Bird A Day Tribute to J.L. LeMone

Our friend Andrew at Bird A Day Blog, who featured J.L. LeMone on his blog in January, posted a tribute in his honor. Thank you, Andrew, for remembering my little tiel.

T-Man's Tribute to J.L. LeMone

Our friends, T-Man the Poodle, CC-Man the Cockatiel, and their Mom posted a very nice tribute to J.L. on their blog, Precious Poodle. Thank you so much, dear friends, for remembering J.L.

Nymphensittich-Informationen für meine deutschsprachigen Freundinnen und Freunde, Teil 2

Cockatiel Information for my German-Speaking Friends, Part 2.

Guten Tag! Ich habe neulich eine ganze Liste von deutschsprachigen Webseiten über Nymphensittiche bereitgestellt. Im Falle, daß Sie sie verpaßt haben, ist hier noch einmal der Link: http://tielweekly.blogspot.com/2007/03/nymphensittich-informationen-fr-meine.html

Ich habe außerdem viele Foren für Vögel im allgemeinen und Nymphensittiche im besonderen gefunden. Hier sind sie:

Nymphensittich-Forum. Ein Forum mit den Themen Einsteiger, Vorstellung deiner Nymphensittiche, Ernährung, Lebensraum, Krankheiten, Foto-Wettbewerbe, Tierische Hilfe, und mehr.

Nymphensittich-Foren. Hier findet man Foren zu den Themen Haltung (Anfänger, Voliere, Beschäftugung/Bastelforum, Ernährung), Verhalten, Hilfe (Krankheiten, Zugeflogen/Entflogen, Abgabe/Suche), Foto-Ecke, Zum Andenken (an verstorbene Tiere), Benutzerlandkarte und Fotowettbewerb.

Das Nymphensittich-Lexikon: NL Forum Ein Forum mit den Themen Haltung, Verhalten, Anfänger, Krankheiten, Hilfeecke, Regenbogenbrücke, Küken, Kleinanzeigen, Fotogalerie und mehr!

Mein Nymphensittich-Forum. Ein Forum vom TierNetzWerk mit den folgenden Themen: Behausung, Nahrung, Grünzeug, Futterzusatz, Gesundheit, Aufzucht, Farbschlag, Partnerschaft, Spielzeug, Kleinanzeigen, CaféLounge, Stammtisch, TeenagerCafé, und mehr.

Sittich-Foren. Hier findet man Foren für verschiedene Sittich-Arten, z. B. Nymphensittich, Wellensittich, Laufsittich und Plattschweifsittich, sowie für andere Vogelarten, z. B. Papageien, Kanarienvögel, und Finken. Sogar Hühner, Tauben, Wildvögel, Fasanen, und anderes Gefieder sind hier willkommen. Außerdem gibt es allgemeine Foren zu den Themen Ernährung, Medizin, Zubehör, Tier-, Natur- und Artenschutz, Haustiere, und Vogelvermittlung.

Vogelforen. Ein riesengroßes Forum mit allen denkbaren Themen zur Vogelhaltung.

Viel Spaß!

Information des calopsittes pour mes amis francophones, II

Cockatiel Information for My French-speaking Friends

Ici sont des forums francophones pour les amis des calopsittes:
Here are some forums in French for cockatiel friends:

Forum de callopsitte.free.fr Discussions générales, alimentation, reproduction, mutations, santé, photos / vidéos / sons, bricolage, petites annonces, etc.

Le monde passionnant de la perruche calopsitte. L'aquisition, les urgences, le comportement, l'alimentation, habitat, les mutations, elevage, naissances, gags, vente, recherche, photos, videos, sondages, autres animaux, et chat.

Perruches.net. "Forum d'entraide pour éleveurs et passionnés."

Le Forum de Nos Volières. Volières, questions générales, maladies, photos, etc.

Ornithopassion Un forum général des oiseaux.

Birds Who Bite Badly Trained Humans

A lot of times, the Tall One wonders why she gets bit. I never bite the Cool One, because he understands me, but I can't say the same about the Tall One. Generally, I bite her when she gets too close to me, Miss Prissy, or my cage. Miss Prissy thinks that gently nipping is biting, but believe me, I know how to inflict some damage. I've drawn blood more than once.

Most people look at us cockatiels and think we are cute and cuddly, and they don't know how intelligent we are. Simply put, we need to have things our own way, and a badly trained human needs to be disciplined when he or she does not do what we want.

