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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly about Cockatiels

CrazyBirdLady

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Middle TN
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Jaime
Most of it has been said, but just to add a little:

The good: In addition to their sweet, loving natures I find that my tiels are the best at sensing my moods. If I am sad they will go out of their way to be silly and make me laugh.

The bad: Nothing to add here, the only bad I find is the dust. And the indiscriminate pooping. This is why I am always in pj's at home.

The ugly: None at all. Maybe egg laying issues, but I haven't personally experienced these problems.

I don't find my tiels to be loud. Maybe they aren't or maybe it is just a matter of opinion. I have eleven and they don't bother me at all. Of course only three are boys, one of which isn't even weaned yet.

Also, I have never been bitten by a tiel, but I don't imagine it feels good.
 

Bailey

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Lol Jaime! My 2 boys are loud enough for me. And Taz bites the crap outta me everytime I clip his nails. It doesn't feel good, I assure you! :p
 

blackivory

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West Aust
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no offense taken dear heart..I went back in and tried to paragraph out my response..hope that helps and that others are easier to read..would love to hear what you have to say too!!
Thanks so much. Too late here at the moment but I hope to come on shortly and add my views :D Though they are VERY dusty!!
 

Suchabetty

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Suchabetty-

How old is your Betty tiel? I've found that most tiels do not become 'set in their ways' until they're a little older (~4/5 years old). My current female, Allie, is very set in her ways. We're not sure of her age because she is a rescue, but we were told she was around 5 or 6 and that would make her 7 this year. She sleeps a lot though, so I think she is closer to the 10 year mark.
Well Betty is 2 years old now and sometimes reminds of a cranky old lady if she doesnt get her beauty sleep :lol:
 

OzzieTheAlex

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Lily
Lea is flying high in heaven. She died of cancer not egg binding though surprisingly.

The only time she bit was when she had an egg and not always. I was rarely bitten but my vet said her egg laying issue was beyond normal for a tiel. She was very very loving....so I always decided she was doing what was natural to protect her egg then she changed back to my cuddlebunny. I always forgave. Didnt happen in her last 8 years. Probably happened less than 10 times in 17 years. Couldnt ask for a better pet.

But in an earlier post I stated she never bit so I wanted to be more accurate once I remembered her motherhood bites.


I'm so sorry! I didn't know Lea was in birdie heaven! I didn't want to get you sad : (

Fly free Lea!
 

blewin

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Ringwood, NJ
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Buddy is the epitome of the good and bad of cockatiels:
The good: Very sweet, very affectionate, cuddly, love scritches, relatively quiet (compared to other fids, or fire engines), poops are small.
The bad: Poop everywhere, dusty, very affectionate, cuddly, and love scritches when you in the middle of doing something else. Actually, the really bad thing about them is that they are •••••• smart and stubborn. Buddy is persistent in getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. He knows to play hide and go seek (he hides we seek) when he is feeling ignored. He also has decided that everything is HIS. Given the opportunity, we'd have an apartment full of chewed up everything.
The ugly: Nothing, although when he sticks his beak up my nose to get scritched, it's pretty ugly.:lol:
 

moonchild

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Buddy sounds awesome. :D
You're right about them being extremely stubborn! I can shoo Freya away from my keyboard fifty times and she just comes right back. And Juju and Gypsy (my newest adoption) always want scritches at the most inconvenient times.
 

penguin

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Good:My tiels are the most cuddly and empathic birds, they know when I'm sick or sad and stay with me. They always want some sort of contact.
Bad: My 2nd tiel is a layer, but Lupron does work for her. It is however, an expensive habit. She also fights with the others around her sleep cage (nesting area) and will bite us if she is on eggs.
Ugly: Nothing really, but the potential is there if one of the other two starts to lay eggs.
 

AzaleaMist

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Good - they are funny, smart, adorable, beautiful precious birds in a small package. I can't say enough about cockatiels because I absolutely love them. Each of my six are unique and have quirks and endearing behaviors.

The bad- they are dusty and I have noticed an increase in my allergies. The boys love calls are pretty loud. They do startle easy, I agree with that. They all take off and scatter if one becomes alarmed at the slightest thing.
I have to add they are like potato chips or cookies and you have to force yourself to stop having more because they are so special!

