Cockatiel Behaviors

Why Is My Cockatiel ...

There are certain activies that you may have noticed your cockatiel to be doing, you may have wondered if your bird was ill or abnormal. Below is a short listing of some of the more common behaviors...

...Bowing down?
Cockatiels love the have itchy feathers scratched... especially neck and facial feathers (any area they can't reach themselves). They will bow to have a mate preen, or to have you scratch their neck. When your cockatiel bows down, do gently rub/scratch the neck, head areas and you'll have one very contented bird.

...Hissing?
A cockatiel will hiss to warn you, or another bird, person, or animal away. this sound is usually accompanied by the crest flattened back. A bird that knows you may hiss if he is not in the mood to be interrupted while doing something they shouldn't be, or they may be protecting their eggs, or going through hormonal changes (anytime from 5- 11 months old) and seasonally, most prevalently in the spring and/or fall...or a myriad of different reasons. Unless your bird is in danger of being injured, leave them be and approach more slowly. If you have another pet (such as a dog or cat ) always remove the bird, no matter how safe you think the other pet may be. A sudden move and fluttering wings will cause the most calm, laziest dog or cat to spring/snap at your bird. If your cockatiel is hissing at another cockatiel, just monitor the situation. Cockatiels will set up a social structure and some bickering is likely to occur. Cockatiels rarely fight to injure. The same can not be said of many other members of the parrot family...

... Regurgitating?

A healthy bird will try to regurgitate on their "bonded" person... probably you (or on an item, such as a mirror that they have bonded to). It is a sign of great affection... try not to be offended if your bird does this. If you have a single cockatiel and a mirror, you may find your bird to bond to the mirror and thus regurgitate on the mirror, especially if you don't give the bird much interaction.

Birds rarely truly vomit, and if they are doing so, then you will need to see an avian vet

... Grinding/Clicking Beak?
A contented cockatiel will sit perched and happily grind their beak. Clicking their beak is also commonly noted when your bird is content... they will also click their beak when they are trying to imitate you. Both the beak grinding and clicking are perfectly normal behaviors of cockatiels.