Is a cockatiel right for me? I need your experienced advice!

[MommaMorgie]

Hello All! New here, and love the wealth of knowledge available on here! I could sure use some insight from those with more experience than I. My fid flock is currently zero...and I'm looking to remedy that situation. I would consider myself a fairly experienced bird Momma. I used to work in a pet store, where I learned alot, and became their bird lady. Sadly, I mostly learned a petstore is not the best place to obtain a feathered friend. I have owned, or had in my care for a while 2 parrotlets, a sun conure, a pineapple greencheek, a solomon island eclectus hen, and most recently a whiteface pied cockatiel hen. Here is the dilemma...I am a stay at home Mom with one young son. My hubby is not a bird guy, but he is willing to participate in some light bird care if need be. I have plenty of time at home to spend with a bird, but with a young child maybe not always 100% focused attention. I feel like through research, on paper, a cockatiel makes the most sense for us...but my whiteface that we lost never really felt bonded to me. I got her hand raised from a reputable breeder. She always spent plenty of time outside her cage with me. I have had great reewarding bird relationships, but this was just not one of them. She was sweet, never bit, and would go to literally anyone...but there was literally zero preference from me to a stranger. She would come out of her cage and perch as far away as she could. She never liked toys, and had a very low activity level. I did pick her because of her pretty plumage, and not because of a connection right off the bat, and maybe that was the problem. I know each bird is different, and personalities differ greatly. I just want to know is that typical cockatiel behavior? It is the only one I have really been around. Would getting another tiel be a mistake for me? I crave a strong bonded bird relationship again! I loved my parrotlet, and have been researching lovies. I want a bird that is interactive, "cuddly" would be awesome, and safe in my home with kids (supervised of course). I am open to any suggestions or insight!? Thanks for reading my long winded first post!

 

[jeme3]

I think cockatiels are just about the perfect bird pet.

They are sweet and can be very cuddly without being overly demanding or hypersensitive.

Get a young well socialized baby that picks you and spend a lot of time with him or her. Females tend to be a little more cuddly in my experience, but males can be great funny little talkers.

I think cockatiels are a good choice with kids around, too, because they aren't so tiny as to be dangerously fragile, but they aren't likely to do permanent damage with a bite.

I vote tiel!

 

[Jaguar]

My cockatiels will happily go to anyone without much complaint - but they definitely prefer me. Phoenix especially is glued to my shoulder most of the time... to the point where sometimes I have to put him down 6 times before he gets the hint and leaves me alone for a bit

But it is pretty typical for them to be low activity and not interested in toys. They're pretty simple... naturally, they mostly fly long distances and forage. They can learn to love toys, especially shreddable ones with vine, paper, palm, balsa, yucca, etc. but they are definitely not the clownish acrobats that conures are. Mine like to play simple games... peekaboo behind my hands, bouncing up and down on my arms, and so on. They are great little shoulder companions and they can be trusted on to always be chipper and happy to see you... but there's no rolling around on their backs throwing toys around for these guys.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I think tiels are a great companion bird. They can be trained to play independently, but also love attention and interaction. Both my tiels love to play with toys, but like Ry stated, they are not clownish, acrobatic birds. My female loves scritches and sitting on my shoulder. She also likes other people, which is nice. It's hard to have a bird who only loves you. My male is a talker, doesn't really like scritches, and doesn't really like other people outside of our family. He thinks he is a tough guy, but if he gets scared he's the first one to come running back to me. They both like sitting on me and listening to me talk. They are very sweet and fairly emotionally stable. My two daughters are very comfortable handling them, and even if they do get cranky, which is not often, mine never really bite.

 

[Princessbella]

Another tiel owner here. Bella is mainly a one person bird also but will go to other people. She is extremely playful and funny. She is pretty laid back and gets into anything and she is good around children. Bella does bite but she gives a warning first and right now her head is plastered against my chin. She loves scritches and is a great traveler and when she is displeased, she shows me the tail. I never knew an 85g bird could be Miss Personality but she is.

 

[Odin]

Agree with everyone above. I have two tiels and they are perfect for my family. Hubby doesn't like the idea of birds, but he is ok if they land on him and cheep cheep meeep in his beard.
I think they are super snuggly, very patient, forgiving and easy to feed. (mine were easy to feed fresh food) I love my tiels. When I first thought of getting birds again, I was hoping for a conure or larger parrot, but I am so happy that we got the tiels. They are perfect for us

 

[mekat]

As a mom myself I always look for birds that are not prone to one person attachments. Last thing you need is jealous bird trying to drive your child away from their chosen person. I also stay away from birds known for excessive cage aggression. I don't want my child bitten by a territorial bird. I have one cockatiel and one parakeet both work out well for the human family. Unfortunately the tiel and keet hate each others guts so they are kept separate.

 

[blewin]

Buddy is a total sweetheart. She prefers to be with us, but she can handle being left alone when we're at work or doing things around the house. Of course, we get scolded after, but that only lasts until she wants to cuddle or get scritched...which is right away.

 

[HazelBird029]

My 'tiel Hazel will readily go to anyone, however, she does prefer me over others.
She's not bitten once, and she's great with kids!
I vote tiel!

 

[Bokkapooh]

Are you asthmatic? Have breathing issues? Cockatiels, cockatoos and African greys have a natural dust much like flour. Thick white dust.

 

[MommaMorgie]

I am an asthmatic...

 

[HazelBird029]

I am an asthmatic...

I wouldn't recommend a 'tiel then, but if you've lived with one before and had no issues, I don't really see a problem... though some issues can develop over time.

 

[jeme3]

My husband and son are both have asthma and the birds don't bother them.

If you've lived with a cockatiel before and not had problems (and worked in a pet store) you're probably okay. Different things trigger asthma for different people. Was working in the pet store a problem?

We vacuum the front part of the house, where the birds are, every day. Not just because of the birds, but small house, big dog (black lab), two inside cats, four people, it needs it.

 

[sierraecho89]

'Tiels are the first bird I recommend to people. And I have two budgies, an ekkie, and a senegal--sounds like a good fit all around!

Edit: If you're worried about asthma, head into your local bird store to see how bad it is. I know some people have cockatiels that shed dust like chalkboard erasers, but Qtip's isn't bad at all in a big room. Just food for thought.

 

[Tielygirl]

So I only would like to add in here, that each bird is an individual... They have their own likes & dislikes, and its up to you to try to learn to communicate with them to learn what... makes them tick.. I have 3 cockatiels, one who loves to be with me & frequently follows me around the house, one who only will come over out of jealousy when the other is near, and another who specifically waits until all activity is quiet and no one is around to show her soft side. They really do pick their owners, BUT if you are gentle and persistent you can create a bond with them that will last a lifetime. good luck on your search.

 

[Lady Jane]

It's rare to find a husband who does not like birds but will help with the cares. He is a keeper as they say.

 

[MommaMorgie]

It's rare to find a husband who does not like birds but will help with the cares. He is a keeper as they say.

I whole heartedly agree! Thanks!