I've been thinking about getting a bird for a while now and it would be my first bird. I've done a lot of research on different species. My list used to include green-cheeked conure and budgie, but there are no GCCs in the country where I live and I'd like to get a hands-on bird so budgie might not be an ideal bird, either. Now I'm thinking of a quaker or a cockatiel. What are your experiences with these birds? And if you have other species in mind, feel free to recommend them.
I've had both. I always recommend cockatiels. They are in my opinion the ideal pet bird, and I've lived with everything from finches to a macaw. Nothing beats a well raised cockatiel for sweetness. They can talk, the come in lots of colors, they are sweet and affectionate, relatively inexpensive, almost never developed aggressive biting habits (unless you majorly mess them up somehow), they are relatively quiet... basically perfect.
However each person has different desires and different perfect matches. While I think cockatiels are ideal, my perfect match is an Indian Ringneck. It isn't something you can figure out online. The best thing you can do is find a way to spend a good amount of time with ADULT BIRDS (that's really important!) of both species before making your choice. There are differences that just can't be described online.
Thanks for sharing. My home country kind of sucks when it comes to pet birds because the options are pretty limited. Even quakers are quite rare here so I might get a cockatiel. I've heard they are quite dusty so what can I do about that?
And yes cockatiels produce dust. It is fairly easy to manage; give a shallow bowl of water to bathe in at all times,and if your bird doesn't take advantage then you can take them in the shower with you, use a spray bottle, or any number of other bathing options. Use a damp cloth to clean up around the cage area daily to minimize dust.
You can buy shower perches, hold them on your hand, or put them on your shoulder. Some love it, some tolerate it, some hate it lol. Just be sure no matter what that no soap of any kind gets on them.
Can I only get one cockatiel and how long can he/she be alone during the day? Are they independent? And how noisy are they (not that a bit of noise is a problem, just curious)?
There is no need to get two, and they can be alone during the day if you provide lots of things to keep their minds busy like foraging toys.
Volume is something that can't really be described. Their calls are typically really high pitched whistles, which some people don't mind and others hate. You really need to spend time in person with them to get a good idea of the noise. Also keep in mind that a bored bird, sick bird, scared bird, or lonely bird are all going to be a lot louder than a happy bird.
hello I would recommend a cockatiel, quackers can be quite vicious most of the timeand extremely loud. yet cockatiels are less noisy and vicious... well if there tamed or hand reared
based on my research (and being at my friends house who owns 3 quakers and one cockatiel a crazy lot...) I would say cockatiels are generally nicer and easier on you. Turn on the tv/radio and leave them with plenty of toys and clean food and fresh water and they should be fine if they are healthy. However, it is best that you do bond with the cockatiel. They can be especially vocal in mornings and evenings, and they get night frights so cover the cages if you can. They are generally easier and have a calmer demeanor. Quakers are prone to squaking which is really annoying if you hear it all day but cockatiels are generally queter and whistle to themselves a lot. its cute.
I have a sun conure and a cockatiel. I love my cockatiel she can talk and sing . Her words aren't very clear but you can definitely understand her. She loves neck rubs and laying on her back. My sun conure doesn't talk yet but he is sooooo sweeet . I've never had a quaker but I'm thinking about getting one . I Recommend the cockatiel if you've never had a bird before they are awesome and easy to teach and take care of. And they are pretty quiet.
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