Talk to me about cockatiels

[SaunteringDownwards]

A family member has gotten quite sick quite suddenly and as a result can't look after a bird they very recently bought. Because I am a bit of an idiot (and also bipolar) I agreed to take it. As a result I am now two feet away from a cockatiel I'm already a bit obsessed with. My main worry is it being very loud and upsetting the neighbours. We live in a semi detached and it will sleep in my room. They work all day (and have been doing DIY at unsociable hours for the last three years) but I'm scared of night noise mainly bit I've been assured they sleep at night quite quietly?

I'm besotted but I'm a bit overwhelmed. Any advice/stories about cockatiel ownership would be appreciated. I'm already a bit in love with him and want to make this a success.

They do sleep quietly at night. You can cover the cage in summer.
When they've got one on them (a bit like a cat or dog having the zoomies) they can be very loud but it's intermittent not continuous and they will mimic your whistle, greet you when you come home and some will talk. Ours learned the Vodafone ringtone which was disconcerting when DH was on call.
They make a fair bit of mess and shit a lot. I used to clean the cage out every day but that might have been a bit excessive.
Make sure there's perches around the house for them to land on (but watch out for the shit).
Ours lived for over 20 years mostly happily in his cage in later years but we would lock the cats out 3 or 4 times a week so he could fly round for a couple of hours. He would play games and land on your hand quite easily then go back to his cage when he'd had enough.

He slept so quietly last night but this morning he sounds like a bloody fire alarm. What have I bloody done 😅

Is he usually in his cage all day? Ours is allowed to be free in the house and so he is with us all the time and that stops the screaming. If he's alone in the cage then he's probably calling for his flock (you).

I know nothing about them, but can you whisper a lot so he begins ro mimic that?

I'm jealous I want one

We've only had him a couple of days so right now he is but when he's settled ill start letting him fly about. I am obsessed with him but I just had no idea he would be so bloody loud! He seems to like classical radio so he's just listening to that currently.

Can we have a pic op

This is the little screamer

I find this hilarious

Currently frantically whispering at him while he screams to Beethoven. I expect to be evicted by next week at this rate.

He will calm down. It’s change for him too. When I’m with my cockatiel he is calm, whistles, chats, wants head rubs. They are very clever birds.

It’s when I’m out of his sight he calls for me. It’s flock calling. He needs to know where his flock is. I call back to him. He will calm down.

Mine is a Velcro bird though. He wants to be with me when he’s awake. He also needs to sleep 14 hours a night and I move him to another room where he is covered. I don’t hear a peep until the morning when I uncover him and get a “hello!”

This is my little dinosaur.

https://bestbehavedbirds.com/aboutus/

These people are great. I accidentally acquired a green-cheeked conure a couple of years ago and their YouTube channel (Bird Nerd Sophie) has been a great resource.

This is my little dinosaur.

My little dinosaur is definitely a raptor 😁

Awww. We have a parrotlet. Whilst small he has a right pair of lungs on him! He just wants some attention. My neighbour claims she can't hear my parrot. But I can hear Jim from upstairs. He quietens down when it's time to come out. He will usually just sit on me as I Potter about or fly to his spot on the window. I half cover his cage where he sleeps. So he can go lower in the morning if I'm not up early.

They are messy buggers to. Seeds and broccoli everywhere!

Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!

Oh no, sorry that's parrots. 🙄

Can you teach him to say 'Mumsnet are a nest of vipers'?

Oh god he is SO LOUD

If you do let him out make sure all the windows are closed and the household all know and understand that they are not to open doors or windows without checking where the bird is first.

I lost a bird like that.

Ex DP had a shower and opened the window. Bird flew out. Neighbour found and took home and refused to give back!!

Oh no @Elieza that's awful! You and poor birdy! I like to change the location of ours cage every few months so he gets a different view when he's not out!

I don't think I'll be letting him out for a while but I'm so stressed. All he's done all evening is scream at the top of his lungs. He doesn't seem ill or unhappy just full of beans (and screams). I feel so awful for not researching how loud they can be. My online search said they were fairly quiet most of the time. The neighbours just will not tolerate it all day every day (and they shouldn't have to). Hopefully it's just because he's getting used to stuff otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do.

He will get better! Get some treats for him and consider training him a bit. Is he tame?

This is my loud bean

No not tame, but not terrified either. He has lots of new toys but is still screaming as I type this and I'm actually now in tears. What a ridiculous situation I've put myself in.

Start by giving him treats through the cage to get him used to you. Does he have a name he is used to or are you naming him.

Every time you give him a treat say his name. It takes a while but they do learn their name.

If you have a stick. When you start wanting to get him out with a treat put it by his feet and stay step up. When he gets on give him a treat. He will soon learn what step up means.

Also don't put your hands in his cage too much. Even their favourite owner will likely get a nip.. that's his territory.

Get some millet. It's like crack for parrots or like catnip for cats. They love it.