Cockatiels 101

Name: Cockatiel

Personality: Cockatiels, the second most popular pet parrot (trailing parakeets), are known for being gentle, playful, sweet and affectionate, says Parrotparrot.com

Grooming: Cockatiels have a powder (or dander) on their feathers that they use to clean themselves. Bathing cockatiels with a mist of plain water is fine, but might not be necessary, according to the National Cockatiel Society. You may need to clip your cockatiel's feathers (to keep it from flying) as well as its nails, but you should not have to do anything with their beaks.

Common Health Issues: Provided with clean air and a comfortable cage away from heat and draft, these birds are generally very healthy and should live for 15-20 years. Cockatiels' most common health problems include viral infections like polyoma and Pacheco's disease; a bacterial disease known as psittacosis; and candidiasis, a type of yeast infection, according to ArticlesBase.com. All of these can mostly be avoided with proper nutrition and care. You can find more information on what symptoms to look for at Cockatiel.com.

Training Tips: Most cockatiels are eager to please and quick to learn, according to Birdtricks.com. They pick up on sounds quickly, so you need to be careful what noises you make around them, like whistling. Consistent training and positive reinforcement are both key in teaching your cockatiel good behavior and tricks. Using a clicker can go a long way in training your bird. (Just check out this video!)

Best For: Many cockatiel owners say that the birds are great pets for children, although young children should always be supervised around pets for everyone's safety. Cockatiels need at least 10 hours of solid sleep in a dark, undisturbed area each night, according to Parrotparrot.com. This, coupled with their playful nature, means that an ideal cockatiel owner is able to provide plenty of room for the animal. Cockatiels are somewhat messy at times with their food and dander, according to ParrotFeather.com, so they might not be the best pet for a neat freak.

What Cockatiel Owners Say: Sarah Yu of Vancouver, British Columbia has owned three cockatiels throughout her life, and thinks they're great pets for kids. "For kids, always start off with a hand-fed baby bird. Child and baby bird will grow up together, and hand-feds are fearless of the human touch," she tells Paw Nation. "The best test? Place your hand directly over the bird's back. A hand-fed bird will be totally comfortable with this."

Yu continues, "Cockatiels love being close to their owners, but aren't completely dependent on their owners for happiness, attention and everything else (unlike parrots and cockatoos, who scream their brains out when their owners aren't there). My cockatiels always perched on my shoulder (Though some experts say it's a bad habit that shouldn't be encouraged, I welcome the fluffy nudging of a cockatiel under my neck) or perched on the back of my chair."

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