To me their poop is nothing compared to Quaker poop so that is not a bad thing! It is good! Easy to clean up and not as messy. I have not had egg issues as of yet but I understand the potential problem.

Yes they are stubborn, but that is a given with most birds. Patience is required!

I think the biggest bad is that cockatiels are overlooked and underestimated! They are such awesome little birds and I cannot believe I underestimated them and I am embarrassed and ashamed that I did not think a cockatiel could compare in the slighted to our two Quakers . I was mistaken and I will admit it. They are so much more than people give them credit for!

They are birds that require care and love and devotion. They are not birds that deserve to be tossed aside or labeled as a starter bird. Cockatiels are amazing birds.

Petey and Cinna are the most special to me because they are very attached to humans and are relentless in their pursuit of us. Petey is everything a cockatiel should be wrapped up on a package of Awesomeness! He thrives on learning new things, loves to be kissed and to hang out with us and steal our food. He says "hi" whenever I enter the room (so proud of him for saying this in context). He will go crazy and dance when my husband comes home. He loves everyone! He gives kisses complete with sound effects and perfect aim. Petey likes to remind us how the door works when he wants out by lifting it up and down. (He can't quite do the gymnastics Nova does to let herself in and out thank goodness.
Petey is special in my book and I cannot believe I was fortunate enough to save him from his former life and watch him blossom.
Cinna is sweet and sassy! She is bonded to humans and not silly birds. She pines away for us if we lock her up and stares and chirps to be let out. She is independent enough to go fly around the house and go stare into the toaster but she always comes looking for me and nestles in for a long cuddle or a million and one scritches. She can be bossy and fickle and she is very brave and stubborn.

Nova is very very smart and she is very regal. she is the queen bee. a very quiet ruler unless she is calling to her man to see where he is ( and he comes running). Poppy dances and calls to be let out of her cage relentlessly when she is determined. We joke that she Has an attitude of a queen bee but she does not have it in her to stand up for herself so she grudgingly accepts her place. She is very sassy. Don't talk to me or look at me or touch my stuff if I don't give you permission to do so! She likes to scold us and bluff for disturbing her.
She scolds us when we ask her to step up but then will comply. She calms down when told she is pretty.
The new boys , Louie and Juni are still settling in so I will not add anything about them but they are promising to be awesome too.




on my phone

Quakers, Cockatiels & a Greenie
 
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littletiel

Walking the driveway
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200
This thread really caught my attention. I think all cockatiels are somehow a mixture of that!
I have lost a very good friend a week ago and I really wanted some peace for reflection, but my cockatiel's hormones went high exactly on the day when I heard the news (not surprising, they always go high around that day). Anyway, he really drove me crazy while I needed some peace. He even kept screaming under the blanket. On the other hand, he also gave me affection... He is usually very affectionate and cuddly :heart: and a good kid, but he doesn't give up when he wants something. Until "I" give up (you know, like when kids drive you crazy by asking "can I have it" and you finally yield to have some peace...) I still love him to bits.
 

Sianno

Meeting neighbors
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5/29/13
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21
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Terre Haute
I totally agree that 'tiels are NOT starter birds. I think many see that they are relatively inexpensive and think "easy" or low maintenance. I'll admit, I was one of them. I wasn't careful with the shop I got him from or choosy with which bird I picked (the pretty one that didn't run away) and I got more than I bargained for. My parents called him the demon. Lightning was extremely cage territorial (still is) which I later learned that certain birds are, especially those that came from the environment he did. He wants attention all the time and gets mopey when I'm away for extended periods of time. I love, love, LOVE him, so don't get me wrong, but I know I wasn't ready for him. I had to do a lot of research to figure out how to stop the biting, how to introduce new things: bath time, toys, human attention, anything besides the overcrowded glass box that had a couple perches and food dishes. I was not prepared for the dust mess or the chewing. I turned in a few handouts at school that were partially chewed up and explained my bird ate my homework. :) He learned to imitate my alarm clock and he'd go off every morning, even on weekends.

