How to Feed Cockatiels

Last Updated: October 22, 2023 Approved

The key to a healthy cockatiel is a varied diet, with many types of nutrients and vitamins. That means that, instead of sticking to a strict diet of commercial produced pet foods, you should also feed it many of the same foods you eat. However, you need to be mindful of food safety when caring for these small, often delicate animals.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Providing a Safe Eating Environment for Your Cockatiel

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Any fresh food given to your cockatiel should be cut into small pieces, no larger than half an inch. They should also be washed well. Pesticides on fruits and vegetables can be toxic to your pet. ^{[1]
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Seeds, pellets, and treats are all susceptible to being infested by fungus that could be deadly to your cockatiel. To be sure that this does not happen, store food in tightly closed containers and in a location that is cool and dry. ^{[2]
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3
Provide a clean food dish. You should feed the cockatiel with a clean bowl. Wash the bowl daily with hot, soapy water. Consider having two sets of bowls that you can switch out when the other is being cleaned. ^{[3]
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- Cockatiels are naturally foragers, who enjoy the opportunity to search the ground for food. Consider occasionally scattering food across the floor of the cage so that they can forage. In providing cockatiels with this opportunity, however, you should be cautious about food hygiene. ^{[4]
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- Placing food directly on the floor of the cage is more appropriate for foods like pellets and commercial treats, which will not rot. Be sure that fresh foods are easy to find and extract from the cage so that no rotting food is left in the cage.
Fresh foods left in the cage for more than an hour will begin to rot and could pose a health threat to your cockatiel. Feed your bird fresh food in a bowl and remove the bowl by the end of the day. Search the area for any remaining scraps on the bottom of the cage. Remove these as well. ^{[5]
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5
Provide a clean water bowl. As with the food bowl, the water bowl should be washed daily in hot soapy water. If you notice food particles, feces, or any other solid particles in the water, you should take it out and clean it immediately. ^{[6]
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- If you do not trust the local water enough to drink it yourself, you shouldn’t give it to your cockatiel either. Provide your cockatiel with bottled water, if necessary. ^{[7]
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6
Eat with your cockatiel. Cockatiels are social animals that, in the wild, eat with their flock. Try to feed your cockatiel around your own meal times to build a closer social bond. ^{[8]
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- To encourage bonding, you can also try to hand feed it. Place a few seeds in your hand and hold them out for your cockatiel to eat. ^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Choosing Food For a Cockatiel