Here are some links for my human readers to better understand what they need to do to keep from getting bit.

Cockatiels and Biting

Why Does My Bird Bite?

Once Bitten...Twice Shy.

Ouch!! Bird Bites.

Success With a Biting Pet Bird.

My Blog Buddies: T-Man and CC-Man

Ever since I have been blogging, I have met some wonderful birds, dogs, and humans around the world. It's nice to be able to exchange thoughts with other people. Two of my internet friends are T-Man the Poodle and CC-Man the Cockatiel who live in a far away place called Chicago. Here are some of their pictures:
T-Man is the black fluffy thing CC-Man is walking around on. Here is a better picture of him:

If you have been reading my blog faithfully, as you should, you probably remember that CC-Man was sick a little while ago, and I'm happy to report that he's much better. To read more about my furry and feathered friends, go to the link under "Blog Buddies" to T-Man's Precious Poodle blog. T-Man posts a lot of pictures not only of himself, but also of CC-Man the Cockatiel. I have to write all my own posts, but CC-Man has a secretary!

My favorite blog post so far is a series of pictures that show CC-Man first eating out of his seed dish, and then throwing it. Here is the link. Enjoy!

Nymphensittich-Informationen für meine deutschsprachigen Freundinnen und Freunde, Teil 1

Cockatiel Information for my German-Speaking Friends, Part 1.

Informationen

Cockatiels / Nymphensittiche.
Remember the Happy Cockatiel music link I introduced in a previous post? This is the homepage of the composer and artist, Stephan of Hochheim, Germay. On this bilingual (English-German) page, Billy the Happy Cockatiel introduces us to his world, and you can download some more tiel tunes.
Die zweisprachige (englisch-deutsche) Seite von Stephan aus Hochheim, der die Happy Cockatiel Musik aufgenommen hat. Hier stellt Billy der fröhliche Nymphensittich seine Welt vor, und man kann sich Nymphensittich-Musik herunterladen.

Vogelgalerie: Nymphensittich. Eine sehr kurze Einführung mit Bildern.

Haltung von Heimtieren: Nymphensittich Eine Seite der Stadt Wien mit einer kurzen Übersicht über Herkunft und Lebensweise, physiologische Daten, Geschlechtsdifferenzierung, Haltung als Heimtier, Unterbringung und Käfigeinrichtung, Klima, Fütterung, Umgang und Pflege.

Das Nymphensittich-Bilderbuch. Eine sehr ausführliche und gut gegliederte Seite mit vielen Bildern. Die Themen Anfängerfragen, Behausung, Nahrung, Grünzeug, Zusatzfutter, Gesundheit, Anatomie, Aufzucht, Farbschlag, Spielzeug, Steckbrief und Pflanzen sind in spezifische Unterthemen gegliedert. Außerdem gibt es Links zu Chat und einem Forum sowie anderen Bilderbüchern der Tier- und Pflanzenwelt.

Die Nympensittich-Seite. Dies ist eine sehr gut angelegte Seite mit vielen Informationen, u.a. eine Einführung, die auch das Leben der Nymphensittiche in Australien beschreibt, Bedürfnisse, Anschaffung, Haltung (mit Informationen über Innen- und Außenvolieren), Ernährung (sehr ausfühlich und gut gegliedert), Futterpflanzen, Verhalten, Verhaltensstörungen, Vertrauen, Clickertraining, Brut, Krankheiten und Notfall. Es gibt auch Videos, Audiodateien, PDF-Dokumente, Webematerial und Wallpaper zum Herunterladen, sowie Buchempfehlungen.

Nymphensittichzucht. Eine sehr informative Seite eines schweizer Züchters. Unter "Der Nymphensittich" findet sich ein Diagramm, das die Körperteile eines Nymphensittichs benennt. Außerdem gibt es Informationen über die Zucht, Haltung, Pflege, Fütterung, Ernährung. Unter "Was der Vogel nicht braucht" sind unnötige Produkte beschrieben.

Nymphensittich-Wegweiser Eine sehr detaillierte, informative Seite mit den folgenden Themen: Kennenlernen (Vorüberlegungen, Anschaffung, Schwarmhaltung, Eingewöhnung, Verhalten, Hahn oder Henne, Farbschläge, ungewollte Eier), Lebensraum, Ernährung, und Vermittlungshilfe.

