Cockatiels

Brought back from Australia by the first explorers, the cockatiel is a small, unassuming and endearing parakeet. Easy-going by nature, it readily makes friends with people and asks for their attention with little calls — it is a bird that likes company.

Its living environment

Choose a cage that is above all spacious (an aviary if you have several birds), sturdy and easy to clean, with perches. A cockatiel kept on its own should be placed in a living room, where it can see the family coming and going. A cuttlebone provides calcium and keeps its need to gnaw occupied. Clean out the droppings once or twice a week, and disinfect once a month.

Its diet

A good seed mix for parakeets, often enriched with supplements, suits it well; millet sprays are a real treat. Being omnivorous, it also likes to taste its owner's meal, in moderation. A balanced diet shows directly in the beauty of the plumage.

Its health — what to watch for

Give it a daily bath by misting, especially in the warmer months: it will then spend a long while preening its feathers. Its claws may need trimming. Its eyes are a good barometer: always bright and lively in a bird in good health; a dull eye betrays that something is wrong. Check that there are no parasites (lice, scaly beak or scaly leg mites). Finally, watch out for boredom: a cockatiel that is under-stimulated or poorly fed may start pulling out its feathers (feather plucking).

Content from the Au Furet veterinary practice, rewritten for owners.