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1
Aim for variety. Cockatiels need to consume a variety of nutrients and vitamins. The best way to accomplish this is to mix up your cockatiel’s diet. Be attentive to what your cockatiel eats and does not eat and follow its lead when designing your cocktail’s diet plan. ^{[10]
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- In addition to the base diet of pellets or seed, you should aim to feed your cockatiel some sort of fresh green daily. A couple of times a week supplement this with a second course of protein or carbohydrate. When serving either, limit the portion to a couple of very small, finely chopped pieces.
- In addition to your bird’s staples, which should be either seeds or pellets, you should serve a couple small pieces of a varied fresh food twice a day. ^{[11]
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2
Make seeds or pellets the basis of your diet. There is a lot of controversy over whether seeds or commercially produced pellets are the best source of nutrients for cockatiels. Either way, you should make sure that you pick a mix that is specifically designed for cockatiels, because they have specific nutritional needs that differ from some other species of bird. ^{[12]
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- Cockatiel's are not inclined to overeat, so provide your pet birds with as many seeds or pellets as they are willing to eat. When you provide fresh food, which you should do once or twice daily, they will cut down on the amount of pellets or seeds that they eat.
- In general, cockatiels will eat approximately 15 grams of food per day. ^{[13]
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- To add some variety, consider providing pellets occasionally if your bird is on a seed diet, or seeds if it is on a pellet diet.
- Watch to make sure that your bird does not only pick out certain seeds that it likes. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies because your bird might only eat the ones that taste good and avoid the healthier ones.
3
Provide adequate calcium. Your bird will need calcium to maintain its bone structure. To do this, provide it with dark, green vegetables like kale, cilantro, beet greens, turnip greens, bok choy, endive, chard, collard greens, and mustard greens.
- Alternatively you can also provide your bird with a mineral block to snack on.
- Cockatiels cannot process lactose. However, they can consume lactose free dairy products, like yogurt and cottage cheese. ^{[14]
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For protein you can feed your cockatiel meat or eggs. Chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and hard boiled eggs are ideal. Serve them freshly cooked. Do not give your bird reheated meats or eggs. ^{[15]
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For carbohydrates, feed your winged companion cooked rice, cooked beans, baked sweet potatoes, oatmeal, or fresh corn. These are less essential to your birds diet and should be served in moderation, only a couple of times per week. ^{[17]
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6
Feed your bird fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables should be served to your cockatiel so that your bird has sufficient vitamins in its diet. Some fruits and vegetables, however, can be problematic in excess. Try not to serve the same variety more than twice per week. Do not serve fresh food that is discolored or bruised. Wash fresh food well and chop into small pieces to prevent choking.
- Good vegetables to feed your bird include cooked sweat potatoes, sprouts, cooked beets, broccoli, carrots, carrot tops, corn, chard, endive, fresh sprouts, wax beans, parsley, pumpkin, red or green sweet peppers, watercress, yellow squash, zucchini, and dark green lettuce. ^{[18]
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- Iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and celery are not a good source of vitamins.
- Good fruits for your cockatiel include apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cantaloupe, cherries, honeydew, pears, pineapple, mangoes, nectarines, plums, and watermelon. ^{[19]
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- Cockatiels are allergic to the pits found in many varieties of fruit. If you are feeding your bird a pitted fruit, cut it up carefully and be certain to remove all pits.
- Although you should refrain from giving your cockatiel the same type of fruit or vegetable more than twice per week, you should provide some amount of fresh produce daily. Two or three pieces of finely chopped greenery should suffice.
You should consider getting vitamin supplements for your cockatiel, particularly if you are afraid that you aren’t giving it a sufficiently varied diet. The best vitamin supplements are served as powders or hard treats. Vitamin supplements that dissolve into water are less effective. ^{[20]
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There are a variety of commercially available treats for cockatiels, which, while not essential to their diet, make for a fun distraction. Talk to the people at your local pet store about which treats they sell would be appropriate for a cockatiel. ^{[21]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Knowing What Not to Feed Your Cockatiel

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Shelled nuts often contain a fungus that can be toxic to your cockatiel. You should also avoid nuts in their processed form, including peanut butter. ^{[22]
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Shellfish contain bacteria that our bodies can tolerate but that birds have trouble processing. As a result, you should never feed your bird shrimp, crab, or lobster. ^{[23]
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Canned food is heated in a way that causes it to lose much of its nutrients. It also has unhealthy levels of sodium. Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables. ^{[24]
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Cockatiels are allergic to several varieties of fruits and vegetables. Refrain from feeding them avocadoes, mushrooms, rhubarb, tomato, and eggplant. They are also allergic to the pits of apples, apricots, organs, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums. ^{[25]
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Refrain from indulging your bird in your own vices. Do not expose it to alcohol, tobacco, sugar, chocolate, honey, salt, or greasy foods. ^{[27]
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Expert Q&A

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Can you feed a cockatiel sunflower seeds?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Sunflower seeds are to cockatiels what chocolate is to people. They are a treat and when eaten in moderation are perfectly fine. The problem arises when the bird eats too many and becomes overweight, which strains their liver and heart and can make it difficult to fly.

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How to Feed Cockatiels

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Providing a Safe Eating Environment for Your Cockatiel

Choosing Food For a Cockatiel

Knowing What Not to Feed Your Cockatiel

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