Considering having a cockatiel as a pet? Well, let me tell you what a great idea that is! Cockatiels are very friendly birds and really do not take a lot of work to keep them happy and healthy. These birds generally fit in well with any family situation including a home full of children. However, there are some tips that can be useful before you buy your bird. Firstly there maybe some behaviors that cockatiels have that can take new unsuspecting bird owners by surprise. Whilst these birds love to be around humans and enjoy sitting on your shoulder or even your finger (once they are comfortable and are trained) they also may want to have a chew on your favorite ear rings or any other piece of jewelry you may have on.
Make sure you remove anything that you do not want destroyed. Once your bird has been trained he or she should be quite at home to sit on you without doing any major damage. Something else you may not be aware of is that when your cockatiel may be doing something naughty you may hear unusual noises such as a different sounding coo or chirp. This can especially happen when your bird is having a free range of the house.
You never know what your cockatiel may find to have a good time with. There could be important papers or money for instance and you want those things to stay in one piece not shredded up into thousands of pieces! So always be aware of where he is at all times. This is also important so he does not fly outside and get lost or stolen. As with any caged bird you should always cover its cage at night. Cockatiels can get a fright in the night by an unexpected noise and flap around and injure itself. However, they do still like some form of light so when covering the cage with a cloth leave a flap open so some light can come in from a light that has been left on.
Unfortunately some of these birds can have frights in the night on a regular basis so maybe you will have to leave the cage in a brightly lit room. If this does not help then it would be advisable to take your bird to the vet to see what they suggest you do. Having a cockatiel as a pet can be such an enjoyable experience. These birds when trained with a guided and loving hand can really become part of the family in and out of the cage.
So if you haven't had that experience and are thinking about it then do take the step and experience the wonderful bond that can be made between human and bird.
Susan Dean is the webmaster and publisher of http://online-finder-service.info/cockatiels-secrets/ Visit her site for free cockatiels help.
