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Grey CockatielFamily: Cacatuidae
"Loki" is the name of the Viking God of mischief. Do you think the owner is trying to say something about this sweet innocent little bird? Loki is the oldest (and maybe the prettiest) cockatiel that we know of. He (or she?) is at least 23 years old! She looks very healthy.For more information about the care of Cockatiels see:
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Scientific Name: Nymphicus hollandicus
Distribution:
Grey cockatiels are found over most of Australia except the
coastal areas and most of Tasmania.
Description:
Cockatiels are probably the most popular of the parrot family.
Cockatiels are considered parrots, as can be seen by the shape of their
beak. The Grey is the most common kind of cockatiel. Many cockatiels can
learn to talk and whistle, especially the males. The male will generally
have a darker and more distinct orange spot on the cheek (but not always!).
Loki looks like a male by this criteria.
Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out
for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play
pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of sprouts, seeds, nuts, fruits,
vegetables, and commercial pellets.
Size - Weight:
These birds get up to 30 cm (12 inches).
Social Behaviors:
They travel in flocks in the wild. They make a very loving
and devoted pet if bonded properly.
Breeding/Reproduction:
Cockatiels will readily nest provided they have a nest box
and some material to construct the nest from. They lay one egg every other
day until they have laid about 5 eggs. The incubation period is 17 - 22
days. After hatching the young birds will open their eyes at 9 days of
age.
This is a good time to start hand feeding if you don't want
to incubate the eggs yourself. Incubation and raising the chicks yourself
requires dedication since the young chicks will need feedings every two
hours for the first couple of weeks. Likewise, you can pull them from
the nest earlier than 9 days, but with greater risk to the chick and greater
effort on your part with frequent feedings. After about 18 days the orange
cheek patch will appear on the babies. At about 30 days they will look
like adult birds, and will fledge at about 35 days of age.
See About Cockatiels: Breeding/Reproduction for more information.
Sexual differences:
There are a lot of opinions about how to sex these birds
but usually they are just indicators and not sure ways to tell. For gray
cockatiels, the male will generally have a darker and more distinct orange
spot on the cheek. Loki looks like a male by this criteria.
Potential Problems:
See About Cockatiels:
Problems for more information.
Availability:
This bird is readily available in a lot of different varieties,
gray, lutino, pearl, and white-faced varieties.
Activities:
Likes to climb and play, provide toys and plenty of time
outside the cage if possible.
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Comments from people who have kept this pet:
I love my cockatiel Regis, he's always up to coming out of his cage when ever I go and get him. I've had Regis for about 3 years and when he was still little, the first week I had him, he wanted to kill me. Now we're like peanut butter and jelly!:P No one can separate us!
I love my little guy! He is a normal grey cockatiel. He is the sweetest bird ever. A few months ago I purchased him a medium-sized cage which fits him perfectly. It is very roomy and he loves it. He loves going on his rope perch and playing with the toys. His favorite food is wheat bread. He of course loves his millet. I've had him for 4 years, and it will surely continue.
Tiels are the sweetest birds! I have had my bird, Jayden, for almost a year now. I'm 21 years old and she is almost 2 years old. I had no idea that tiels have such a long lifespan! I'm looking forward to teaching her how to talk as she already loves to whistle, listen to music, and watch cartoons!
My cockatiel is coming up to 33 years old! He is fit and well. He loves whistling first thing in the morning, he also loves eating bread.
I bought a cockatiel a few weeks ago. I'm not sure of the age but she is still young, her name is Tui. I wasn't planning on getting her because I was going to get a parakeet, but when i got to the pet store I saw a cage full of cockatiels and there was one (Tui) running around, climbing up the cage, etc. She was just very hiper, lol. When we got her home she went in to her cage and sat at the bottom, but a few hours later she was climbing up the cage and whistling a little bit. I have found out that she loves music. Everytime i put music on she sits and whistles. Now three weeks later she has bonded a lot with me and has learned to say "pretty girl". Hopefully she will have a long happy life.
I'm about to get a one year old hand-reared grey cockatiel! I've decided to call him D.J. (Dr Jeckle). I can't wait!
Some of the coolest comments:
I have had Peter, a grey cockatiel, for 12 years now. He is a well-natured, very calm bird. However, fully taming him has been a challenge, partly because he had a partner up until 3 years ago. Peter has discovered a love lately. He loves sailing. We live on board our 30 ft. sailboat during the summer for approximately 10 weeks. Now I know why pirates carried parrots. My cockatiel is a hoot on board a boat. Peter flourished, he whistled contently, started imitating Terns. I was hoping he would mock a loon, but that did not happen. His plumage improved immensely due to the humidity and different weather. He was outdoors underneath the dodger all day, except for rainy periods and during our voyages. He slept inside the cabin at night. We would often be approached by other boaters on their dinghies wondering where the "unnatural" bird sounds were coming from. Peter has his way of complaining when we sail in rough weather he screams and screeches. When the conditions improved, he would start his happy whistle. He is going to be sailing with us every year. I could not stand to leave him home alone and only having someone to come in daily to care for him.
I have had many birds throughout the years - from Moluccans to Zebra Finches. Sassy, my 7-year old Pearl Cockatiel, is one of the best pets that has ever lived with me. I found her as a chick in a pet store. They did not know what to do with her. They said they could not sell her because she has badly deformed feet. When I first approached her, she hissed at me, and from that moment I knew her name should be SASSY. I talked the store into letting me take her, and I have never been sorry. Sassy lives in an indoor aviary with a love bird and two canaries. She flies happily around her space, she loves to climb all over me or play with my computer keys. Her only "out of the ordinary" requirement is a flat surface for when she sleeps, because she cannot hold a perch well. I used a short, 2" x 4" piece of pine, and carved a depression into which she squats to sleep. I have loved all of my birds but Sassy really gets deeply into my heart.
Author: Clarice Brough, CAS
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