Cockatiels, or nymph, is a parrot of the cockatoo family. This bird attracts many people with its unusual appearance, namely, a large tuft on its head. In addition, parrots can talk. If you decide to get a cockatiel, you need to understand how to care for it, feed it and keep it at home. Below you can find answers to all your questions about this bird.
The history of the origin of parrots
Cockatiels is a small bird from the cockatoo family with a body length of not more than 33 cm (from the crown to the tip of the tail), weighing about 100 grams and a long tail – 16 cm. A characteristic feature of the bird is a large crest on its head. The color of females and males is different.
Cockatiels are originally from Austria, they prefer to settle in the arid regions of this country, as well as on the plains and along the shores of lakes and rivers. All year round they live in small groups, from 10 to 50 individuals, not counting the period of active reproduction. If the year turned out to be dry and hot, then they accumulate near the nearest reservoirs in large numbers.
Parrot types
The standard color of parrots: gray body, yellow head, orange cheeks. Over time, breeders have bred several birds with different colors, for example:
- White – are divided into two types. The first (albinos) have red eyes, the second – black. Sometimes there are birds with a light cream tint, but in any case, the crest and head have a yellow tint.
- With white wings. The main body color of the cockatiel is gray and only large flight wings are white.
- Light gray cockatiels, slightly different from standard individuals. The color is lighter, the head and crest are yellow.
- Pearl gray cockatiels are predominantly females. The feathers of parrots with this color have an uneven shade. Those. the edge of the feather is gray, and the middle and base are white.
- Brown shades – prevail over the entire body of the bird.
- Yellow parrots – the color varies from dark yellow to light cream.
- With black wings. The chest and back of the bird are much darker than the standard grey. The wings are dark with white spots.
- Bright yellow parrots with orange cheeks. There are white spots on the wings.
- Black. The entire plumage of the cockatiel is dark, the breast is black, and there are light spots on the wings. Cheeks are dark orange.
- Spotted. So named because they have a lot of bright spots on the wings. The head and tail are light.
Breeders, crossing different types of cockatiels, get new colors. But most birds are still gray. This color is considered standard.
Features of the content of cockatiels
This type of parrot is very popular. With proper care and care, these amazing birds begin to talk and sing. In order for the cockatiel to feel good, it needs to equip a large cage, at least 60 cm high, 40 cm wide and about 1 m long. The material of the rods is stainless unpainted steel. It is best to buy cages with a pull-out tray – this greatly facilitates the cleaning process.
Inside the cage, there must be perches or twigs on which the parrots will sit. You should also place a pair of swings and ladders. Mandatory attributes for any bird are a drinking bowl, a feeder and a house. Before using the cell and all components, be sure to process, i.e. everything that you bought to keep cockatiels, treat with hot water and soap. With proper care and care, the life expectancy of parrots is about 25 years.
Parrot nutrition
Pet stores offer a wide range of balanced grain mixes. In addition to store food, parrots eat the following foods well:
- sesame;
- boiled corn;
- oats and germinated wheat;
- pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (raw);
- beets, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, tomato and zucchini;
- melon, pear, pineapple, apple, banana, peach, kiwi, apricot, grape and pomegranate;
- strawberries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, cherries and blackberries;
- chicken meat;
- cottage cheese.
Cockatiels love to eat greens (lettuce, clover, plantain, dandelion leaves and vegetable tops). In addition to the above products, mineral supplements and vitamins must be present in the poultry feed. The water in the drinking bowl must be changed every day.
Fatty and smoked foods, chocolate and sweets, avocados, garlic, mushrooms and onions are contraindicated for cockatiels.
Poultry care
Parrots of this species are unpretentious. The main care procedures include bathing and maintaining sanitary standards.
Cockatiels love water and swim with pleasure. In the cage, in addition to the bath, there should be two feeders: one for the grain mixture, and the second for soft food.
The most important thing when keeping is to thoroughly wash the drinking bowl and feeders. It is advisable to carry out this procedure every day. The tray also needs to be cleaned daily. General cleaning of the cage – once a week, i.е. washing not only the cage, but also all the items that are in it.
The cage is best placed in a bright room at eye level. Do not expose the cage to direct sunlight or on the windowsill under drafts, because. the bird might get sick. Parrots feel comfortable at temperatures from 20 to 25 degrees. In the summer months, you can take the cockatiel cage to the balcony, but make sure that it is hidden from direct sunlight.
Be sure to let the parrot out of the cage so that it can fly. Before walking the bird, do not forget to close the windows and vents, and if there are cats or dogs in the house, remove them to the next room.
How to tame cockatiels correctly?
The process of taming a parrot is simple, the main thing is to be patient. At this stage, you need to pay a lot of attention to the bird so that the new tenant gets used to you faster. In the first days after settling, do not touch the parrot, let it get used to the new place and get used to the unfamiliar environment.
After that, you can gradually establish communication. At first, if there are still pets in the house, it is worth restricting their access to the room with the cage. For the learning process to go well, you need to win the trust of the bird. Of course, you can forcefully take a parrot and pull it out of its cage, but such behavior will not lead to anything good.
At the first stage, try to feed the bird from the palm of your hand, repeating its name affectionately. Before feeding, be sure to wash your hands so that there are no foreign odors. If you do it right, then after a while the parrot will begin to trust you and calmly sit on your hand.
Cockatiels are sociable birds, they love attention and cannot stand loneliness. The nature of parrots is kind, naive and open. If you notice aggression in your feathered friend, then something is wrong with him. Perhaps the parrot has stress or health problems. Try to understand what is happening. If you cannot find the cause of the nervousness on your own, you should seek the help of a veterinarian.
Cockatiels are amazing birds. With proper care, they will delight you for decades. This bird will become a wonderful friend for any member of the family.