Carmens Nymphensittich Infoseite. Eine schön angelegte, informative persönliche Webseite mit vielen Bildern. Die Themen sind: Vor dem Kauf, Steckbrief, Kauf, Haltung/Pflege, Futter, Gefahren, Krankheiten, Photos, und eine Bastelecke, wo man lernen kann, wie man Kletterbäume, Schaukeln und Kletterketten bastelt.

Nymphies Online. Diese persönliche Webseite hat Informationen über Nymphensittiche, unter anderem Anatomie, vor und nach dem Kauf, Haltung, Ernährung, Krankheiten, und ein Nymphensittich A bis Z. Es gibt außerdem Bauanleitungen für Volieren, einen Vogelbaum und einen Vogelspielplatz. Steffi beschreibt außerdem ihre eigenen Nymphensittiche im Detail. Besonders interessant sind die Bilder unter "Tony färbt sich um" und "Sammys Verwandlung", die zeigen, wie sich das Gefieder eines jungen Nymphensittichs allmählich umfärbt.

Das Nymphensittich-Lexikon. Eine sehr unterhaltsame Seite, mit Informationen, Fotoalben, Videos, Sounds und Spielen. Außerdem gibt es Nymphensittich-Screensaver und Wallpaper zum Herunterladen, Nymphensittich-Comics, Wettbewerbe, ein Kreuzworträtsel, ein Memory-Spiel, Puzzles, und ein Flipper-Foto-Spiel.

Sittich-Info. Diese Seite hat allgemeine Informationen über die Haltung von Sittichen, z.B. Nymphensittichen, Wellensittichen, Arasittichen u. a. Die Themen beinhalten ein Arten-Lexikon, Wissenswertes, Haltung, Ernährung, Medizin, Zucht, Sittich-SOS und ein Forum.


Organisationen

Standard Nymphensittich Vereinigung Deutschland e.V.

Tierheimlinks. Hier kann man Tierheime in ganz Deutschland finden. Viele Nymphensittiche und andere Tiere warten auf ein gutes Zuhause. Vögel sind im allgemeinen unter "Kleintiere" aufgelistet. Man kann auch einfach das nächste Tierheim anrufen und fragen, ob ein Nymphensittich auf Adoption wartet.


Quiz

Das Nymphensittich-Quiz Viel Spaß!


Wer noch andere gute Links über Nymphensittiche kennt, möge sie bitte unter "Comments" hinterlassen! Vielen Dank!

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have not had your tiel for very long, or if you are just getting ready to bring one into your home, you probably have many questions about feeding, housing, and other issues. I hope the links in my previous posts were helpful, but I'm sure there are still some things you'd like to know about.

If you've had your tiel or tiels for a while, you have probably learned by now that the questions never end. They shift from basic care concerns to more complex issues, with "Why does my cockatiel do that?" becoming the overarching question. Behavior and health issues become more important.

From my own experience, I know humans wonder why we tiels like to grind our beaks. Well, I grind my beak when I'm happy. The other day, I sat on the Tall One's shoulder and started to doze off, grinding my beak. Another thing we do when we're happy and healthy is to sleep standing on one foot. A sick cockatiel would not be able to keep his balance like that, so if your tiel always uses both feet, it might be a warning sign. We have many more habits like that, so with that in mind, I've compiled a list of links to pages dedicated to frequently asked cockatiel questions. I hope you find it useful!

* North American Cockatiel Society: Frequently Asked Pet Cockatiel Questions. Sorted by Behavior, Caging, Clipping Wings, Diet, Egg Laying, Escaped Cockatiels, Feathers, Illness, New Cockatiels, Sexing, Talking, Training, Travelling, and Miscallaneous. All questions and answers are very brief and concise, making for an easy read.

* Frequently Asked Cockatiel Questions. My friend Eleanor at the Cockatiel Cottage put together a list of over 60 questions and answers to all types of cockatiel related topics, from new bird topics to care, health and behavior.

* Australian National Cockatiel Society: Frequently Asked Questions. Questions and answers about many aspects of cockatiel care, most notably eggs, breeding, health conditions, and behavior.

* Pet Cockatiel FAQ. Five basic questions and answers from our cockatiel friends in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, including cockatiel lifespan, size, suitability as a pet, talking, and noise level.

* Cockatiel Information, Cockatiel Care. Nine questions and answers, including health, lifespan, sexing, care, cage, and breeding.

* Birder's Eye: Cockatiel FAQ. Answers to a variety of questions.

* Beginning With Birds: Cockatiel FAQ. By Anita Golden. Answers to a variety of questions.