I've had him for 6 years and while he's still territorial about his cage-the vet said that will probably never go away, he will step up on a perch and come out. From there, he's a sweet, loving feathered toddler. I managed to loosely potty train him, so he will either go back to his cage or find a newspaper/paper towel that I have laying out to go potty. Like any toddler, he still has accidents (or he's too busy having fun to go to his potty spots) but I've managed to reduce that mess significantly. He still scared of new things, mainly food, but also random toys/house decor. He only eats veggies in baby food form. Some say it's ridiculous, but I don't think so. He's my baby and at least he eats some veggies. If he needs a shower afterward, then that's fine too. He also gets scared with random noises on tv/outside/downstairs and at times he's broken blood feathers in his panic. Since I live alone and have no one to help pull out the remaining shaft, even if I could work up the nerve to do it, those times always result in a trip to the vet. But his loving and sweet personality make up for any inconvenience or expense. With a lot of patience and the help of several calmer kids, he now loves them, even the smaller, wilder ones. It is easier to relax and focus more on Lightning's well being during these interactions when I know that while it will be painful, it won't seriously injure a kid if he bites, and since he knows I'm relaxed and not tense, he's always relaxed and has yet to bite any of them.

So for me, the good:
Sweet: he loves to cuddle with his head under my chin and nibble on my fingers until he gets scritches.
Small: I watch young kids at my house and a larger bird would definitely be a safety hazard.
Has a reasonable noise level: while at times he can be loud, a former roommate's sun conure made Lightning seem as quiet as a finch.
Sweet: He's awesome and loving everywhere we go, getting pets and scritches from young to old.
Intelligent: I heard it said that birds are like toddlers and I agree. He will repeat noises after only a few times hearing it, picks up tricks, and finds new games
SWEET: He knows when I've had a bad day and will cuddle with me watching a movie just as content as if we were to go somewhere fun and exciting.

The bad:
Dusty: 2nd only to 'Toos in the dust department, above even larger African grays. Regular showers help, but not completely.
Easily scared: Even with the vet's recommendations, we still struggle with night frights and easy startling.
Can be noisy: While not as noisy as some, he still can get very loud at inconvenient times, like while I'm on the phone.
Can be too demanding: He can be demanding at times when I'm busy and can't play/cuddle. Then he screeches until I become unbusy.
Intelligent: While it's nice most of the time, just like toddlers, that intelligence can lead to getting into trouble and also learning to manipulate the big people

The ugly:
Me on Saturday mornings when the alarm goes off, I hit snooze, and it doesn't stop. Then I realize it's Lightning and there is no snooze button.
Him with mirrors. He's a pretty bird, don't get me wrong. But when the equally pretty bird in the mirror refuses to talk back, that's when things get ugly. :)


I will say that despite loving my Lightning and him being such a blessing, I did tell one girl she did NOT really want one. She was a 9/10 yr old in the neighborhood that saw me with him on his harness. She immediately came over and after noticing how nice he was started talking about getting her parents to let her have one. I had an idea of what she was thinking. She wanted a bird that would be well behaved when she wanted to spend time with it, but content to stay in a cage all day until then. I don't think that bird exists and I could see one being neglected after it bit her a few times. So I told her more about the negatives of owning a companion bird than I did the positives. Then my landlady let me know that critters go to their house to die, so I'm REALLY glad I did that. She changed her mind after seeing a scar my friend's bird gave me. I might have neglected to mention it wasn't Lightning.
 

Trinity23

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southwestern ontario
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Heather
I've had 'tiels all my life. They're my little babies and my little feather angels. I agree that males are FAR more vocal than females. They're also more aggressive. Females are chronic egg layers which can be risky and sad.

The Good: Crazy characters of birds they are. Syd's 17 and although she doesn't do loop de loops around the living room anymore, she's still very acrobatic. Syd's personality is basically the most divalicious cat you know....with wings. Chewy is a rescue and took 2 years to come out of her shell. She still feels safest in her cage. But she'll snuggle and bump your chin with her head when she wants scratches. The two of them are united in their mutual loathing/tolerance of my p'let Pickles. They're cuddly, snuggly, michevious crazy animals. But they also sense when things are wrong with you. I had my gallbladder out and Dr Chewy checked on me.

The bad: dust dust dust. Poop poop poop. Although I have more experience with hens than males....they're all loud. And they have this inherent way of finding the most acoustically perfect place in the house to contact call from. They can bite and bite HARD.

The ugly: chronic night frights. we keep a night light on for my flock. egg laying binges by the hens. gets more dangerous as they get older. has resulted in little to no scratches during an egg laying binge. Apparently scratches are birdie foreplay. Egg bound hens that are touch and go. Expensive vet bills from egg laying hens. light reduction, heavily supplemented diets, rearranging the cages and things in the cages and pulling back on scratches has helped break the binges. unskilled flyers crashing into walls too many times. The ugliest is when they die. That's the hardest.
 

