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Understanding cockatiel behavior can be perplexing; especially
when you are a new cockatiel owner or have only kept a
companion cockatiel for a short period of time. The best way to
determine whether your cockatiel is behaving normally is to
observe its behavior closely. Over time, you will begin to
understand why your bird is behaving in a particular way and
what it may need from you to be healthy and happy.

Read all you can on cockatiels and learn what is normal
behavior for your bird. Study it’s eating habits so that you can
monitor its droppings and general health. For example, most
birds will have a favorite feed vessel or location where they are
more apt to eat. When you identify your cockatiel’s favorite
feed cup, try adding special treats and new foods only at this
location so your bird is more likely to sample these foods. Also,
by rotating foods in different cups, especially in a favored cup,
your cockatiel will become more exposed to a variety of foods.
Eating a wide variety of foods will help ensure that nutritional
needs are met and help maintain general good health.

Sometimes owners mistake a cockatiel mineral block or
cuttlefish bone as a simple chewing toy, because a cockatiel
appears interested in intensely knawing on these items. More
correctly, cuttlefish bone and mineral blocks are the major
source of dietary calcium for cockatiels, because seeds and
most other foods are deficient in calcium and other minerals.
Green foods are also high in calcium, especially the dark,
green, leafy, varieties. Although it may appear that birds are
“playing” with their cuttlebone, mineral block, or green veggies,
they are actually learning how to enjoy and eat such foods that
are so rich in calcium content.

To encourage cockatiels to knaw on cuttlefish bone, it is helpful
to take a clean scissors or knife and draw a tic-tac-toe design
on the soft side to entice birds to chew along the ridges
created. Place the soft side inward toward the bird and the
hard, outer shell outward facing the bars of the cage.
Thoroughly wash greens to remove pesticides and present
them to cockatiels dripping wet. Cockatiels frequently enjoy
rolling in a bunch of dripping wet greens in which to “bathe”
while ingesting the green food. This action mimics their
behavior in the wild of Australia where birds bathe after a rain
shower.

A common behavior that frequently stumps new owners is when
cockatiels hang upside down with both wings spread and tail
feathers fully fanned. They often times flap their wings and
behave energetically. The usual explanation is that they are
asking for a spray misting or the equivalent of a rain shower, as
they would spread their wings during a soaking in the wild to
catch every drop of moisture. A thorough misting with a clean,
spray bottle such as a plant atomizer mister, used only for
spraying your pet, may be filled with plain, warm water to
provide relief.

However, this behavior may actually have two meanings. In pet
cockatiels, opening the wing and tail feathers while hanging
upside-down, may indicate a strong desire to bathe. Yet, when
cockatiels become interested in breeding, or are already sitting
on a clutch of eggs, opening the feathers on each wing while
fanning the tail feathers and hanging in a downward position
from the cage door opening, a nest box entrance, or similar
place, may indicate a warning sign not to intrude or come any
closer, or the trespasser could receive a warning bite. Don’t
take such behaviors personally; this is strictly hormones coming
into play and encouraging a cockatiel’s maternal or paternal
instincts to raise its current or intended offspring.

Another mysterious behavior often witnessed by new cockatiel
owners occurs when a bird opens its beak wide in an
exaggerated yawn. Sometimes, this may be as simple as a
yawn to obtain more oxygen, unblock the ears or clear the
throat. Allergies may exist and further be aggravated by dust
that is stirred up in a room by dusting or vacuuming, which
could also cause a bird to sneeze. However, if a yawn is
accompanied by excessive head-bobbing, or head-pumping, it
may indicate a more serious condition such as a sinus infection
or other respiratory problem.

Beak grinding is another mysterious behavior cockatiels exhibit.
It often occurs as a bird begins to roost for the night, is about to
take a nap, or is at rest. Grinding the beak may help to prevent
a build up of living tissue and prevent the overgrowth of the
upper and lower mandibles. Chewing toys made especially for
cockatiels, and freshly washed, tree branches such as
eucalyptus, willow, apple, maple, and beech (avoid cherry
which is toxic), can also help prevent a cockatiel’s beak from
overgrowing as birds strip the bark from the branches and
derive the minerals they contain.

There are many different behaviors you will observe in your
cockatiels. Learn what is normal behavior for your birds, so you
may quickly identify any abnormal behaviors should they
develop.

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COCKATIEL BEHAVIOR
Why Does My Cockatiel Do That?
COPYRIGHT © 2003 LINDA S. RUBIN
Originally published in February 2003 issue of
BIRD TIMES Magazine
"All Rights Reserved"

Nutritious "Toys"

Wing-spread and Tail-fan

Yawning

Beak Grinding

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Linda S. Rubin is an aviculturist, lecturer and avian educator of 30
years, with an international byline in avicultural magazines around the
world and author of several books at www.CockatielsPlusParrots .com.
She is the cockatiel expert columnist for Bird Talk’s website,
BirdChannel.com, she serves on the board of directors of the American
Federation of Aviculture, Inc. and is the founding president of the
Cockatiel Foundation, Inc. Linda is a certified panel judge for the
Cockatiel Foundation, and the Society of Parrot Breeders & Exhibitors,
judging shows throughout the US, Puerto Rico and Canada since 1984.

c. 2007 Nancy E. Johnson

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Wing-spreading and other
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Linda S. Rubin, BirdChannel.com's
Cockatiel Expert writes on Wing
Spreading Behaviors in the
Oct/Nov/Dec 2007 issue.

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