1.Cockatiels make good fathers!
While the mothers are responsible for hatching the eggs and caring for the newborn chicks, the male cockatiel doesn’t fly off and abandon them, either. In fact, they are quite protective of their family, and in the wild, will face much larger birds and predators just to keep them safe. They are also nurturing and affectionate with their young. In cases when the mother cockatiel was killed, or injured, the father quite capably steps in and assumes all the parenting duties.
2.Sort of like a cockatiel, sort of not.
Some breeders have tried hybridizing the cockatiel with another bird call the galah, leading to chicks unofficially called “galatiels”.
3.Their first home.
Cockatiels first originated from Australia. The climate there is quite arid. So in the wild, you’ll see immense flocks of cockatiels circling the sky in search of large bodies of water where they can rest, breed, and escape from the heat. Australian farmers sometimes view them as pests, because they feed off crops. However, most domesticated cockatoos have never set foot on their “homeland”. Australia banned the exportation of native birds, so the ones you see in the pet stores were probably bred right in that country of sale.
4.Young parents.
5. “Sick” secrets.
Since cockatiels have only been recently domesticated, they haven’t completely let go of some of their survival instincts. This includes hiding their illness—a sign of weakness that could easily attract the attention of a predator. This, however, can pose a problem to pet owners. By the time you’ve noticed something’s wrong with your bird, it may be too late to get help. That’s why it’s important for you to research on the early signs of avian diseases.
6.Always in search of a friend.
Cockatiels are very sociable birds and will get depressed if they are left alone for long periods of time. They may bang their heads against cages, refuse to eat, or become irritable and violent around owners. That’s why it’s advisable for you to get a pair of cockatiels if you know you’ll be out of the house for most of the day.
7.Mi casa es su casa.
Unlike other birds, cockatiels don’t mind sharing their cage with one from the same gender. So you can have two males without worrying that they will get into a fight over territory, a good option if you have no plans of breeding them!
8.Eating out of the palm of your hand.
9.Watch those hands!
Never approach a cockatiel in such a way that your hand is over its head. This is very overwhelming and frightening for small birds and may make it think that it’s being attacked.