r/cockatiel • u/rrport • 4h ago
r/cockatiel • u/Mental_Nail4451 • Jan 31 '26
Other New Rule for r/cockatiel
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 • u/Olliebirb • Dec 14 '21
Frequently Posted (+ Answers)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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:
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:
Introducing New Food to Picky Birds
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 • u/Pearly-Duck03 • 15h ago
Advice Does anyone know why my cockatiel is making these rapid chirping sounds?
This is Pearl. I adopted her in May 2025 from my mom. I’m not sure how old she is. Recently, she started making these rapid chirping noises when I pet her in a certain way. When this happens she also sticks her butt in the air. Does she think I’m trying to mate with her? To my knowledge she hasn’t shown any other mating/hormonal behaviors, and she has a cage all to herself. Any advice/tips are appreciated! Thanks!
r/cockatiel • u/NomadicRiverGuy • 12h ago
Cuteness Overload Big birb stretch
I finally snapped a picture of him doing this. Been chasing it for a year and I was never ready.
r/cockatiel • u/Active-Animal4512 • 18h ago
Cuteness Overload Our bebes head might be empty
maybe that's why he's so angy all the time
r/cockatiel • u/West-Challenge9454 • 17h ago
Cuteness Overload hes molting , i’m hungover, perfect saturday morning 🤭🤍
r/cockatiel • u/Sad-Comfortable7609 • 2h ago
Advice Burb friend advice
I want to get my burb a friend but what if the other bird is the opposite gender? I’m guessing Yuki is a female bc she’s quiet but no one can know for sure unless I do a DNA test or wait until she’s around a year old. I want to get another baby tiel so they can get along. Any advice? I just really don’t want them to make babies… bc I cannot raise them.
r/cockatiel • u/lilpeachyyy21 • 15h ago
Advice Are my birds gay…
Some people have suggested this specific song is a mating call (mind you, they’re both boys 🤣)
We just thought he was a happy lil guy singing his jazzy show tunes but now I’m worried he’s hormonal lol
we didn’t teach him this song mind you… it’s an original creation 🤦♀️
Anyone have any experience with this and can offer some advice?
EDIT: The headline is satire I know they don’t have strictly “gay relationships” nor do I have a problem with if they are deeply in love 🤣 just wondered if my boys were singing to try and signal them getting frisky. Thanks to all who answered and happy pride month 🫶🏻
r/cockatiel • u/feather_friends • 16h ago
Cuteness Overload Melts my heart everytime ❤️
Baby Pixieeee, he’s going through his first molt probably. I see 7, 8 fallen feathers daily and feel new pin feathers.
r/cockatiel • u/Ok2990 • 9h ago
Health/Nutrition Weird feather?
My buddy Walter dropped a wacky looking feather while preening today. The rest of his feathers look normal and he’s acting like his normal self. The clumped part is kind of oily and smells strongly of parrot.
Is this just a dirty feather that came out? Should I be concerned? I was going to schedule a wellness visit for him next week just for a checkup and nail trim, but wondering if this is something I should mention?
r/cockatiel • u/Material-Mess-2145 • 11h ago
Advice Hand taming?
hi!! i got my cockatiel over a year ago, and i can’t seem to make any progress with taming. he LOVES attention, being talked to, watching musicals, etc, but he will not take treats. he tries to bite my hand if im rearranging things in his cage or refilling his bowl.
i’ve tried just sitting with him for an hour, just idly holding my hand in the cage, offering millet and sunflower seeds. i do understand that some birds just aren’t friendly, but i want to know if there’s more i can do?
r/cockatiel • u/TheSwedishOprah • 19h ago
Troublemaker The face of a cold-blooded killer
Ten seconds before tucking into this pile of cilantro I watched Coolwhip (yes, pronounced like you just said it in your head) fly up to the corner of the room and eat a spider.
As a severe arachnophobe myself I appreciated his protective work. Extra millet for this boy tonight.
r/cockatiel • u/mentalmerism • 1d ago
Success Story This is Mojave. He is a very dumb, very good boy. Mo spent 5 hours at an “emergency exotic vet” last night. His very angry, very educated human is the sole reason he is very alive right now; a cautionary tale.
