Animal-World > Pet Birds > Cockatiels > Grey Cockatiel

Grey Cockatiel

Family: Cacatuidae

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"Loki" Nymphicus hollandicus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

"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:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Cockatiel

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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Latest Comments
I bought a cockatiel about a month ago. I named him Hercules because he was chasing away the other cockatiels to nibble on my finger through the pet store cage. He was a little shy at first with the hissing and biting. Now every morning and night I let him out of his cage and he follows me all over my apartment. It is sooo cute to watch him run as fast as his little feet will take him to chase after me when I'm getting ready in the mornings. He is right behind me the whole step of the way, he wont let me out of eye sight. He shows more loyalty than most dogs! Great companion! jme 2009-06-05
Great company and companionship! jme 2009-06-05
I have a soon to be 18 year old grey tiel named Sydney a/k/a Bootsy Sugarman. He has never been docile as described on this site although he was about 2 yrs old when I got him. He does not talk which is okay cos hey I don't fly. I love him dearly and enjoy his cranky ways. Tiels rule the parrot world ! SiberTiel 2009-05-31
Hi, Just to let you know we have a cockatiel named "Thomas". He is one of the family and talks to us everyday. Thomas is 21 yrs of age and still going strong. His favourite song is Whistling Dixie. He says things very clear..... Come to dad, theres a clever tom, come on then, want ya dinner, bit of biscuit, and he wolf whistles too. He is just great! and we love him. Gary Gary 2009-05-04
My dad saved a cockatiel from being eaten by an eagle. He brought it home, we healed him, and now he is back to normal. He is funny because I have him with a parakeet and he always does his mating call to it and the parakeet gets mad and pecks him. The bad thing is that the parakeet is a male. When I try to get my cockatiel he runs and starts breathing hard and starts hissing. I don't know if his first owner was mean to him. I can't tame him or hand feed him. I hope our friendship gets better. Anonymous 2008-12-27
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. Filomena Dupuis 2004-03-15
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. Donn Coon 2003-12-21
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
What a great site for finding information on grey cockatiels as well as other animals! As a writer, I was searching for some information to help me with a grey cockatiel character in my children's book. Your site has been quite helpful. Thanks! Jean 2008-10-11
In doing research to try and determine how long grey cockatiels live, I came across this webpage and it was very resourceful. My mom passed away last April leaving me with her grey, named "Birdy". She got Birdy when I went to college in the fall of 1979, so Birdy is at least 28 yrs old and still going strong, though he is losing feathers around his neck. I am however looking for a home for him, as I am going back to graduate school and won't be able to take him with me. We live in Clearwater, Florida and only will part with him if I can find a good home for him. I don't think my Mom ever expected him to live this long. Tina Hemme 2007-03-10
I'm an emerging avian veterinarian and now a days I was looking for some site where I could get more and more informations and pictures about avian world. I feel my self very lucky in finding this wonderful site in today's first attempt where I find every thing is available more than I need. Well done. Uzma Farid Durrani 2006-01-31

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Author: Clarice Brough, CAS