Q&A for How to Keep a Cockatiel Healthy

Yes. Some pet stores will do it for you as well. You can also try learning how to clip your cockatiel's beak, wings, and nails.

It could be cold or sick. Take her to the vet for advice.

Talk to them, make them feel comfortable enough to sit on your finger, hand, shoulder. It's difficult at first, so you need to be patient.

The cockatiel will not live as long as it could on a seed diet. It's better to feed it a variety of foods, like pellets, fruit, boiled eggs. Seeds should still be included, but not as the only type of food.

It could be a stress reaction. Take both of your cockatiels to the vet.

The seeds are too fatty for cockatiels. It is recommended to have a 70% pellet diet with the remaining 30% a mixture of seeds, fruits, and veggies.

No, as long as it is behaving normally, extra "fluff" is nothing to worry about.

No. If he only ate pellets, that might be alright, but seeds are very high in fat and don't have the vitamins that cockatiels need to remain healthy. Get him some pellets and keep trying different fruits and veggies until you find one he likes. My bird only eats green things, but when I poke her beak with another treat, she bites down and sometimes ends up liking it.

You can try to substitute other, different toys, but keep in mind, they often don't take to a toy right away, so be patient.

Yes, but beware that they can get loud. Depending on how thick the walls are or where in the apartment they are kept, they may bother neighbors.

A pellet directed at small birds, like tiels and budgies, is always much better than a seed diet, regardless of brand. Uncolored brands tend to have fewer problems. Recommends brands are Roudybush, Harrison's, Zupreem, Totally Organic Pellets (TOP), and Hagen.

Absolutely! Parakeets do best with a friend, and cockatiels do too. These species get along very well and can most likely share the same diet.

If your cockatiels don't like baths, put a bird bath in their cage and fill it with warm water. They eventually begin to bathe by themselves. Change the water every night, or at least every time they bathe. You can buy cockatiel bathes online or at most pet stores.

Cockatiels should really only be kept with other cockatiels. While it isn't advised, people have gotten away with budgie/cockatiel pairs.

That is usually a sign of depression. Give your bird more attention and he/she should come around.

No, but you should still make sure it's turned off when she's out.

Cooked pasta and grains can also be given to your bird in moderation.

Cockatiels tend to preen often and regularly. They preen even more frequently when they're molting.

It means he might not want to come out at that time. He just might be hungry or sleepy. You might want to wait 5 minutes and try again.

It may have some problem or injury. The injury can be serious so react fast. you could take it to a vet if you think it is serious.

If you mean that your cockatiel is placing his head behind his wing, then he's doing that to stay warm and comfortable.

If your bird has always been mellow, then it might just be lazy and sleepy. If this is a new behavior, then seeing a vet would be a good idea.

There are special sprays for things like that, but be sure you purchase them from a pet store so that you can ensure that they are safe for animals.

Keeping the cage open gives the bird a chance to escape. If it's a tall cage, he bird may hurt itself and fall. If not, he can still get out and get hurt by pets or other household objects.

You can, but be sure to slowly and gradually change. A sudden change might lead to the bird not eating at all.

If your bird lets you pet it, lets you hand feed it, lets you talk to it without showing any signs of fear, it is probably tamed. One sure sign is if your bird willingly perches on your arm or shoulder.

They give off a dust that affects some people, so it would be best if your brother went to see a cockatiel first before you get one to see his reaction, or just keep the bird away from your brother.

Plastic toys are okay but if she starts consuming them, then you need to take them away. Be careful if the toys involve metal bells, they can be poisonous if the bird likes to lick them. I have a budgie that suffered from metal poisoning because his "girlfriend" was a bell.

Make sure the cage is big enough for your bird and provide it with plenty of perches. Avoid any cages with sharp corners or very tight spaces.

Lutino cockatiels are known for their white plumage under their yellow heads and occasionally red eyes. Nothing in particular makes them different than other cockatiels besides their appearance.