One of the most common pet birds, Cockatiels are often overlooked by people looking for a pet parrot. Because of their small size and affordability they are often found in the homes of people who may not even consider themselves "bird people". But don't let their low price tag and commonness fool you into passing up on this marvelous pet! Dollar for Dollar you may just get a better companion pet from a cockatiel than just about any other kind of animal!
Cockatiels are big birds in a little bird's body! They have fun upbeat personalities. They can learn to mimic quiet well, the males are generally better at this than the females. Most cockatiels can learn to whistle a complete song after just a week or so of hearing it repeated. But both males and females can make equally sweet little pet birds. Cockatiels are native to Australia. They come in a variety of colors. The normal grey (this is the color of wild 'tiels), lutino, pied, pearl, cinnamon, and whiteface. Many cockatiels are a combination of the above varieties. Such as a pearl whiteface. Or a cinnamon pied. The varieties are nearly endless! But most are some variation of grey, white, yellow, and orange.
A handfed cockatiel will usually make the very best pet as they have never developed any fear of people. Most handfed cockatiels thrive on spending time outside of their cages and being held and petted by their owners. 'Tiels love to have their heads scratched and will learn to walk up to your hand and bow, this is their way of asking for a good scratch behind the crest. They love to cuddle on shoulders, chew up the newspaper you are reading and sample your popcorn while you watch a movie. They are just generally so happy to be with their people that they will gladly follow you throughout the house. Unlike many larger birds, cockatiels will often remain friendly with everyone in the family throughout life, as opposed to becoming a one person bird. They also tend to be very steady, personality wise, even after the hormones of sexual maturity have set in. 
Cockatiels in captivity enjoy a varied diet, consisting of seed mix, pellets, fruits and veggies, whole grain bread, pasta, and nuts. They also need to have access to a cuttle bone and a mineral block in order to get both the necessary calcium for healthy bones and to keep the growth of their beak in check. It helps keep their beaks in tip top shape! (Most birds beaks grow throughout their lives, just like our fingernails, hard things to chew help keep their beaks filed down just right!
These birds have long tails and need a nice roomy cage in order to keep their feathers beautiful. Besides the fact that since they do spend a large part of their day in their cages they should be big enough for the bird to get some much needed exercise! At a bare minimum cockatiels should be able to stretch out their wings in any direction and not touch the cage bars. A cage 24" x 24" x 24" is just about right. But as with any bird, always try to get the biggest cage you can afford and can fit in your space! They will love having all of that room to climb around in and play with all of their toys!
Speaking of toys... 'tiels love to have lots of toys to play with. They are very curious birds, and love to check out and manipulate new things! Make sure when you are shopping for toys that you buy several that are made of paper, straw, or light-weight wood that can be torn apart and destroyed by your bird! Trust me, they will thank you for it! (Well, they would thank you for it if they knew how!) They also enjoy swings and bells and little toys that they can pick up in their feet and chew on! Just make sure that you buy toys that don't have any sharp edges, or crevices that toes or beaks can get caught in, or with lead weights inside.
Another thing many cockatiel owners decide to invest in is a play gym. These come in many sizes from small table-top models that you can carry with you around the house to larger free standing floor models. This can provide a safe place for your bird to spend time outside of his cage, were he can play without getting into trouble.
Cockatiels make great companions, they are fairly long lived. With an average life span of 15-20 years, with a few reaching 30! They are usually much quieter than large parrots, making them good pets even for people living in apartments. And most people even if they are allergic to other animals never have a problem being around cockatiels. I hope that if you are considering adding a bird to your life you will give the cockatiel some thought. They are
beautiful, friendly, and cheerful.
