How Well Can Cockatiels Talk?

Cockatiels are great, friendly pets. Do you love playing with your lovely birds? If you don’t tolerate noise, it might be not your choice. On the other hand, these parrots are social, affectionate creatures that appreciate human company. Can cockatiels talk? Quite naturally, they mimic human words and whistle. You may train your friendly birds. However, this task might be challenging. Additionally, gender aspects impact cockatiels’ behavior. Let’s discuss how to take them into account and when to start training your cherished pets.

Are Cockatiels Good Pets?

Cockatiels are perfect birds, gentle and amazing. If you treat them with tenderness, they would bond with you. Most birds that are sold in American pet stores are hand-fed and hand-tamed. So, if you adopt them young, they are comparatively easy to train and maintain.

Well-socialized parrots are affectionate. They enjoy physical contact, appreciating:

1. Petting.
2. Preening.
3. Scratching.
4. Sitting on your shoulder and singing.

Cockatiels singing and talking are a bit noisy. However, these pets enrich your evening and morning hours with joy, cuddles, and fun. Their size is medium, allowing the birds to fit your shoulders. They are eager to learn multiple tricks.

These birds are good for beginners, requiring not too much maintenance. They get along with your child, especially, if your son or daughter is patient and gentle. Additionally, you would be able to have a conversation with your cockatiels, dance together and walk up steps. However, if you decided you adopt these birds, be ready to have a friend for life, remaining patient and attentive for years.

How Long Do Cockatiels Live in Captivity?

Cockatiels’ behavior is not always the same. It depends on various factors, such as environment, health, food, etc. Even the temperature in the room may impact it. Air movement and humidity also matter. Together with food quality, hygiene and overall safety, these factors determine how long do cockatiels live as pets.

It’s important to purchase the best cockatiel cage, spacious, safe and comfortable. Improper environmental conditions may lead to behavior problems, such as:

• panic;
• aggression;
• attempts to escape;
• biting the feeder, perch or screen cage.

The birds prefer well-ventilated areas when the temperature is about 95 degrees F. They often remain on perch, rather than on the floor. Nevertheless, cockatiels in captivity live longer than in the wild.

How Long do Cockatiels Live as Pets

Both grey and white cockatiel would live up to 25 years in comfortable conditions. The oldest living cockatiel, according to Guinness World Records, is Sunshine. This bird was 32 y. o. in 2016. Would you like to extend your pets’ lifespan? Just provide them with healthy nutrition, enrich their environment and let them rest 8 hours each night, at least.

Can White-Faced Cockatiels Talk?

Mutations or colors of cockatiels don’t influence their size, weight are behavior. Teaching different types of cockatiel talking and whistling is exactly the same. Color doesn’t determine the birds’ life expectancy.

Meanwhile, all cockatiels like to play and climb. The pets that live in the environment, enriched with wooden perches and the best cockatiel toys, are not idle or bored. They don’t tend to bite anything, but walk on the floor and move laterally on the perches. So, they feel more comfortable and it’s good for their health.

It might be difficult to tell if your birds are males or females in some cases. For example, both genders of lutino cockatiels that stand out by yellow heads and white bodies look the same. Pied mutation that implies mixed-color appearance in patterns or patches, has no evident difference between genders. These birds are mostly grey, white or light-yellow.

Male vs female cockatiel is commonly:

• brighter (in the head part);
• larger by size;
• more talkative;
• noisier, more vociferous with his calling;
• nippy or aggressive.

Female birds commonly have smaller, less brilliantly colored bodies than males. They might have pale orange cheek spots or no cheeks at all. If your bird has dots, stripes or bars, underside tail feathers, your pet is probably female. By the way, Loki doesn’t, but she lays eggs now. Is the parrot curious about the mirror? It’s typical behavior of male cockatiels.

Do Female Cockatiels Talk or Whistle?

Female parrots usually have lighter grey or brownish plumage. Their faces might be completely grey or with slight traces of yellow. Meanwhile, feminine parakeets tend to be more:

• friendly;
• cuddly;
• gentle;
• affectionate;
• nervous.

Being bound to their owners, these charming birds like petting and preening. They need to be touched and talked to. They enjoy being stroked and scratched behind their heads.

Do female cockatiels talk? These birds tend to be quieter than their cagemates. They might whistle. Females may chirp, squeaking with other birds. Nevertheless, their ability to mimic words and imitate and vocalize sounds is poor. They just find difficulty in pronouncing words.

On the contrary, female cockatiels often hiss. They are shy and fearful. Any changes in the room environment that is new curtains or furniture, sudden movements or loud sounds could make them hiss. The bird might consider it as danger or intimidation and start biting. Protecting her nest, she might be more aggressive than a male cockatiel.

Can You Train Cockatiels to Talk?

Cockatiels are intelligent birds. They respond to training well. These birds are easy to tame, affectionate. Quite naturally, they not recommended playing with children that are younger than 12. It might be dangerous, as the parrots are large and strong. Handling them roughly and suddenly, kids might provoke the birds into biting them or hitting by the wings.

Age matters. Start teaching cockatiels when they are young. Newly-weaned birds that are hand-fed are impressionable. When should you start training your lovely pets?

Cockatiels Male or Female Better Talk

Can older cockatiels learn to talk? You may try, but it might be tricky and not efficient. A parrot that is 2 or 3 years old might not talk, despite all your efforts. So, the best age to train cockatiels is when they are 8-10 months old.

The birds won’t start vocalizing before they are 8 months. Nevertheless, you may start 3-4 months earlier, as this process is time-consuming. You would need a lot of patience and daily repetitions. Teaching older cockatiels would take even more time and effort.

Meanwhile, not all birds are talented to whistle and mimic syllables. Females may be not eager for singing, as it’s a kind of courting ritual. They shouldn’t be loud during the nestling period, avoiding predator risks.

How to Teach a Cockatiel to Sing?

Before training your lovely pets and taming them, you are to make sure, the birds feel comfortable, healthy and happy. How to tell it? Chirping is a sign of sociability and happiness. Frightened or bored birds would scream or hiss. Be careful, as they might bite you!

So, going to train cockatiels efficiently:

1. Bond with the bird in beforehand.
2. Select a quiet place.
3. Hold 10-minute training sessions every day.
4. Choose one phrase your pet likes and repeat it many times.
5. Reward the cockatiels with their favorite treats.

Positive verbal phrases and stroking would also work. Meanwhile, do cockatiels talk to each other? Quite naturally, they do. Therefore, lonely birds learn to sing easier. They bond with you rather than with their cage mates. So, they need your attention and appreciation.

Listening to cockatiel bird talking is joy and fun. If you treat your charming pets with care, they are gentle and affectionate. Just make sure, they are healthy, feel comfortable and in a good mood. All birds can’t be talented to sing and mimic words. Love them all as they are worth it.

Video Review: Cockatiel Talking Training