* Tiel-L FAQ. This list of 38 questions and answers was compiled by the users of the Tiel-L mailing list.

* Cockatiel Tweets Corner: Frequently Asked Questions. Most of them start with the age-old question "Why do cockatiels..."

* American Cockatiel Society: Ask the Vet. Questions and answers on two specialized health topics: a hen laying soft-shelled eggs, and the symptoms and treatment of sour crop.

* Bird Frequently Asked Questions. A fun, simple site with basic questions and answers regarding food, safety, terminology, etc. for all types of pet birds. Easy to read.

* Animal Adventure: Bird Questions. Questions and answers to different bird questions, such a cage placement, apartment living, feeding, temperature, bathing, and cockatiel night frights. If you're interested in other types of pets, you can keep reading on for questions and answers about fish, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, and even prairie dogs!

If you can't find the answer to your question, try the articles I listed in previous posts. You can easily find them under "Previous Posts: By Topic". Click on Cockatiel Care, Cockatiel Knowledge, or Links. If you can't find what you're looking for, leave me a question under "comments"; I'll try to find the answers for you. You can also join one or more of the friendly message boards I selected and listed under "Cockatiel Conversation" on the left side of my blog. The people on these boards are very dedicated and experienced, and if you post a question, they will generally answer you right away.

Good luck!

Cool Link: National Geographic

Since you are a faithful reader of my blog, and since we cockatiels are beautiful winged creatures, you are obviously interested in the beauty of nature. One site that gives you information, pictures, and even videos of many creatures and places in the world is the National Geographic web site. If you click on "Animals" and then on "Birds", you can see pictures and read articles about many of my fine feathered relatives who live in the wild.

Since it has a Photo of the Day and a Daily News section that is updated frequently, I am going to put the link under "Daily Diversions" as well so you can visit it daily if you like. The site also features a Place of the Week, free newsletters, educational games for children, information for educators, wallpapers, soundfiles of world music, maps, and much more.

Have fun!

Information des calopsittes pour mes amis francophones, Parte I

Cockatiel Information for My French-Speaking Friends, Part I

Ici sont des sites francophones avec information de calopsittes:
Here are some sites in French with information about cockatiels:

Mes amies les calopsittes. Une site en Belgique avec information de choisir, loger, nourir, reprodiction, particularités, photos, sons, liens, livres, et articles de la santé des oiseaux.
Cockatiels, my Dear Friends. The English version of the Belgian site cited above, including choosing, housing, feeding, reproduction, particularities, photos, sounds, links, and books.

La perruche calopsitte. Description, mutation, nourrissage, elevage, génétique, maladie, photos, et trouver un prénom pour votre oiseau.
(English version under construction.)

Ornitho-Passion: Perruche Calopsitte. Un peu de information des calopsittes: distribution, taille, dimorphisme sexuel, et elevage.

Perruche Calopsitte (Cockatiel). Informations générales des calopsittes.

Perruches calopsites (Nymphicus hollandicus). Généralités, sexage, reproduction, caractère, et un album des calopsittes. Liens générales des oiseaux: attention toxique, alimentation, cage, cohabitation, entretien, maladies, mirage des oeufs, etc.

Le site des passionnés de perruches calopsittes. Généralités, alimentation, logement, reproduction, mutation, photos, vidéos, sons, liens, et un forum.

Oiseau Club Lorientais. Articles, forum, liens, petites annonces, photos, etc.

Vouz avez des liens des calopsittes francophones? Ponez-les en "comments", s'il vous plaît!

Cool Blog: Parrot World News

You know how the humans read newspapers and internet articles about other humans? They are interesting to humans, of course, but we parrots get bored of them after a while. We really would prefer a newsmagazine where we could read about other parrots.

I'm happy to report that there is such a thing! It's called Psittapedia: Parrot World News. It is a blog written by a bird, and it contains links on parrot news from all over the world, along with general information. I will put the link under "Blog Buddies" as well.

Enjoy!

Cockatiel Safety

It is extremely important to keep your bird safe and healthy. We are very sensitive to many plants, foods, and chemicals. Remember, what might be dangerous to us could also be dangerous to you, so it's in your own interest to keep us safe. Make sure to read all the links below and to check your feathered friend's environment for hazards.

I have a lot to say about the Tall One, and not all of it is good, but she will go to extremes to keep us safe. As soon as she got me, she researched cockatiels on the internet, and when she found out that non-stick pans can kill birds, she threw all of hers out and bought a new set that had no Teflon or any other non-stick stuff on it. She'd rather scrub the sticky mess than put me in danger.

