In this article, we talk about cockatiel facts in the wild – how they live, what they eat, and so on. These birds are considered one of the best avian pets by many, but here we will focus on how they are as found in nature.
Beautiful, affectionate, and playful, cockatiels are easily one of the best avian species to keep as pets.
If you love learning about birds and how they live in the wild, you will enjoy this article!
I’ve always found a great deal of interest in birds, so naturally, I felt compelled to research a bit on cockatiels and find out more about them.
Read on to learn about the habitat, diet, and life cycle of these beautiful birds.
What Is A Cockatiel?
The cockatiel is a member of the Cockatoo family – the smallest among them, to be precise.
The crest of feathers at the top of their head (similar to that of the sulfur-crested cockatoo) and the reddish-orange spots behind their eyes make them fairly easy to identify.
These birds are usually around 12.8 inches long, including their tail, and weigh between 2.8 and 4.4 ounces.
These beautiful birds are commonly called tiels in the US, while Australians refer to them as Weiros and Quarrions.
The bird’s biological identity has changed a few times, but it currently belongs to the monotypic subfamily Nymphicinae. The cockatiel is the lone member of the genus Nymphicus.
Is Cockatiel A Bird? A Mammal?
Cockatiels aren’t mammals, nor do they resemble mammals in any sense except being arboreal creatures.
They’re a parrot-like bird species. Like all other birds, they hatch from eggs and have feathers rather than hair.
What Do Cockatiels Look Like?
As mentioned earlier, cockatiels are quite easy to identify. They usually have mid-gray feathers with lighter plumage underneath and a white blaze on the wings.
The females also have a row of yellowish sports under their wings.
However, you might want to note that the above description doesn’t apply to all cockatiels. Bird breeders have created a range of cockatiel mutations.
For instance, gray feathers are missing in albino and lutino cockatiels.
Cockatiels share several similarities with cockatoos, but the two are easy to differentiate. Let’s get a quick overview of their morphological features.
Beak: These birds have short curved beaks, like all other parrots. The beak is usually gray in males, while female cockatiels have pinkish beaks.
Legs: A healthy cockatiel would have supple skin on its feet and legs. It’s quite common to find them standing on one leg, which they do to preserve body heat when they feel cold.
Claw: Cockatiels have short claws. Wild cockatiels get their nails trimmed automatically when walking on dirt or climbing over tree bark. Domesticated cockatiels need nail care – you’ll have to trim them periodically.
Tail: Tiels are characterized by narrow tails with long feathers. The tail is dark gray in males, while the outermost tail feathers in females and juveniles are yellow with grey barrings.
Feathers: As mentioned earlier, plumage is usually a mix of gray, yellow, and white feathers. The sides of the beak are covered with facial feathers – a characteristic found almost exclusively in the Cacatuidae family.
Where Are Cockatiels From?
Despite being one of the most popular pet birds in the US, cockatiels are not native to North America.
Europeans discovered them in 1770, but it wasn’t until the 1900s that they became popular.
Cockatiels were taken to Europe and popularized by pet breeders, from where they eventually spread to North America.
How Long Do They Live In The Wild?
Cockatiels live around ten years in the wild. However, their lifespan is significantly increased in captivity.
Your pet cockatiel would likely live around 15 to 20 years. There have also been records of cockatiels living as long as 30 years, but those are rare cases.
What Do Cockatiels Eat In The Wild?
You should always try to feed your pet bird a balanced diet similar to what they eat in the wild.
Learning about the diet of wild cockatiels helps us understand what type of food they have adapted to.
Wild cockatiels have a rather varied diet, though it mainly comprises seeds from trees and grasses.
They also feed on fruits, berries, vegetables, crops, and insects. Cockatiels are opportunistic feeders, which means they aren’t too picky and eat whatever is available at the moment.
Cockatiel Natural Habitat
You may find cockatiels in a vast range of habitats, although the woodlands, scrublands, and grasslands of Australia were their native habitat.
These birds are nomadic, but they always stay near water bodies.
You are more likely to find wild cockatiels in relatively open areas like non-dense woods and savannah grasslands.
While they prefer open areas to make sure they have a clear view of the surroundings, they still need trees to nest in.
As with any species, they also need a suitable food source and tend to live in places with an abundance of seeds, grains, and berries.
How Many Cockatiels Are Left In The World?
We don’t know the exact number of cockatiels left in the world simply because there are too many to count.
Cockatiels are abundant, both as pets and out there in the wild.
