Meet Rio and Cookie, my new cockatiels – part 1

Back when I was a kid, I had a pet cockatiel. Or, as we bird enthusiasts might call it, a «floof» or a «birb». Whatever the terminology, my childhood cockatiel was named Iko and he was the cheekiest bird you could ever imagine. Iko nibbled on everything he could get his beak on, be it wallpaper, doors, plants or people. He’d snap at me if I ever got too close to him. Especially when he was perching in front of the microwave in the kitchen, having been temporarily let out of his cage. The microwave, incidentally, was the love of his life. If I wanted a bite to eat after school, I could only heat it up if I’d lured Iko away from the microwave beforehand. Seriously, it was a health and safety issue. Anyone who’s ever been pecked by a cockatiel knows how much it stings. But I adored the little guy nonetheless, and was devastated when he drifted off into bird heaven at the ripe old age of 27. Sniff.

Now, I’ve got Rio and Cookie. They’re not a replacement for Iko. After all, I put my grief behind me a long time ago. And yet, I’ve had a little bird-shaped hole in my heart ever since he died.

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted another cockatiel. Cockatiels, to be precise. Reputable pet shops only sell the birds in pairs. And as amusing as cockatiels are, they have…character. They’re grumpy when they don’t get enough sleep. They take offence if you don’t fill up their food bowl for breakfast by 7 a.m. sharp. On the other hand, they can also be very cuddly and affectionate once their owner’s gained their trust. After that, they’ll serenade you, hang out on your shoulder and love having their heads stroked. If you ask me, these moments alone make embarking on an avian adventure like this worthwhile.

The first question to ponder: is it okay to keep cockatiels in a flat?

«Cockatiels? In a little rental flat like yours? Are you sure about that? You know how noisy they are,» my mum says when I call to tell her about my plans. Yes, cockatiels can be reeeeally noisy. Especially when they get scared and start squawking out of sheer panic. That really gets your ears ringing. But – and this is a big but – that rarely happens. And if it does, it’s because something’s gone seriously wrong (as you’ll find out later in the article).

Unlike budgies, which chirp and chatter all day long, cockatiels are relatively quiet animals. Well, as quiet as it’s possible for a little parrot to be. Cookie and Rio have to communicate somehow, right? It’s not like they can sit in the corner and read a book.

I’ve also forewarned my neighbours that they might hear the occasional bout of loud cawing coming from my place. And besides, my rental agreement allows small animals, a definition that includes birds.

Building the cage leaves me sweaty and bruised

My plan is to get the cage first, then the cockatiels. I really take my time in searching for the right home for my new birds. Cage size recommendations vary wildly depending on which website you look at. I’ve seen pretty much everything from «you need a dedicated bird room» to «an enclosed space for them to sleep in is enough». In either case, the surface area of the bottom of the cage is more important than the height. Cockatiels aren’t high-flyers. They have a wingspan of 30–40 centimetres, and need enough space to accommodate that. Even if you give them free flight every day. Besides this, I have my own little wish list when it comes to the cockatiels’ cage:

• It has to be portable so that I can move it around when I’m cleaning.
• It’d be nice if it had a food tray, sand and toys.
• The doors and feed hatches have to be escape-proof. I’ve had budgies that have cracked the cage door at night, then gone fluttering around in the dark completely lost.
• It also needs to be safe. In other words, it can’t have paint that can be pecked off. It should also have horizontal bars so that the birds can climb them without constantly slipping off.

After extensive research, I decide on the Madeira III from Montana Cages.

Birdcages + Aviaries

Montana Furniture Madeira III Antique

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Birdcages + Aviaries

Montana Furniture Madeira III Antique

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The Madeira III arrives as two large packages. Given that there’s a sticker on each box saying «over 20 kilos», I feel like assembling it will be a feat of strength.

I manage to put the cage together myself. Afterwards, I’m drenched in sweat, have bruises on my arms and my muscles ache for two days straight. But the effort has paid off. The mansion’s ready.

The really great thing about the cage? It has a roof terrace! I can open it up at the top and hold it open with a perch, giving Rio and Cookie a seat.

