I just got a comment with a question about cockatiels and I will try to answer it as best as I can:
"I have a question from a friend. She had two cockatiels, one just died and the one left is always making a big fuss and squawking loudly all the time. She tried using a mirror which she heard could help and isn't sure if getting another cockatiel would be a good idea. Do you know anything about this or the best source to consult? Do you get them at the shelter or is there a rescue for the birds?"
Well, I don't know a lot about cockatiels, but I did some research and found some good sites and learned a lot about introducing a new cockatiel to a cockatiel you already have. Here are some tips:
Keep the new bird quarantined away from the bird you already have for about thirty days to make sure the new bird is not sick. Cockatiels are very good at hiding illnesses so a quarantine is necessary.
Keep them in separate cages at first and put the cages next to each other to let the birds get used to each other's presence. Eventually you can let them play together and if they react well to each other they can be housed together.
Watch for biting, scratching, hissing, and feather pulling. These are signs that they don't get along.
So those are some tips for introducing cockatiels. Having cockatiels in pairs is a good idea because they keep each other company and it keeps the birds generally happier and healthier.
Here is a good site about introducing a new cockatiel:
http://www.cockatielfoundation.com/pets-introducing-second-cockatiel.html
As to where to get one, that is tricky. I have never seen one at the shelter before in the almost three years I have volunteered. The shelter gets budgies sometimes but not much. I do know of a bird rescue in maine though. Here is the link to their site: http://seymourbirdrefuge.com/index.htm
This place is a bird supply store and a rescued bird refuge. They have parrots, cockatiels, love birds, and parakeets/ budgies.
The Kennebec Valley usually gives the birds that they get to a bird rescue located nearby, so I will ask the staff what the name of that rescue is.
I hope this helps!
Note from my friend after I sent your info to her.
ReplyDelete"please forward my thanks on to Emily for her info. I was pulling out my hair as the lone bird left was shrieking all day long. I understand that he was pining for his sister and cagemate, but the noise was extreme. He is quieter now. I put a mirror in the cage, and he talks to the mirror sometimes. He wasn’t eating, so I went out and got him some millet sprays, and he is eating food from his dish now. I am trying to get in touch with the ex-girlfriend of one of my husband’s cousins. She has multiple cockatiels, and maybe he would be happier in a house with some other birds to talk to. I don’t think I want more birds in my house. I am tired of all the dust. Plus, my son seems to be allergic to the bird dust when he comes to visit. I have had the bird since he was quite young, and don’t want to give him to anything other than an excellent home."
Thought you'd like to know how it turned out.
-Animal Gram