Five Myths About Owning a Cockatiel

You've recently broken down and adopted that disgustingly cute bundle of feathers into your home and into your heart. Cockatiels are wonderful companion birds, but there are some myths about their care that have been mistakenly perpetuated by the well meaning.

Here are some of the five biggest myths about your pet Cockatiel in general that I've come across in my years as a 'tiel owner.

Myth: You Should Trim Your Bird's Beak

Unless you are a veterinarian or are an expert in bird care, you should never trim your bird's beak by hand. While the overgrown tip like portion of your bird's beak is comprised mostly of keratin, the same substance found in our fingernails and antlers-the upper portion, nearer the nostrils holds nerve endings as well as a blood supply.

A healthy beak will naturally continue growing all on its own and with the use of toys your bird can chew on, such as mineral pieces or wood, it will naturally help keep the length of your birds beak nominal without having to trim.

If you are not 100% confident or an experienced bird handler, you should leave the beak trimming to your vet.

Here are a few tips on double checking your cockatiel's beak is healthy:
Smooth surface without chips, splits, flaking or cracks. Beak seems symmetrical and even.

• No peeling, pitting or odd textures. Fine dust over the beak is completely normal, as most birds preen feathers with their beaks and most birds have dander.
• Consistent coloration
• Proper alignment of upper and lower beak

Myth: They Don't Need a Very Big Cage

This is also, incorrect. A cockatiel which sees plenty of out-side-cage activities and human interactivity, daily, should still have a cage large enough for him to spread his wings out to the fullest extent without bumping into sides. She should be able to flap her wings, too, without bumping into anything. The barest minimum sized cage for a cockatiel which gets lots out out-of-cage time should be 18 x 18 x 18 inches.

If you are not going to be able to spend every day, or at least-an hour a day with your cockatiel, you should have and purchase a cage which is 36 inches in length by 18 inches wide and 24 inches in height. This allows her plenty of room to flit or fly back and forth. The bars in either cage, active outside-a lot-cockatiel, or inside-a lot-cockatiel, should be no more than three quarters of an inch apart for her safety.

Myth: Breeding them is really easy, for both you and the bird and you'll make money!

This is incorrect.

First; be prepared to keep the chicks as the “market” for baby chicks is already flooded. Keep in mind that you will be contributing to an already problematic population overload in domestic pets.

Second, there are innumerable health issues that breeding can bring up, to calcium deficiency for the females (which is deadly if untreated,) to her becoming egg-bound (which is very deadly), to the various diseases and sickness the chicks can contract.

You must be prepared to spend money, probably quite a bit. You'll need vitamins and proper equipment for hand-feeding, as hand feeding chicks create a stronger bond between human and bird and while the market is slim, you'll have more chances of getting him or her adopted than a bird which shies away from human contact.

Breeding cockatiels, or any animal, responsibly or not, is always a risk and generally not needed in a world already drowning in unwanted pets. The reward is generally never worth it.

Myth: Cockatiels Only Eat Seeds

This is a silly myth and unfortunately, perpetuated and enforced so often that most people end up with birds that refuse at first, to eat anything but seeds.

Think of it this way: if you ate nothing but jello for a year in a row, would you be getting all the vitamins and nutrition you needed to lead a healthy life? I am pretty sure the answer is no, and so it is the same way with birds and seeds.

Seeds should always be a treat. Seeds, especially the very small seeds, are generally anywhere from 10-30% pure fat. Seeds are kind of like the McDonald's of bird food and you'll notice that your seed-raised bird will-nine times out of ten-go for the very small seeds leaving everything else behind.

Pellets are what you want to be feeding your cockatiels, mixes with a daily serving of vegetables and fruits. Cockatiels are naturally wild birds found in Australia. As a wild bird, their diet is filled with insects, berries and fruit. That's a lot of nutrients and protein a "tiel, nor most birds, will get eating seeds.

There are several websites on the internet and many books that can inform you of all the safe plants as well as fruit your bird can and cannot have.

Myth: A Chest Harness is a Safe Alternative to Wing-Clipping

You may have seen these contraptions in your local pet store or for sale on many of the bird-lover"s sites. It's a bird harness which crosses over the bird's chest, leaving plenty of room for the bird's wings to flap. The harness is then clasped to a leash which you, the owner, can allegedly safely go outside or travel with their bird without fear of them flying off.

It's a nice theory; unfortunately it's not terribly scientifically correct for birds. A cockatiel's lungs are not like yours or mine. Birds do not have a diaphragm that allows them to draw air in and their lungs do not expand or contract like most mammals do. Cockatiels have an air sac system. Along their abdomen and chest, there are little sacs of air and when breathing inward the air sacs expand to pull air into the body.

If a bird should hit something, say, the end of a harness too quickly? The bird can collapse or even rupture several of the delicate air sacs along its chest and abdomen-exactly where the material for almost all harness' rest on birds and cockatiels.

A chest harness is the opposite of safe and could turn into a deadly situation quickly. I once witnessed a spooked African gray fly off from her owner's shoulder, only to hit the end of her harness and then droop until she swung boneless back and forth on the leash of her harness. I will never forget the look on her owner's pale face.

These are the five biggest myths and misinformation I have come across in my years of owning cockatiels. There is many more floating about, both from breeders, fellow owners and even on the internet, but I feel as if these can be the most unintentionally harmful that are being told to new bird owners. I hope that I've had the chance to educate and inform as well as urge you to do some of your own research on these marvelous animals that truly fill our lives with love and joy.