Klomonx

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My Phoenix was quite skittish, moody, and dusty. She could be cuddly one minute, but the moment she decided she had enough, she would hiss and bite. For a long time she was a chronic egg layer, but in her last year, when we changed her diet, she stopped laying eggs. She was my first bird, and even though I had done my research I was young and well, didn't know what I was doing. It also didn't help that we had/have so limited access to vets, so her claws got long and I wouldn't dare try to sand them down...she never calmed down in a towel, was utterly terrified of any and everything, even tissues. When I switched out her toys she'd utterly avoid the part of the cage...she never got used to the toy I bought her to help her beak. She also hated baths of any kind; but she would bathe herself in a flat dish. We bought her from a pet store, however it was a local pet store that has since moved so far away I don't even know if it exists.

Was it worth it...? I don't know; I could talk to her, and I could pet to her sometimes, but I feel like I missed out much on a cockatiel's affection. She did love me though, and I appreciated her greetings when I came home from school; she and the dog would get excited when it was around time for me to come home. Her noise level was only bad when she wanted food or wanted to be uncovered; she had night terrors for awhile but it stopped suddenly a few years before she passed, I don't know how.

Also, she adored Rice Krispies (unsweetend).

Phoenix however was rather adaptable..my mum would clip her wings (and I doubt she did it correctly, but it was so hard for me to do it when I heard her screaming) and in her last year I don't think they ever grew back. So, she learned to literally fly backward. She was very, very good at it. Once she flew to the floor in my bedroom, and I asked her, 'now what are you going to do, silly bird?' she looked at me, walked a few steps, and flew backward back onto my bed.
Phoenix never spoke, although my dad tried endlessly. Every time he walked by her cage he'd say my name in an attempt to get her to learn it. Sadly due to her moody nature, my family didn't get along with her; she was often called an Evil Winged Spawn of Satan - only dad and I really liked her. Mum only was nice to her because she was my baby even though I admit I was not the best mother.
 
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Alex92

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Upstate New York
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Alex
Leela:

The good:
-Curious
-Knows her name
-Very smart
The bad:
-Has her bratty moments, but so do most birds
-Velcro bird, she normally doesn't like other people but she has opened up a lot within the past couple months.
-Loud when she wants to be
-Begging bird. If I bring food into my room...forget it. It's the bird food as soon as it enters my door.
-Escape artist (Can get out of her cage very easily)

Honestly, I love my girl and she makes my days so much better. She has her attitude, but I wouldn't change her for the world. Although...it would be awesome if she actually took interest in toys.


Andre:

The good:
-Very smart
-Handsome man
-Can keep himself entertained and uses his toys.

The bad:
-Guards his cage
-Temperamental. He can be very cute and cuddly then change with a moments notice


Andre is a very sweet boy, but also does not have a ton of people experiance. His previous owner did her best taking care of him, but she had a son shortly after she had received him as a gift. Both him and Leela are typical tiel behaviors but they bring their own attitudes as well.

I love them both. <3
 

dceleslee

Moving in
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Cornelius, NC
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Leslee
We've had three cockatiels over the years.. All rescues/rehomed. The first two were a sad pair that had been terribly neglected and weren't too tame, but were more than happy for our attention, just didn't want to be held. The female had been a chronic egg layer but the change of homes disrupted that for about a year, which was good as their nutritional status was poor. We lost the male after about 6 months and the necropsy showed visceral gout as a result of poor diet. The female we had another 6 years. We never did know how old they were, but more than likely both died too young.
We were given a hand-raised white-faced male who absolutely adored our son (and after he went to college, we're the target for his attention/affection). He loves being with us and yes, he is loud and my ears ring sometimes from his sudden screeches...he is a spoiled baby and always wants our black-capped conure to preen him, which she does, and it's adorable. He tries preening her sometimes, but she won't have it, as much as she might need it....and yeah, I go through multiple tee-shirts in a day since he just does his business whenever. The conure has a little dance that I recognize and then she'll do her potty on command....
The dander is at times amazing, but not too terrible. He does like to try to nest in anything cardboard and wow does he get territorial about that (not the cage, however..) So we try to discourage that. And he loves to eat whatever we have, so we have to be careful with some things...:)
 

Muz

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Good: In my case not much as I have an untame (literally) tiel. Only good is that it looks happy and sings a lot.

