CockaTeels

[Malhavoc's]

Man, birds are expensive! My new GF wanted a bird, we got her a bird, 160 for cage bag of food two toys food and water dishes and the bird itself, A cute lil cockateel. I actualy find myself enjoying it-despite for my loathing of any mamalish small furry thing..-So thought I'd ask, any tips hints or tales of these birds? So far it seems to enjoy sitting around grooming my facial hair.. lol

 

[defour]

I actualy find myself enjoying it-despite for my loathing of any mamalish small furry thing..

Try thinking of it as a feathery dinosaur with no teeth. I like birds, but I haven't had one for years. I'm sure I'll get another one someday, when I've got my own house. I've always loved mynahs, but they're tons of work.

Steve

 

[Malhavoc's]

Saw an awesome one at the pet store, Was al lgrey whitish belly with grey, and bright red tail, it can mimic human speach but its true call sounds like an answering machine 'beep' real soft and windy like that, but I dind't dare ask the price after noting some other price tags...

 

[Mandi]

tiels need lots of attention, and toys or they get destructive.

 

[dirtborder4life]

Cockatiels

I actually breed cockatiels.I have 11 of them.It's really just a hobby for me,but i like it.One tip,dont buy the food in those little bags at pet shops or walmart,go to your nearest feed store,or something like that and buy it in 25 pound bags,its alot cheaper,and it's called cockatiel food.Other than that they're really great birds to have.They whistle alot,you can teach them the wolf call,and the andy griffith song.They can also learn to say a couple phrases.They cant talk as well as any species of parrot,but they're better than parakeets.

 

[Empi]

Saw an awesome one at the pet store, Was al lgrey whitish belly with grey, and bright red tail, it can mimic human speach but its true call sounds like an answering machine 'beep' real soft and windy like that, but I dind't dare ask the price after noting some other price tags...

Sound like an african gray parrot. They are very smart and can mimic any sound they hear perfectly. Probly about $1200. Not cheap.

As for cockatiels I used to breed them. I had about 30 of them at one time. I had them outside in a big walk in cage I mad for them. They are cool birds. They can talk too. Good luck with it..

 

[Malhavoc's]

I've learned they can 'talk' everytime I leave hte room after a handling session it squacks once or twice but imediatly falls silent.

It usualy 'nibbles' or lowers its head when I'm petting it, -I guess they love their necks rubbed- but it'll suddenly nip at me for no apperent reason, I'm at a loos what its trying to tell me, I used to think I was hurting it but whenever I withdrew it'd bite some more and lower head again. LOL.

Wolf call? Just how exactly do I teach a bird to make a wolf call?

 

[Empi]

I've learned they can 'talk' everytime I leave hte room after a handling session it squacks once or twice but imediatly falls silent.

It usualy 'nibbles' or lowers its head when I'm petting it, -I guess they love their necks rubbed- but it'll suddenly nip at me for no apperent reason, I'm at a loos what its trying to tell me, I used to think I was hurting it but whenever I withdrew it'd bite some more and lower head again. LOL.

Wolf call? Just how exactly do I teach a bird to make a wolf call?

Yes they do like they're necks rubbed. I don't know why they nip like that though. From What I've seen they all do that I think they are just warning you not to stop rubbing.LOL! The wolf whistle is a natural call so you don't have to teach it to them. Only males do it though so if you have a female she won't do it. If you want to teach it to talk or to whisle something it is really easy but will take time. Just take it in a quite room and say what you want it to say or whistle what you want it to whisle over and over again and it will pick it up. You cant also make a tape recording of what you want and play it whenever you are not home and it will pick it up. The one I still have whistles the Andy Griffith song.

 

[parabuthus]

We got a budgie and it was great for the first few days, but now it has turned into a little <EDIT>, not as friendly and pecking alot!

And yeah, they are expensive as hell to keep -birds. The cage cost us £75, and the rest.....

 

[Letsgochopping]

My friend has an african grey, and to quote him, it has "the brains of a five year old and the maturity of a two year old". They seem like a dog with feathers and abeak. When we watch movies where people shoot guns, the parrot makes gattling gun noises and little bomb sounds!

 

[Malhavoc's]

Thats cute, This one has taken to attacking my keyboard, I'm going to have to get pix going, I dont know if its male or female? any way to tell for sure?

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

here ya go...
http://www.mickaboo.com/gender.html

Oh, and it's Cockatiel

 

[Malhavoc's]

Can't spell it? sound it out-cock-a-tee-L, I noticed I had it wrong when people started posting, Thanks for correcting me all mine looks like the bird on the right on the aformentioned site, its about 6 months old though, and starting its molt I think, so I'll wait for it to do that before I say for sure, tis got the yellow spotted under wings and grey in its patches, and grey/yellow tailing..but has the yellow head of a male so... yeah.. lol

 

[defour]

They seem like a dog with feathers and abeak.

Let's not start libeling African greys, now.

Steve

 

[Mandi]

I Have a lutino, i noticed when I type it mimics me and pecks at the keyboard, thats probably what your little guy is doing, mine likes to imitate me when Im doing thing with my hands & if im eating and he's out I have to share.

He also unscrews and pops the beads out of body jewelry, so whenever I wanna change the bead ring in my cartalidge, I just leave him on my shoulder for a while

 

[Darwinsdad]

My mother had one of those when we were teens, it was loud, nasty and horny. At night we had to put a sheet over the cage so we could sleep. If we didnt it schreeched all night. As for the horny part we all learned to wear shoes 24/7 or go bare foot because if it found a socked foot resting on a table or stool it was party time for the bird. We did get a kick out of letting him finish his deed before telling any of people he "raped" just what was going on.

 

[Malhavoc's]

So, did that..'special' sock loving bird listen to your Quote? *Chuckle* They are such wierd animals, now if only I could teach her to eat annoying flies...wait my spiders do that

 

[Empi]

My friend has an african grey, and to quote him, it has "the brains of a five year old and the maturity of a two year old". They seem like a dog with feathers and abeak. When we watch movies where people shoot guns, the parrot makes gattling gun noises and little bomb sounds!

African greys are proven to have the brains of a four year old. They are the only animal that can not only mimic human speech but they also know what they are saying. I saw one on tv that could carry on a conversation and ask for things that it wanted. It also new the names of objects and could tell you not only what something is but the color and texture of the object. So to compare them to a dog would be like comparing a kid to a dog. Dogs are smart don't get me wrong, but they are not even close to that smart

 

[Malhavoc's]

Imagion the time invested into that bird, to make it able to speak such fluent english etc, Makes my head roll. And then, after spending a few days with the Cockatiel, I think the true trick. is making them shut up lol