Everything you need to know about the Cockatiel!

The Cockatiel (scientific name: Nymphicus hollandicus) belongs to the family of white- Cacatua galerita and is the smallest member of this family in terms of size in Australia. These birds are very popular as pets worldwide and they are relatively easy to breed. These birds are the most popular ornamental birds after Budgerigar.

Also read:
Breeding and hatchery Budgerigar
Keeping Budgerigars As Pets , Choosing and Buying Budgerigars

The bird was previously thought to be a member of the parrot family, but recent molecular studies have identified the bird as belonging to the white- Cacatua galerita family. Cockatiel are native to remote areas of Australia where their favorite areas are grasslands and short shrubs.

Everything about the Cockatiel

In English, this bird is called Cockatiel and is known by the same name in most common languages of the world. The name of this bird is Callopsitte in French, Nymphensittich in German and Alcocatil (الکوکاتیل) in Arabic. In Persian, this bird is called ” Cacatua galerita ” and ” Cockatiel ” and the name ” Cockatiel ” is very common among bird sellers and breeders. The name “Cockatiel” is actually a translation of the scientific and Latin name of this bird.

Cockatiel Appearance

The Cockatiel is a beautiful bird and can be seen in different colors and can easily satisfy the wishes of its owners. The color of the bird has no effect on the health or behavior of the bird. The main colors of the bird include: gray, white, cream, yellow and brown. There is a long and beautiful cockle on the bird’s head and a red spot can be seen on its cheeks. The bird has a long tail that is pointed at the end. In terms of size, the Cockatiel is one of the small parrots.

In terms of price, this bird is priced similarly or perhaps more expensive than its parrots. The Cockatiel has a longer lifespan than other pets such as dogs and cats, and can live between seventeen and twenty years. The bird’s yellow crest stands upright when the animal is frightened or excited, while if the crest is slightly tilted, it indicates the bird’s peace of mind. The feathers and wings of this bird are usually semi-gray and are lighter in the lower part of the body. An orange spot on the cheeks and the whiteness of the wings are other characteristic symptoms of this animal.

Everything about the Cockatiel

A row of yellow spots can be seen on the underside of the female bird’s wings, which is not present in males. Some types of Cockatiel are light yellow in color and have thinner tail feathers. Its body length is about 32 cm considering the height of the tail and its weight is about 78 to 125 grams. Some species, such as the Cockatiel Lutino, may weigh between 78 and 90 grams, and some breeds of large breeds may weigh between 110 and 125 grams.

History of Cockatiel breeding

The exact date of domestication of this bird is not known and it seems that this bird was first domesticated by the natives of the Pacific and later the British immigrants who went to Australia were among the first nations to breed and maintain it. They made an effort. This bird was taken to England during the years 1800-1805.

Cockatiel was probably brought back to England by those deported to Australia, and gradually the breeding and maintenance of this bird became common in some European countries such as England, France and Germany, and soon became very popular. Today, this bird is one of the most popular domestic birds. Most of the popularity of this bird is due to its gentle nature and colorful and beautiful crest. Also, this bird is easily domesticated and trained.

Cockatiel life span

Brides have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, although some consider their lifespan to be between 10 and 15 years. There are reports that this bird can live up to 36 years. Diet and physical activity are the most important factors in a bride’s life.

Cockatiel Color

So far, 15 different colors of brides have been identified, which include gray, white, blue, yellow, greenish yellow, and so on.

Gray Cockatiel

With a gray body with a white background on the wings, a yellow head and orange cheeks, the crown feathers may be gray or yellow. In females, the color of the cheeks is darker.

Cockatiel Lutino

Yellow body with yellow head that the color of the head is darker than the body . The body can look white. Both sexes have bright orange species.

Shellfish: The color of the body feathers is light gray with a white background. They have yellow heads and orange cheeks.

Everything about the Cockatiel

Cinnamon: The color of the body feathers is very light and often light brown. The head is yellow and the cheeks are orange.

Silver Cockatiel: In fact, it looks very much like a gray race, except that the body is white. Females have a more opaque species.

Ablq: 70% yellow or white (body color) and 30% ablq (gray wings) is a sign of a perfect Ablq Cockatiel. Males and females are very similar.

Pale yellow: It is very similar in color to the oyster breed, except that the bird does not make a sound.

White face: It has a color similar to gray race, with the difference that the facial feathers are white instead of yellow and have no cheeks.

The Cockatiel has many species that are caused by different hybrid mutations, but the above breeds are the most common species.

Cockatiel Behavior and training:

The Cockatiel is a warm-hearted bird and needs a lot of attention. If they are ignored, he will start screaming. They are curious and sweet. A Cockatiel rides on your shoulder while cleaning the house or watching TV. They cause less damage than Australian parrots and large parrots.

In the following article, we have fully covered the methods of teaching the cockatiel to speak:

10 steps to speak Cockatiel

The best Cockatiel to buy is a Cockatiel who has been separated from her mother since childhood and has been fed by humans. This makes the bird accustomed to humans and not afraid of him. This method increases the bird’s need for human attention.

This bird can learn to talk. This is easier if the Cockatiel is the only bird in the house. If another bird is around the bird, the animal does not feel the need to communicate with you.