Bad:
I find tiel bites pretty painful compared to loveird ones, lovebird ones are sharp and sudden but tiels just bite and hold for dear life. My cockatiel rarely bites though, it hurts like hell when he does.
 

Tongue Flicker

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Madina't Isa, Bahrain
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Neil Moreton
For the 4 years i had my boy, i've yet to witness that dust part. The scattered downfeathers are usually found in the morning and i don't mind since i usually sweep the floor in the mornings as well.

As for biting, my huge land hermit crab can pack a more painful experience :lol:

Edgar is my one my only bird amidst my 34 snakes, 17 lizards, 1 turtle, 1 tree frog, 2 newts, 1 fighting betta, 3 mudskippers, 7 tarantulas, 79 scorpions and 6 hedgehogs that's why he's sooooo special to me :heart: :hug8: :dance5:
 

blewin

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The updated good, bad, and ugly about Buddy...
The good: She's very, very smart, even though she refuses to learn tricks. She doesn't speak either, except to say "uh oh," but she makes herself understood. She can entertain herself (once she understands she needs to), she's loyal, and she is very sweet and cuddly most of the time.
The bad: She is very, very stubborn. If she wants something, or wants to do something, she will keep on going at it. It's not blind stubbornness, because if she's faced with a challenge (like me blocking her from getting to my keyboard), she'll figure out how to get to it. She also tries to "correct" with her beak. I say "try," because it just ends up with her on the floor, or in "time out."
The ugly: The dander isn't so bad. The EGGS, on the other hand. If you know you are getting a girl 'tiel, know that they are indeterminate layers, which means that they can keep on going forEVER. Okay, it seems like it, right now, but we got some bad advice on how to handle things, and now she's just bad momma, and when she gives up on sleeping on her eggs, we'll get rid of them.
 

zombiecupcakes

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
11/27/13
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15
I had two tiels for awhile until Kiwi passed away almost two years ago. She wasn't so loud but Ash......... he can knock a door out with his calling. When I come, he calls. When I wake up and come downstairs, he calls. He calls, he calls, he calls! And very loud calling! Tiels can be very loud in my experiences in having them. And dusty, yes, very dusty. Vacumming everyday or every few days is something I got used to eventually.
 

tastybeets

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Guess I'll join in! Einstein turned 7 in Feb-ish of 2014. He was maybe 5 months old when I rescued him from Petco. Fortunately, he hadn't lost all hand-friendly goodness and within a week was comfortable being scritched and cuddled.

The Good: He's extremely affectionate (when he wants to be), he makes up his own songs to whistle and that's about the extent of his noise making (I mean this guy is just stupid quiet). He's easy to treat because he's in love with millet. He's quite independent now (although, he was extremely clingy and would scream if he couldn't fly to me when he was in his first year or two). He never bites. Like never ever. Not even strangers. Not even when he's crabby. The best part is he totally loves me, I swear. When he wants to come out and I walk by the cage, he stares at my hand and does this hopping from one foot to the other that gets more intense as I move my hand closer to him and will try and jump to my hand if it's close enough. He also does a fantastic fat Marlon Brando impression when he fluffs his feathers. He smells like freshly baled hay, and as far as dust, I don't notice. I have to vacuum due to my horribly long-haired border collie anyway.

The Bad: He dislikes almost everyone he meets (but will step up/sit on any shoulder... just don't try to pet him. He's made a lot of progress though!). He's afraid of almost everything including Christmas trees, new toys, long sleeves, and even fruit and veggie pieces. He can be EXTREMELY crabby and chooses his own time to come out and be loved, and he will hiss and beak your hand if you try to force a step-up on him when he's not in the mood. He does occasionally squawk when he wants attention, millet, or just for kicks (they aren't even a quarter as loud as I've heard from other 'tiels). It's like having a crotchety old man trapped in a bird body.

The Ugly: I can't say I have any ugly truths about my experience with Ein. When I got him, I was young, naive, and super excited to be able to buy a bird since I was no longer living with my 'rents. I'm lucky he's turned out to be a fairly well adjusted bird when I'm sure it could have been much worse.
 
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