When the apartment people come to spray for bugs, she either puts Miss Prissy and me in the other room and completely seals off the door, or takes us over to the house of her friend with the long dark hair, who also has a tiel, so that we can stay in a safe place. She did the same thing when they painted the apartment, even though everybody told her the paint was non-toxic. She left us at the dark-haired one's house for several days until all the fumes were gone. She said she was not going to take any chances. She won't even use bug spray, spray starch, or insect repellant in the same room with us.

Even though she's completely addited to chocolate, she won't let us near it. She won't even let us out of the cage when she's eating the stuff, and she washes her hand before handling us.

One time, there was a fire alarm in the building, and there was smoke in the hall. She covered us up with a thick blanket and took us outside, where the firemen admired us after finding out that it was just a washing machine that had broken and overheated. There was no way the Tall One would have left us in the building, exposed to smoke. She took us into the fresh air right away (luckily, it was warm outside) and made sure the building had been aired out before she took us back inside.

Part of a human's job is to keep the tiels safe, and so it's important to keep yourself informed. Of course, I can't guarantee the accuracy of the information on these sites, but they seem like a good place to start. If you know of any other good sites on the topic, please post them below under "Comments". Of course, I will keep you updated on other informative articles I may find in the future.

Read these pages carefully! Your tiel's safty depends on it!

* Hazards and Care of Your Bird. By Bobbi Brinker, Winged Wisdom Pet E-zine, 1998. This article describes potential hazards, such as teflon pans, self-cleaning ovens, links to articles about toxic foods, plants, chemicals, and toy safety, roaming, guests, other companion animals, windows and mirrors, vet visits, bird fairs, bathing, toys, and more.

* Household Hazards. Another page on the very informative Cockatiel Cottage site. It describes all types of visible and invisible household dangers, some of which I was not even aware of. A must-read!

* Hazardous Plants. A list of potentially dangerous plants to birds.

* Safe Plants and Trees. Before exposing your bird to a plant or perch, make sure that it is on the list of safe items!

* Safe and Toxic Plants. Two useful lists by my friend Eleanor at the Cockatiel Cottage: a list of safe plants, and a list of toxic ones.

* Poisonous Foods, Metals, and Compounds. A list of dangerous stuff.

* Safe Cleaning and Pest Control. By Carolyn Swicegood, Winged Wisdom Pet E-zine, 1999. We cockatiels are very sensitive to chemicals. Some cleaning and pest control products can hurt or kill us. This article describes safe alternatives to these chemicals. Think about it: if it's bad for our lungs, it's probably not good for you, either, so using safe products makes your environment safer not only for your feathered friends, but also for yourself.

* Gillian's Help Desk. This page contains links to bird safety lists and short articles, including first aid, holiday hazards, scented candles, pens and markers, safe wood for perches, potentially toxic plants, dangers in new homes, and many more topics. Concise and easy to understand.

* Cages, Cages, Cages! By Sharron Salas, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 2000. I posted this link previously under "Setting the Stage for the Cage", but I think it's important to include it in this post as well so you can inspect your bird's cage for safety.

Parrot Trivia

We cockatiels are so pretty and unique that many people forget we are actually small parrots. While we are very special, we also have a lot in common with other parrot species. Here is a trivia quiz about Parrot Behavior! Have fun, and let me know how you did under "Comments"!

What Should You Feed Your Cockatiel?

Now that we're on the topic of food...

We cockatiels like to eat all kinds of things. Personally, during my first years with the Tall One, I would only eat bird seed, millet spray, honey treats, and my cuttlebone, no matter how hard she tried to get me to eat fruits, vegetables, and other things that she considered healthy. She even tried to convert me to pellets a couple of times, because they are supposedly well-balanced, but when she realized she was facing a hunger strike, she gave me my bird seed. You show me the human that's eating a well-balanced pellet diet, and I'll eat it, too, but in the meantime, I want some real food!

Once Miss Prissy moved in, though, I realized that I had been a little narrow-minded about food. She actually tried all the stuff that the Tall One gave us, not only the bread and pizza crust, but also the fruits and veggies. Of course, I didn't want her to have anything I couldn't get, so I tried it, too, and I have to admit that some of the stuff is pretty good. I really missed out before. The other day, she brought something called a hamburger and gave us a little piece. I'd never had one before, and it was yummy! Yesterday, she gave me something called a tortellini. It was a little softer than the things I usually like to eat, but by now I had learned to try new things anyway. It was soooo good, I ate the whole thing!