Mature Cockatiel

One of the issues that should be considered about this bird is the sexual maturity of the animal. About one to two years old, the male bird matures and at this time becomes an invasive bird. This is true even for tame birds. You have to be patient at this time. This state disappears after a while. But your beloved bird sinks into a state of grief for a while. Matter does not seem to sink in this state, or at least never does.

Puberty may be a move towards male dominance in your bird. They often become somewhat dominant at about age two. In this case, you have to be patient. They will go through the process of becoming bosses, but this behavior will not last forever.

Cockatiel food

A) If your bird is very small and can not eat seeds, use the following method

First, separate the yolk of a boiled egg, mash it and add a little boiling water to it. Then add a few mother biscuits and, if you have baguette dough, add some to the liquid

If baguette dough is not available, you can use it, and finally, with a little chickpea flour, pour the whole mixture into a mixer and leave it to mix well. This liquid must be completely one-handed.

B) Now take a 10 cc syringe and attach a soft, thin and flexible tube (bicycle worm) to the head of this syringe. You can get this tube from bicycle repair shops. The height of this tube should be at most 5 cm. So that this tube enters directly into the bird  stratifier.

C) Fill the syringe to 8 to 10 cc, then try to open the tip of the bird with one hand and slowly insert the tube into the bird’s throat with the other hand and lower it to the stratifier. Now empty the liquid with constant pressure if Do this very slowly. The animal struggles a lot and lifts the food and all your efforts are wasted.

If you can not control the wings and movements of your bird, you can wrap the bird in a cloth so that only the head is out and then feed it

Attention:

You should feed the bird this way several times a day.

The best time to feed is when the bird stratifier is almost empty. You can easily notice this by touching the bird stratifier.

Rinse the syringe thoroughly with boiling water and dishwashing liquid before each feeding and repeat after feeding.

Feeding the Cockatiel parrot chick

Remember that when you want to manually enlarge your bird, you must continue to do so until the bird feathers are fully grown.

Usually these birds should be fed for 1 month and 2 weeks (40 to 45 days), but this is an approximate time and depends on your bird. During this time, put seeds in the bird cage to see and peck at it.

In the last few weeks you have to reduce the number of times you feed the bird yourself so that the bird is forced to eat the seed itself, this step is a bit difficult and you have to be patient, the birds eat very little but often so the seed is always available Put them.

The animal may become a little weak during this period, but do not worry and cook some eggs for it, separate the yolk and just grate the egg white in a container and put it in a cage.

Another thing you can do is cook wheat. Cockatiels love cooked wheat.

What seed should we give to the Cockatiel?

1. Millet (rich in protein and a rich source of vitamin A, phosphorus and minerals)

2. Flaxseed (contains a variety of vitamins and carbohydrates and minerals)

3. Cafe

4. Controls (high fat and stimulant and it is better to use less)

5. Sunflower seeds

You can mix these seeds together and put the sunflower seeds in a separate container for your bird.

Cockatiel parrot food

In addition to seeds, be sure to leave your bird with fruits, vegetables, cooked and green beans, such as:

1. Lettuce (supplier of calcium and iron and appetite suppressant)

2. Parsley (put parsley with long stems because these birds prefer the stem to the leaves)

3. Broccoli

4. Wheat germ (contains vitamin B6 – E – F)

5. Mung bean sprouts

6. Apple

7. Carrots (rich in vitamin A and minerals)

8. Cooked wheat

9. Cooked corn

10. Boiled egg (white)

Tip: The vegetables you buy may have been sprayed before, so be sure to rinse them well so that the bird does not have a problem.

Sea floor powder

Put oyster powder and sea urchin in the bird cage. It is necessary for birds to put oyster powder and sea floor, oyster powder has a lot of minerals and helps digest food, especially grains.

Instead of oyster powder, you can use boiled egg shells that have been boiled in water for about 20 minutes. The seabed is a type of marine mollusk that contains calcium and makes it strong and prevents the bird’s beak from growing too much. Will be.

Pour a multivitamin into the bird’s water every few weeks and do not forget that the bird’s water should be changed every day.

Cockatiel Bathroom:

Birds are clean creatures and constantly clean and tidy their feathers, leave a container of lukewarm water for them to wash themselves.

taking care:

If your bird is trained and flies freely in the house, you should be very careful because they are afraid of sudden and loud noises (especially the sound of the phone) and may hit their heads and eventually be seriously injured.

Cockatiels, like parrots, are other hardy, healthy birds, but do not leave their cages near windows to let in direct wind. The equilibrium temperature for this type of bird is 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.

If your bird becomes ill, see a veterinarian immediately.

Cockatiel mating

Cockatiels usually mate very hard, you may have a pair of male and female Cockatiels who never mate, but if they mate, the parents will be very good and take good care of the chicks.

They usually lay 3 to 4 eggs, but 1 or 2 of the eggs may be empty or the chick may die after birth. The distance between laying eggs is a few days, and after laying the last egg, the female constantly sleeps on the eggs, and the male takes two for the female.

Males and females raise chickens together.

When the oats have grown and so-called eaten, separate them from their parents and place them in another cage.

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