cockatiels
 

Are cockatiels a good bird to get for a 8 yr old? I found one at a petstore near me and I am thinking about getting him. The petstore say he is very sweet. I was going to get her a parakeet but I am afraid they wouldnt be interactive enough for us. I would be taking care of it along with my Daughter. What kind of things can a cockatiel do. I am just researching right now

I had cockatiels pretty much my whole life growing up. They're so much fun & very enjoyable & lovable birds. Unfortunetely, all mine have since then passed. Make sure they get a vet visit every year because when they get sick, they tend to hide it & sometimes by the time you notice they're sick, it's already too late. Cockatiels can be taught to sing & talk just like almost any bird. Males are more prone to do it though than the females, but every now & again, you'll see a female that can sing. They normally love to be with people & love getting their necks rubbed once they trust you. They're very affectionate loving birds & one of the most popular kind to get as a family pet. I'd recommend them to anyone. Good luck!

Thank you! I just read that they can be housed with other birds. Do you think a parakeet and a cockatiel could be housed together?

I have 8 cockatiels they are smart and friendly. Try to get him a young one so that he can handle them early on. Parakeets or a little more nippy.

They should be able to. It normally works out better & easier if they're both around the same age that way they can grow up together. With our first 2 cockatiels, after our very first one passed, our female was by herself for about 6 months. We were waiting for the right time to purchase another one (my dad was very heartbroken because that was his baby boy) so when we finally purchased another cockatiel, they were about 2 or 3 years apart in age from each other. We actually had to buy another cage for the new one to sleep in because we didn't want to stress our female out. They did get used to each other and would jump from cage to cage throughout the day & play on their perch, but at night we kept them in seperate cages for safety.

At night, make sure you leave some sort of nightlight on for them. Cockatiels are known for "night-frights" which are very scary. Cockatiels don't have very good eyesight at night so a nightlight helps a great deal, but you still wanna cover the cage up, just leave the back open so they can see the light. When a cockatiel has a night-fright, they flap around & try to fly in their cage which can become very dangerous because they can break wing feathers which can cause severe bleeding. I expierenced a few episodes of those & they're not fun, but you have to remain calm & stop the bleeding asap.

Sorry I got off topic, but to finalize your question, like I said they should be fine together. Just monitor them day by day & if you notice them having any aggression to each other, then you may have to seperate them.

thanks I think I am going to go back to the petshop and talk to them about him tomorrow

I've had cockatiels, parakeets, lovebirds, cockatoo, african grey and a quaker parrot. Cockatiels are great pets. They are more dusty than some others....so if there are any allergies, that might be something to consider. If possible, I would suggest buying from a breeder rather than a pet store. Get one as young as you can......I've even handfed mine before. A hint in getting a boy.....the grey males are usually the more colorful headed birds. Good luck....they are so much fun.

cockatiels are great, mine are now 14 years old and still doing great!

Cockatiels are a wonderful pet.
We had one for many years, Charlie. He loved sitting on my
plate at dinner. He loved spaghetti.
They do need lot's of interaction and are so smart.
Charlie was my daughter's pet and when she left for collage
I felt so bad for him. How he missed her. I gave him to a friend
who had three and he lived with other's for many more years.

I have a cockatiel named Buddy who is the smartest gray male cockatiel! He says several words and phrases, mimics the microwave, phone, kisses and so on. When the phone rings in the house, he calls out hello. I definitely recommend a cockatiel for a newbie bird owner as well as an experienced one. I do have a question maybe someone out there can help with. Buddy has been with me longer than my Yorkies, but I am afraid to let him out much because my older Yorkie is obsessed with capturing (and who knows what else) him. Does anyone out there have a cockatiel or other small bird and a Yorke? Is there any way they can learn to live and let live? I miss taking my bird out.

Yes, I do have have A Yorkie and cockatiels :thumbup: They are fine together. I have had two of these brids for several years , and Suzi my yorkie is only 10 months old. The male bird is fiesty and will place his beak out and get mad if Suzi comes too close. That is her warning, lol. He has never hurt her. The female bird is the sweetheart. She is tame and very nice.
I would suggest to Chachi to buy a hanfed baby cockatiel. Because a handfed one is very tame and us use to being held. They make the best pets and it is so much fun to have a sweet little bird to jump all over you and want to be petted ! A handfed cockatiel will cost a little more, but so much worth the extra money. These birds will live years too. And are parrots. The males can learn to talk, and are vocal. When young, it is hard to tell if they are male or female.