So, if you're a cockatiel, I'd encourage you to try and eat what your human gives you, unless it really seems to be bad to eat. If you're a human, you need to make sure that everything you feed your tiel is actually good for him or her. Things like chocolate and avocado are actually toxic for birds, and feeding your feathered friends only seeds is not good for them, either. Following are some links on cockatiel nutrition.

The National Cockatiel Society: Feeding Cockatiels. By Dr. Vanessa Rolfe, DVM, 1997. This is a concise article about how to make sure that your cockatiel gets adequate nutrition.

Health and Diet. This page is part of the Australian National Cockatiel Society's web site, and it contains articles on Caged Birds and Diet, Vitamin A Deficiency, and Weeds for Birds.

Cockatiel Cottage: Diet. My friend Eleanor has a very informative page about cockatiel diet on her Cockatiel Cottage site.

20 Things You Must Know About Nutrition. This very informative list refers not only to cockatiels, but all species of pet birds.

Understanding Pet Bird Nutrition. By Gary D. Butcher and Richard D. Miles, University of Florida, IFAS Extension. This is a well-researched article from a reputable source. It describes the six essential nutrients: water, protein, carbohydrates and fiber, lipids, minerals, and vitamins in a relatively easy-to-understand, but scientific format. It also includes a Question-and-Answer section on bird nutrition.

Avian Nutrition, Winged Wisdom Magazine. By P. J. Schimel, 1997. This is an easy-to read general article about pet bird nutrition. It is split up into food categories, for example water, vegetables, sprouts, fruits, nuts, tablefood, birdy bread, and food toys. The author also points out that different species have different nutritional needs.

Some Random Ideas on how to Get Your Cockatiel to Eat Veggies. This is a fun, short, easy-to try list of ideas. Some of these ideas may not work for you and your tiel, but some of them may, and they sound like a lot of fun. Try them out!

To Peel or Not to Peel: Parrots & Natural Living Foods. By Monica Gonzalez, 2003. Another list of creative ideas on how to get your bird to eat healthy food. Actually, I might print it out and leave it on the Tall One's desk...

Avian Nutrition. By Cynthia L. Kiesewetter, NACS. Despite its title, this article focuses on cockatiels in particular. Each nutrient is described in detail. There is even a chart that shows how much fat each type of seed contains.

Cockatiel Nutrition Guide. This guide is organized by food components such as carbohydrates, proteins, etc. It explains what role they play in cockatiel nutrition and where they can be found. This site is especially useful if you have some background knowledge in nutrition.

What Should I Feed My Cockatiel? By Mary Beth Voelker, Online Pet Consultant, National Cockatiel Society. If you decide to switch your cockatiel's diet to an all-pellet diet, this article gives good advice and a step-by-step guide.

Converting the Seed Junky to Pellets. By Dr. Vanessa Rolfe, DVM, National Cockatiel Society, 1997. This is another article on the same topic.

What to Feed? A Solution. By Peter Feldman. This article gives a different perspective on pellets, considering them a part of a healthy diet rather than the main or exclusive source of nutrition for birds.

As you can see from these articles, there are different issues and opinions involved with providing good nutrition for us birds. While humans know what foods are unhealthy for us and what nutrients we undoubtedly need, there does not seem a consensus on exactly what a good diet should look like. My advice for my human readers is to offer your cockatiel a diet that contains different types of nutritious foods, and to continue doing your research on cockatiel nutrition and new developments in the field. If I hear of new information, I will certainly keep you posted.

In the meantime, if you have any other informative links on the topic, please post them below under "Comments".

Setting the Stage for the Cage

Now that you know how to go about finding a fine-feathered friend and the basics of cockatiel care, your next concern is probably to find out more about how to properly house him or her. Personally, I love my cage. It's my home where I sleep, eat, drink water, climb, play, and preen Miss Prissy. It even has a nice door that folds out into a porch. The Tall One usually opens up the cage while she is in the room, so we have plenty of space and time to fly about and exercise our wings and feet. If you can't let your birds out a lot, you should invest in the biggest cage you can possibly afford and accommodate so your fine-feathered friends can fly around and get their exercise. It is also very important to find a good place for the cage. We cockatiels don't like being cold or sitting in drafts, and we love being where the action is. Keep in mind that we are very social!

* Home Tweet Home... All About Cages. By Anne Johnson, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 1997.

