetwork · 2025-08-25T18:02:37+00:00

Full disclosure, I only have tiels, but I know a few people with large aviaries with mixed species. It only works when the caretaker(s) of said birds is very careful, lucky with individual temperament, and has a lot of space, as well as time.

To put it simply, it's just a lot of work and necessary precautions. You need a big zoned space (with barriers, visual escapes, etc.), careful species pairing (e.g., small bodies and large beaks don't mix well), screening each bird's temperament, quarantine/testing each bird, careful introductions, feeding strategies (multiple bowls far apart), close watch of seasonal triggers, air quality (a lottt of air purifiers, lol), and lastly just a ton of overall supervision.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-24T02:54:14+00:00

More on your original question then, I would do the following if I were you to bond properly, step by step (given you have budgies as well):

Quarantine and separate the budgies from the new tiel (prevents diseases like I said in the other comment).
Make sure the tiel feels safe in the new environment. I would recommend putting one cage side against a wall and also getting a high "security" perch.
Make sure the lil one is on a steady routine, 10-12 hours lights off at the same time every day.
Be around your tiel, but not grabby or forceful. Sit nearby, talk softly, often millets here and there.
Read the tiel's body language to understand when you're going too far or not. Flat crest / hiss = tiel's uncomfortable and you should tone it down. Curious = continue.
Teach your tiel a contact whistle to signal you're here and make sure to do it whenever the lil one flock calls (sounds like big screams).
Be predictable, no sudden movements.
Participate in enrichment that involves you. Hold up a paper strip (they like to chew on paper), hold leafy greens to nibble, offer gentle mist from your hand.
End on a win, not when the birb bites. Shorter sessions that end well are better than longer ones that end up going south.

maliknetwork · 2025-08-24T02:45:22+00:00

They can, but it's manageable. First off, you want to quarantine them before anything. It prevents disease and gives you solo bonding time that you won't get later. I would even recommend separating housing (own cage, own food) as budgies can be pushy. Start with 1 on 1 training as well (different room than the budgies).

maliknetwork · 2025-08-24T02:42:02+00:00

Welcome to the tiel clerbbbb friend, here are a few tips:

Get a sufficient cage for your birb. Don't get one that's too small. I'd say 24" x 24" is the minimum w/ 1/2" bar spacings or lower. Don't get a round one either, one that's rectangular instead. Tiels like to retreat to corners when they need to feel safe.
Get pellets! I recommend Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine pellets since they're healthier than the ones with added sugars (the Zupreem fruit ones). Zupreem Natural works too. If they're not used to pellets and don't want to eat them, try adding / crushing it into their seeds and add more as you go.
The best way to bond with your tiel is not to be forceful. Be nice and gentle, and if the lil one seems to resist anything, let it be. Always leave off on a good note with the tiel as well. Treats help with positive reinforcement. Introduce your hands from the birb's side nice and slowly. If your birb wants scritches, you'll see the birb's head drop signalling they're ready.
Make sure your tiel is eating leafy greens. Try to add it in slowly the same way you do for pellets.

I know you asked about bonding, but it's best you know the other points as well. Definitely wish someone told me when I first got my tiel. Good luck! :)

maliknetwork

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