What Is A Group Of Cockatiels Called?
You’d never guess what a group of cockatiels called (unless you already know it of course) – pandemonium!
Yes, it’s the same word used to refer to a state of wild and noisy confusion. If we break the word in two, it translates into “all demons” in Greek.
Are Cockatiels Endangered?
The popularity of cockatiels as pets might make one worried about their numbers possibly dwindling. Don’t worry; tiels are far from being endangered.
There are still enough cockatiels left in the wild that it’s impossible to quantify their population.
Of course, the sheer number of cockatiels being bred as pets keeps them from being endangered too.
Cockatiel Mutations
Thanks to the popularity of cockatiels as pet birds, breeders started experimenting to come up with different mutations.
As of now, there are 18 or more cockatiel mutations of different color combinations, with some being rarer than others.
Apart from the normal gray cockatiel, here are some of the other popular variations:
Lutino: These beautiful cockatiels are very popular, with a snowy white body and a yellow head. Lutino cockatiels are created by removing the gray pigment.
Pied: Pied cockatiels are one of the oldest cockatiel mutations. They look similar to the regular grey cockatiels but have much more white plumage.
Pied cockatiels all look unique, as the distribution of the white patches is never the same between the two of them.
Pearly: Characterized by yellow or white pearl spots on the wings, backs, and napes, pearl cockatiels are also known as lacewings.
They are interbred with other variations to create mutations like pearly pieds, pearly lutinos, etc.
Albino: Albino cockatiels are one of the rarest and most expensive mutations. They look almost pure white all over, except for the red eyes.
Whiteface: The whiteface cockatiels are devoid of orange and yellow pigments. They have a completely white face instead.
White-faced cockatiels have been combined with other variations to create new mutations too.
Where Can I Get My Cockatiel From?
You may buy your cockatiel from a pet bird store. Since they’re popular pets and available in abundance, you shouldn’t have much trouble.
Pet cockatiels are typically bred in captivity. They’re always alert for predators, which makes them hard to capture in the wild.
Their nutrition, day-to-day living, toys, home safety, and health care are similar to most other companion birds.
Do visit some of the links below for additional information on the subject:
Fun And Interesting Cockatiel Facts
Cockatiels make very interesting pets and are fun to be around. In case you plan to get a pet cockatiel, here are some interesting cockatiel facts for you.
- Cockatiels can bite, and they do that a lot. Although they can deliver quite a painful bite if they want, they rarely do so. Most of the time, they would bite you just as a form of communication to draw your attention.
- These birds are capable of talking and whistling, which makes them especially fun. Unlike several other types of parrots, they whistle much better than they talk.
- Cockatiels are very territorial, especially during the breeding season. They tend to keep their offspring safe all the time and even fend off birds and other predators larger than themselves.
- While these birds are quite active and energetic in the wild, they need a lot of rest too. Pet cockatiels sleep around 14 hours a day.
- Cockatiels tend to get bored easily and shouldn’t be left alone at home for more than 2-3 hours. Also, make sure to give them enough toys and add multiple perches to the cage.
- You can teach a cockatiel various tricks. It not only makes them more entertaining but also keeps the bird from getting bored.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times a day do cockatiels eat?
Mature cockatiels eat twice a day in the wild – in the morning and early evening. The same feeding schedule should be followed for pet cockatiels too.
You may also give them lunch, as long as they don’t get more than 40 grams of food throughout the day. Baby cockatiels need to be fed more often, depending on their age.
What do 3-month-old cockatiels eat?
A 3-month-old cockatiel would have already completed weaning and no longer needs baby food.
It can eat regular cockatiel food, i.e., seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, and processed birdfeed.
Cockatiels can start transitioning from baby food to regular food at around the 8th week.
What climate do cockatiels like?
Tropical and subtropical climates are the most suitable for cockatiels. However, they can also adapt well to other climatic conditions and can even survive desert temperatures.
Unfortunately, artificial breeding has significantly lowered their adaptability.
How often do cockatiels eat and drink?
Cockatiels need to eat only twice a day and drink water two or three times a day. Also, they require only a teaspoon of water a day as they don’t lose water through sweating.
As for food, they need a healthy diet consisting of 30 to 40 grams of food every day.
Wrap Up
I loved every bit of the research it took to come up with this article, and hopefully, you found it interesting too.
I believe it has given you a clear overview of these beautiful birds and their feeding habits.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a better understanding of cockatiels now.