Moving day: so much hate

Three days after my laborious cage-building project, it’s time to collect Rio and Cookie. I do my homework beforehand, familiarising myself on where to get cockatiels in Hamburg. Rather than buying from any old place, I want to be sure they’ve been in good hands. My research takes me to a large pet store in Bergedorf in the outskirts of Hamburg.

When I go there and look around, everything looks clean and well-cared for. The cockatiels live in a flock in a large aviary, and look happy. I quickly realise that I’ve come to the right place. I load my shopping basket with wooden perches, far too many toys, food, sand and treats.

Here’s a little snapshot of some products suited to cockatiels. I’ll be writing a detailed article on them in the near future. If you don’t want to miss it, scroll down to follow me as an author.

Birdseed

Versele Laga Versele-Laga VL-Australian parrot Loro Parque Mixed food for medium Australian parrots, 1kg

1 x, 1 kg

Birdseed

Swisspet Foxtail millet bag

1 x, 0.40 kg

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Bird cage supplies

Trixie Nibble toy

Birdseed

Versele Laga Versele-Laga VL-Australian parrot Loro Parque Mixed food for medium Australian parrots, 1kg

1 x, 1 kg

Birdseed

Swisspet Foxtail millet bag

1 x, 0.40 kg

13

Bird cage supplies

Trixie Nibble toy

So there I am, standing in front of the aviary, watching the birds. A grey, particularly lively cockatiel immediately catches my eye. That’s my Rio! I decide to go for Cookie because he’s dozing away, gloriously relaxed, and I reckon he’ll balance out the whirlwind that is Rio.

I catch the attention of a store employee and say: «I’d like to buy two cockatiels. The grey one there and the one with the white head.» The woman then catches the birds and puts them in a tiny transport box. This is when the drama kicks off. Rio hisses punishingly in my direction, while Cookie won’t even grace me with a look. It’s not a good start.

When I get home, I set up the cage and usher the cockatiels into their new home. Two pairs of black, googly eyes stare back at me. Believe me, if looks could kill, you wouldn’t be reading this article. I can practically read Rio’s and Cookie’s thoughts: who are you and what do you want? Why did we have to go into that horrible transport box?

The first few days: help, where’s my food bowl?!

Day one. Rio and Cookie seem to have buried their beaks in their feathers for a few hours and slept. Until their stomachs start grumbling. The only problem is that the cockatiels haven’t yet realised where their food bowl is. Despite the fact that I’ve prepared two bowls full of delicious grains for them, they end up wandering haplessly around the cage. The result? Deafening shrieks of: «Help, we’re starving! Mum! Do something!» Rio and Cookie are hangry.

I tip the contents of the food bowls onto the cage floor. In the pet shop, the animals were fed in large, shallow bowls on the base of the cage – and apparently, this is the only way Cookie and Rio know how to eat. This does the trick. Two minutes later, the chorus of squawking has quietened down and both birds are munching away. But they can’t eat from the floor forever. Especially since that’s where they leave their droppings. Hardly a fine dining experience.

Taming the dragons with millet

I spend a lot of time with the «éminence grise» over the weekend. I talk to them, we watch Star Trek together and I try to get them more used to me. Project Tame the Dragons has officially begun. As Rio’s more curious than Cookie, I start with him, bringing out the oldest trick in the book: foxtail millet. Foxtail millet is to cockatiels what sugar is to humans. Cautiously, I hold the millet in front of Rio’s beak. He looks very sceptical at first, but a few minutes later, he starts to nibble. Hurray! That was easier than I thought.

Now, it’s Cookie’s turn. He seems utterly uninterested. No matter what I do, Cookie’s not keen. He even turns away when I show up with the millet. A cockatiel that doesn’t like millet? Hmm. I give Iceberg lettuce a go instead. Maybe Cookie likes greenery. Lo and behold, hunger trumps fear yet again. Cookie tucks enthusiastically into his salad. I feel a bit like Khaleesi in Game of Thrones with her dragons.

This article is the first instalment in a short series. In future instalments, I’ll be writing about how to create a good cage setup, and how to make caring for your cockatiel babies easier. As my boss put it: «Anika, a bird in an article’s worth two in a cage!»