* Cages, Cages, Cages!!! By Sharon Salas, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 2000. Important information about safety considerations when buying a cage.

A cage isn't a cage without perches. While we cockatiels like to play at the bottom of the cage every now and then, we spend most of our time on perches. Make sure that the perches you use are made from wood that is safe for birds. You should provide perches of different thickness to your bird can pick a spot that is comfortable for his feet. Don't use sandpaper-covered perches; your bird's feet will get sore! My personal favorite is the banana-flavored calcium perch the Tall One bought for me. It not only feels good on my feet, it also tastes good and is healthy!

* Perches for Caged Birds. By Holly Nash, DVM, MS, at petecudation.com .

* Bird Cages, Perches, Dishes, and Other Accessories. By Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc., on peteducation.com

I don't like it when the Tall One cleans my cage, but it needs to be done. Once it's nice and clean, I'm happy. Not to mention that a clean cage keeps us birds healthy. You need to be very careful with cleaning supplies, since we birds are very sensitive to chemicals. Good pet stores carry safe cleaners for bird cages. The Tall One uses vinegar, which is a natural cleanser. Anyway, here is a link that describes how to safely clean your bird's cage, and another link about cage liners that help keep the cage clean.

* Cleaning Your Bird's Cage. By Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc., at petecudation.com

* Cage Liners: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. By Carol Highfill, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 1997.

Of course, every cage needs a good cover. We birds do not like being cold at night. Sometimes, a cover calms us down. The Tall One simply uses a nice blanket to cover us, but for those of you who are creatively inclined, here is a link on creating pretty covers for your bird cage:

* Decorative Cage Covers. By Katherine Booth, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 1997.

We will talk about the things that belong in the cage (food, water, toys, etc.) at a later time.

Au revoir!

Caring for Your Feathered Friend

Here are some introductory articles on cockatiel care. They cover a wide variety of topics, such as selecting a tiel, quarantine, cages, cleaning, wing and foot care, nutrition, accessories, and much more. Don't get overwhelmed by the information; I will post links on each of these topics in the future. This is just to get you started.

* New Bird In Your Home.
Information provided by Dr. Jill M. Patt, DVM.

* Caring for Your Pet Cockatiel. By Amy Patria, Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 1998.

* Cages and Accessories for Your Pet Cockatiel. By Mary Beth Voelker, National Cockatiel Society Online Pet Consultant, 1997.

New Award And More Bird Rescue Links

I'm very happy to tell you that my blog has won another award! This one is from the nice people at www.parrotphotos.us .

Remember how a little while ago, I posted an article with links about adopting birds? Lynne from www.parrotphotos.us e-mailed me several other links, along with this very true message:

It is important for people to understand that there are a lot of "throw away" birds out there - particularly the smaller ones - in need of homes and sitting in shelters waiting for a loving home. Usually it is not the BIRD that is the problem, but the people who impulse buy them who do not do their homework and come to understand how to properly care for them.

So, here are the additional links for finding a fine-feathered friend in need of a good home:

http://www.mickaboo.org/our-birds/all-small.html (I posted a link to Mickaboo previously, but this one lists the birds currently available for adoption.)
http://avianwelfare.org/issues/homelessness.htm
http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/marketing.htm
http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/sheltering.htm
http://www.secondchancebirds.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=184

Thank you for the award and the information, Lynne!

One Tiel or Two?

One Tiel...

Now that you've decided to get a tiel, you are probably wondering whether it's best to get just one cockatiel or two. People say that one cockatiel may bond very well to one person, whereas two cockatiels usually bond to each other, leaving the human somewhat left out. On the other hand, cockatiels like company, and if their humans are gone all day, they will be lonely.

Personally, I enthusiastically endorse the idea of getting two tiels. I liked being with the Tall One alright, but she does not have feathers and is gone most of the day. Once Miss Prissy moved in, I was much happier. We share the same cage, preen each other, and we even bond with the Tall One together. As a matter of fact, I spend more time with our human now, because Miss Prissy adores her and likes to sit on her head or shoulders, and of course I go where Miss Prissy goes. The Tall One and I have gotten along much better since my feathered friend moved in. I was lucky, though; Miss Prissy is very easygoing, and we liked each other right away. If that had not been the case, the Tall One might have had to put us in separate cages, so it really depends on how well the two tiels get along.



These, of course, are my own experiences. Here are some articles about the topic that will give you some more information:

Double the Trouble or Double the Fun? Keeping Birds in Twos. By Winged Wisdon Pet Bird Magazine, June 1998.

