How to Pick a Cockatiel

It's great that you've decided to get a cockatiel, but you now have a little work to do. You want to pick a healthy bird that will be part of your life many years. It may seem like a huge undertaking, it's actually pretty simple if you know what to look out for.

Instructions

1. Decide if you want a boy or a girl. Many people do not care about the sex of their cockatiel, but there are related factors to consider. Males tend to be more talkative, while females are more reserved and tend to be more cuddly. Visually sexing cockatiels under 6 months old is impossible. They all have female markings until their first molt. If the cockatiel has been through its first molt, visually sexing the bird is pretty simple for most mutations. A male has a bright yellow face, while females have greyer faces. Pied, White Face and Lutino mutations can be more difficult, but a pet-store employee should be able to help you.

2. Look for the friendly and healthy bird--the happy cockatiel. If the bird is sitting at the bottom of the cage, listless, and puffy, there is a good chance he is sick. He might just be sleepy, but you do not want to take that chance. You want to pick a bird that is active and energetic. Look for cockatiels that run up to the glass or side of the cage to check you out, or the ones that try to get your attention. A healthy bird should be able to stand on both feet, and to balance herself on one foot while she sleeps. Make sure the bird does not have any bald spots from feather plucking.

3. Look at other indicators. Has the bird been kept in a big enough cage? Does the cage appear to be clean? Remember, many diseases breed in the bird’s feces. Check the food bowls. Are the birds being fed a variety of seeds, pellet and fresh fruits and vegetables? Or are they being fed seed only? Is the bird already a screamer? (I’m not talking about loud vocalizations, but shrieking for attention.) These are red flags. If you see any of these things, you may want to consider buying your bird elsewhere. You do not want a sick bird. Getting your “well bird” checkup will be expensive enough; you do not want the added vet bills, or to discover that your new cockatiel is very sick and cannot be cured. Training a hand-fed, somewhat tame bird is a big enough challenge. Training a bird with a behavior problem is another issue. This requires lot of time, patience, and learning on your part. Plus, stores that neglect and mistreat animals will continue to do so as long as people keep buying their animals.