cockateil lovers?

Question

i wish to buy what do i look for
how to tell the age and if its a male
and good condition

Answer 1

Oh, I thought you just spelled "cocktail" wrong and were asking about alcohol. I don't know anything about birds.

Answer 2

First off you want to find the type of Cockateil you want to purchase, there are many different types: gray, albino, cinnamin and so on. In the store chose the the bird that responds most to you, example comes up to the front of the cage first. The health of a cockateil is harder to tell. Mainly look at the condition of the surroundings and the birds feathers,,,, if everything looks good and the store is repetable then I would say the bird is ok. If you are looking for a male, males have more dull color in their cheek then a female and they also chatter a lot more. I would suggest a male, I say this because my male cockateil has quite the personality and I've taught him to talk and whistle. Females mostly remain quite and are very protective and skittish.

Answer 3

First off, please, DO RESEARCH FIRST. I can not stress this enough. There are many good Cockatiel information sites. Either do a search or e-mail me. Know how to care for, what the require in the amount of time and attention, what to feed, what cage, toys, and other supplies you need BEFORE you get a bird.

I also recommend that you go to a breeder, not a pet store for a bird. Most pet store employees are not properly trained or knowledgeable enough to give correct information. Pet stores are in the business to make money. They will often try to sell you things you and your bird don't need. Some of these things can even be harmful.

There are many bird/Cockatiel groups on Yahoo and MSN that you can get info from, people that you can chat with. You might also try to contact a local bird group or the 3 national Cockatiel organizations to locate a local breeder.

Cockatiels are great little birds and relatively easy to care for as parrot type birds go. A hand-fed baby can be very sweet and affectionate. But... they do require a varied diet, not all seed; they also need: attention, time out of the cage, toys to play with, proper care & housing, etc... I love Cockatiels. Good thing too. I have 22!

Answer 4

When you buy the teil or any bird for that matter you should make sure that the bird is banded. That normally means that it came from a reputable breeder. As far as the sex is concerned it is nearly impossible to tell when the bird is young without a DNA test. If the birds feathers and plumage look health and it is playing around then most likely it is health.

Answer 5

I support momnoah's statment. Read up on the types of birds before you get one. Remember a tiel can live easy 25 years. Conures up to 35 years and the larger birds as long as 80 years. They are like kids and you have to treat them and take care of the m correctly or you will have an out of control teenager on your hands. Plus if you keep a bird for a year or two and then get rid of them they will greeve for you. That is the saddest part. Like takeing a kid out of their home and putting them in fostercare.

So don't get the new family member unless you are sure you are going to keep it an be able to take care of it.

Answer 6

Usually the people at the pet store can give you information before you pick one- that happened when I got my parakeets.

Answer 7

typically males have more color and a yellow head frill (I forget what they are called). when you go to pick one out pick the one that comes out of the cage first to greet you. this means she/he won't be to skiddish when handling her. I wouldn't get a female though since you'll be cleaning eggs out of her cage forever. mine laid alot of eggs that she like to sit on all day.

Answer 8

Ha ha ha -- I thought it said cockTAIL lovers -- but now that I realized the question is about bird, forget it. Ha ha ha!

Answer 9

you should try for a more yellowish colored one... but make sure it's got all of it's feathers... no bald spots... look some stuff up..