An Only Bird Is a Lonely Bird. By R.R. Holster/PetStation

Should I Get a Second Cockatiel? By Mary Beth Voelker, National Cockatiel Society, 1998.



... or Two?

More Cockatiel Jigsaws!

I know many of you love to do jigsaw puzzles. Don't forget to check out the daily jigsaw puzzle link under "Daily Diversions" on the left bar of the screen! However, if you feel that there are not enough cockatiel puzzles featured, here is a link to five jigsaw puzzles featuring beautiful cockatiels. If you still want more, try the bird jigsaw puzzles page, which includes pictures of other feathered species, for example cockatoos, lovebirds, canaries, budgies, finches, african greys, amazons, and macaws.

Have fun!

Buying a Healthy Cockatiel

Just to make sure you are really prepared for the responsibility of serving a cockatiel, here is another link that will help you consider the implications:
Considering a Pet Bird? Ask Yourself These Seven Critical Questions. By Simon Blake at petboro.com.

Following is a list of very useful links for choosing a pet bird in general and/or a cockatiel in particular. As a cockatiel, I can only base my judgment on my own experiences, and these links seem very good to me, but of course I cannot guarantee that the humans who wrote these articles got all their information right. I hope they make your search for a cockatiel companion easier!

* Introduction to Cockatiels. By Susan Hahn. This brief article contains a description of cockatiel characteristics and what to consider when selecting a bird.

* How to Buy a Cockatiel by e-how.com. This is a brief 9-step guide. It provides useful introductory information. However, you should read several of the information provided in the following links for more specifics.

* Procuring the Right Bird for You -- the Right Way. Information provided by Dr. Jill M. Patt, DVM. "Procuring" is a fancy word, just right for us fancy birds. This is probably my favorite article on the topic of getting a bird, because it is packed with information. It includes questions to ask yourself, and information and links about bird adoption, which the author and I both recommend over purchasing a bird. In addition, it provides information about the advantages and disadvantages of buying from private parties, breeders, and pet stores.

* Choosing Your Bird. By Parrots Canada, 2000. This article covers pretty much anything that a prospective first bird buyer needs to know, including how to start looking, whether to buy from a breeder or pet store, hand raised babies and weaning, personality, lifesapan, noise level, price, signs of a sick bird, and much more. If children live in the house, the "if you have children, read this" section is especially helpful.

* Buying a Cockatiel. This page provides a comprehensive overview for the first time cockatiel buyer, including a description of our personality, a checklist to see if you are the right kind of person for a tiel, tips on choosing a male or female, one bird or a pair, buying a tiel and a suitable cage, and information on cockatiel bands.

* Purchasing a First Bird Companion. By Pamela L. West, Birds and Ways: Winged Wisdom Pet Bird E-zine, 2001. This article descibes the different options for buying a pet bird: professional breeders, hobbyists, and commercial pet shops. It also includes a list of questions to ask if buying from a pet store.

* Ask and You Shall Receive: Buying a Quality Pet Bird. By Anne Jackson, Birds and Ways: Winged Wisdom Pet E-zine, 1997. This article includes useful lists of questions to ask when buying a bird, including general information and questions as well as questions about diet, health, and care and questions specific for the bird you might select.

* The A, B, Cs and 1, 2, 3s of Bird Buying by Wanda Elder, Birds n Ways, 1997. This article includes a useful list for questions to ask of breeders, exhibitors, and private sellers. I find the questions to ask about older birds especially important.

* Before You Purchase Your New Bird. By Donna Mason, 1997. This page includes three checklists that are very useful when considering a bird for purchase: a health checklist, a list of questions to ask, and a list of basic needs of your new bird.

* Finding a Good Pet Store. By Becky Taylor. This article describes what to look for when choosing a pet store.

* Healthy Cockatiels, by my friend Eleanor McCaffrey at Cockatiel Cottage. This very beautiful page includes information on how to tell if a cockatiel is healthy, including a detailed checklist.

* Inspecting and Choosing a Healthy Bird. By Geoffrey and Barbara Gould, Parrot Preservation Society, 1993. This article describes how to select a bird from a breeder, including questions to ask.

* National Cockatiel Society Bird Checklist. By Dr. Vanessa Rolfe, DVM, 1997. This is a very brief list of the essential items you need to make your cockatiel feel at home. I will post more articles on taking care of your tiel soon!

If you know of any other useful links on this topic, please leave them under "Comments"!