Do Cockatiels Like Music? Do They Dance To It?

Most people enjoy playing music in their homes. However, if you own a cockatiel, you might be wondering if cockatiels will enjoy the music too.

The good news is, cockatiels enjoy music as much as we do. You may even find that your cockatiel is dancing to the music that you play, and in some cases, it might even learn the song to “sing.” Music is a great way to energize your cockatiel and provide it with some company.

So, you can play your favorite music all you want around your cockatiel. Just make sure that you don’t blast the volume because that will hurt your cockatiel’s ears.

Cockatiels and Music

If you have a cockatiel and are worried about whether or not it will appreciate your music, you can rest assured that you have nothing to worry about. It has been proven that cockatiels appreciate music and will generally like any type of music you listen to.

Something interesting that several cockatiel owners have noted is that their cockatiels have specific tastes. For example, your cockatiel might not be a fan of every genre, and you might notice that your cockatiel almost prefers some songs over others.

You just have to try and see what music your cockatiel likes best if you intend to play music out loud.

It is also important to note that if you’re someone who likes to listen to music at very high volumes, you should not be doing this around your cockatiel. This is because cockatiels are small and sensitive creatures and the loud noise will hurt their ears.

Play your music at a relatively low volume and your bird will be fine.

If you are someone who plays an instrument, you will also notice that your cockatiel will enjoy your music. When out of its cage, your cockatiel may even come and join you as you play!

Cockatiels are highly sociable animals that “talk” with one another. They also tend to sing to one another. The reasons for their songs vary, some including to assert their dominance or to get the attention of a cockatiel of the opposite sex.

So, it is not surprising that cockatiels also enjoy music, since they themselves are birds that are inclined to sing.

Music is also a great way to keep your bird company if you have to leave it alone to go out (even though we don’t recommend leaving birds alone – we explain why here).

Keep some of your cockatiel’s favorite music playing, as well as some of its favorite snacks in its cage, when you have to leave home.

As we have established many times, cockatiels are sociable birds that demand social interaction in order to remain happy and healthy.

While music certainly does not substitute physical interactions, it does help any cockatiels from growing bored or feeling lonely when you are gone out, especially if it does not have a companion bird.

Music also offers you a nice way of being able to establish a closer bond with your cockatiel. Again, since cockatiels are such affectionate and sociable birds, they practically demand to have a good relationship with you and you giving them all the attention you can.

Cockatiels are animals that are good at mimicking sounds they hear. This could include sounds that you make or music that you play. So, it is highly possible that, when you play music, you’ll see that your cockatiel has started to sing and chirp along to the tune.

If you have shown pleasure when your cockatiel has sung along to music, this will make your cockatiel more likely to do it again and again.

And finally, as we said, music is a good way for you to bond with your cockatiel. If you notice that there’s a tune your cockatiel likes in particular, or that you like, you can sing this tune to your cockatiel for it to learn.

Or, while your cockatiel is singing, you can sing along with it. This may not seem like something big, but this will help to promote an even closer bond between you and your beloved pet.

Now, let’s discuss other behaviors that your cockatiel might exhibit as you play music for it.

Cockatiels and Dancing

Something that many cockatiel owners also notice as they play music is that their cockatiels may start to dance along to the music. This is incredibly unique and not something that many other animals are capable of.

For example, if you have a dog or a cat, you certainly will not notice it dancing along to your music.

There is actually a reason for cockatiels dancing, which further proves that these are highly intelligent creatures. Cockatiels have been proven to react to music much like humans do. Have you ever heard a song so good that you couldn’t help but move along to the beat?

The same happens to cockatiels.

A study was even done on cockatiels and their ability to understand different types of music. As we have established, cockatiels are one of the only animals capable of detecting a beat.

No matter how fast or how slow the song was, the cockatiels in the study were able to dance to the beat, even further exemplifying how intelligent these animals are. (We show you how smart they truly are in this article!)

There are several ways in which you might find your cockatiel dancing. You have probably seen a lot of videos of them on the Internet. The most common way in which a cockatiel will dance is by bobbing its head.

Turn on a song and you’ll likely see your cockatiel bobbing its head right along to the beat. It may also kick its legs according to the song’s beat. Sometimes, if your cockatiel particularly wants attention, it might flap its wings or cause the feathers on the top of its head to lift.

Again, a great way to strengthen your bond with your cockatiel is to dance along with it. It might seem silly, but it will inspire your cockatiel to dance along too. And besides, if your cockatiel sees that you appreciate its dancing abilities, it will be inclined to dance more often.

Teaching Your Cockatiel to Sing or Dance

It really isn’t that difficult to get your cockatiel to sing or dance because you’ll probably find that the cockatiel will be doing that on its own already. However, there might be certain songs that you want your cockatiel to be able to sing and dance to.

Remember not to force your pet to do anything and to be as gentle and patient as possible when teaching it to do new tricks.

As always, the best way to begin teaching your pet anything new is through repetition. Try to stand near your cockatiel’s cage in a place where it can easily see you and sing along to the song of your choice softly.

Make sure that your cockatiel will be able to see the way that your lips move along with the words. It is recommended that you dedicate around ten minutes daily, twice per day doing this. You should see results in no time, but don’t be discouraged if your cockatiel doesn’t react the very first time.

Remember that the action needs to be taught and repeated several times in order for your cockatiel to get the hang of it.

Many people also recommend that you play several different types of music around your cockatiel. Don’t just play one song or even one genre of music. This will allow your cockatiel to try and sing several different songs, and it will keep your cockatiel entertained.

When you notice that your cockatiel is making attempts to actually sing, show it how pleased you are and give it one of its favorite rare treats as a reward.

This will give your cockatiel more of an incentive to continue singing and to improve because one thing that cockatiels enjoy more than anything else is making their companions happy.

Cockatiels and Music

Cockatiels and Dancing

Teaching Your Cockatiel to Sing or Dance

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