I'm looking for a nutritious snack for my cockatiels. I've been thinking about spinach, but it might not be good for them, Even though, they love spinach. They look so cute munching on it! (quick question, how painful are aggressive cockatiel bites? I've never been bitten by them before)
Thanks for posting this thread because I've wondered the same myself since there are so many leafy greens out there and not all of them give good nutrients. I will add that my birds seem to prefer leafy greens that look more like a stem/sprig like cilantro or basil. If you have the right climate, basil is super easy to grow in the summer and you need to keep chopping it back anyway. Plus it smells great when they are munching away!
To answer your question about tiel bites: If you are talking hormonal aggression like defending a nest then they can really sting. Major would break the skin and was good at getting right by the nail. However, it's not like there was a ton of bleeding. I would compare it to being poked by a sewing needle/getting your skin pinched in something.
The worst part was that she would be willing to chase. I would walk up to her trying to be nesty under her cage stand. I am about three feet away. She would pop out, look at my foot, look at me, then run over to my foot and give a hard pinch!
Tiels do have some capability to cause damage and bleeding, but I have only heard about it with birds that were terrified for their lives + negative experiences with hands.