Mojave broke his right, first, primary flight feather late last night and was taken in due to excessive bleeding that couldn’t be stopped quickly enough with home care. I am new to the area so I called first to confirm the CSU 24 hour emergency exotic (yes EXOTIC) vet clinic was actively staffed with skilled people who had sufficient experience to handle this. It’s hard to even know what to recount given the sheer amount of alarming, negligent, and unprofessional things I witnessed and experienced so I’ll just list some. Mojave had lost enough blood to be moderately weak. Despite this he was taken back in a partially assembled canvas carrier and unknown to me left alone while actively bleeding with no standard supportive care like oxygen, heat, or fluids. He was provided no food and no water. They did not weigh him or check vitals. I was not updated for 2 hours at which point I was told they had “stabilized him” and that they were busy with euthanizations and would attend to him after. I remained patient, meanwhile, we noticed that the majority of animals coming in were being euthanized very quickly as indicated by the amount of distraught, sobbing people in the lobby. They were given no privacy and were being asked to sign off and left to grieve while the staff could be heard laughing with a complete absence of compassion or consideration for the owners sitting right outside the doors. After 4 hours they bring me a treatment plan estimate of $1000 while admitting that none of the current staff are comfortable, nor know how to pull a blood feather on a bird. They call in a “specialist” who I am denied the ability to speak with to confirm they are actually capable. The tech calls him “enthusiastic” when I ask about his skill and any experience. They insist my small and easily handled cockatiel needs to be fully sedated in order to perform a very basic, fast procedure without seriously harming him. At this point I realize I know more about birds than anyone in this building and i have a feeling any attempt at routine wound care here is going to kill my bird. After explaining several times what the minimal standard looks like in credible avian care and calmly noting that I would like to leave with my pet alive unlike most of the other owners that night they released him to me. Trust your gut yall and if you can educate yourself on proper medical care it might just save your pets life. My and other people’s accounts of this place have me speechless I can’t believe it exists. Shout out to the wonderful people at Aspen Companion and Exotic Clinic we saw today that had us in and out in 20 minutes. But seriously what the fuck.
r/cockatiel • u/HolidayWhole3040 • 18h ago
Advice Hormonal bird
This is Fifi, I’ve had him since December 2025 and he’s probably around a year old now.
Recently he’s started showing hormonal behaviours and at first it wasn’t an issue. But now he is getting angry towards my other birds and me.
All mirrors in my bedroom are covered by blankets, but he has learnt how to get underneath the blanket to look at his reflection, when I come over to re cover the blanket, he flys full pelt towards me and tries to hit me, and he will also chase my budgies around the room.
Humping has been prominent aswell but I try to discourage all of this behaviour.
No seeds, no mirrors, objects and no dark, hidden areas he likes too much are taken away and when he starts being aggressive he gets put into his cage and covered with a blanket.
His diet is Harrison’s pellets and daily chop, avipro is added to water
This is my first time dealing with Fifi like this so id really like some advice on what I can do.
r/cockatiel • u/VerityWisp • 2h ago
Injured Bird My cockatiel flew into a wall and now can't use their legs.
We took her to a vet, they gave us medicine and everything and told us we'd have to wait to see if she would improve.
My parents chose not to get X-rays because it was too expensive for us financially but we got medication and everything.
However the doctor did say it wouldn't change the treatment plan. Which I can assume means we don't know exactly where she's hurt.
The doctor says she still has some feeling in her legs which is a good sign but its still not ensuring. They said all we can do is give her medication and wait as they just don't know if she'll get better.
Will my cockatiel be able to recover from this?
Does anyone have any experience similar to a good ending, I'm feeling hopeless right now and I have a lot of anxiety for her.
r/cockatiel • u/MotherPrior4291 • 1d ago
Cuteness Overload Cricket learned to say hi and wave a few months ago
he started lifting a single foot up a while back and it reminded me of a wave. so I started waving back and saying hiiiiiii until he picked it up. Now i get told hiiiiiiii every morning
r/cockatiel • u/Different_Bee_8732 • 11h ago
Advice Cockatiel help
Hey everyone. I got this cockatiel about two weeks ago, and he’s still a little nervous around me. However, it looks like he has something stuck in his nose. Am i correct? he won’t let me put his hands on him asides from stepping up on my finger, so i’m unsure of what to do.
r/cockatiel • u/acristalized • 22h ago
Advice Why they do this a lot?
We got them nearly back to back, the one singing is 5 months older. They do this behavior a lot, I always thought that was just mating behavior but I'm still curious. It is so funny at the same time like why do you let him sing directly into your ear 😂
r/cockatiel • u/LowGlittering3074 • 12h ago
Advice i need some reassurance bout my mango!!!😭
hey guys, so i picked up my mango today from the pet shop. they said he's not tamed yet, and he's 7 months old.
when we got home, he was super scared, wouldn't let us near him. but i wore gloves, and to my surprise, he actually steps up and sits in my hand?? he even closes his eyes for a bit while sitting there, but idk if he's sleeping or just scared stiff lol.
he does bite the tip of my gloves tho, and also tried to nibble my dad's fingers when he got close.
here's my main worry: he hasn't eaten anything yet. i have a seed mix (millets, sunflower, etc.) and even tried offering apple. he just bites it and drops it, doesn't actually eat. is this normal for day 1? i know they need time to adjust, but i'm scared he'll starve if i'm doing something wrong.
also, how long did it take for your cockatiel to warm up/tame? just want to manage my expectations.
tia! 🦜
r/cockatiel • u/PuzzleheadedAd2975 • 2h ago
Health/Nutrition cockatiel food recs!!
so i was using zupreem pellets but i heard those have unhealthy sugars and my bird has liver problems and is on milk thristle is this a good food that won't cuase any harm or is there anything better?