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Cockatiels may be native to Australia but are among the most popular companion birds worldwide. Known for their gentle, affectionate, and intelligent personalities, cockatiels are one of the best pets you can get.
Most people adopting a cockatiel for the first time are curious about the expected lifespan. A pet cockatiel can live up to 25 years, though some can live longer. The oldest confirmed cockatiel lived to be 36. This is one pet that’s not a short-term commitment.
Keep reading to learn more about the cockatiel’s average lifespan and the factors that can affect how long it lives.
What’s the Average Lifespan of a Cockatiel?
Pet cockatiels can live anywhere between 15 and 20 years. But, thanks to advances in avian medicine and nutrition, it’s not unheard of for these beautiful birds to live well into their late twenties.
Cockatiels in the wild live between 10 to 15 years as they face many more challenges than their pet counterparts.
Why Do Some Cockatiels Live Longer Than Others?
Now that you have a general idea of how long cockatiels can live let’s look at some contributing factors that can shorten or lengthen their lifespans.
1. Nutrition
As with almost every living thing, a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for promoting a longer lifespan. Unfortunately, many well-meaning bird owners fudge this part up, believing that all their cockatiel needs to survive is seeds.
While it’s true that seeds make up a part of a cockatiel’s diet, they shouldn’t be fed a diet comprised solely of seeds.
Like all parrots, cockatiels need a balanced and varied diet. Such a diet often incorporates a healthy pellet as a base and additional foods to ensure complete nutrition. These additional foods include the following:
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Supplements should only be provided after consultation with an avian or exotic veterinarian. Though additional supplements may sound like a good idea, remember that excess nutrition may be detrimental to your bird’s health, too.
2. Environment and Conditions
3. Housing
Companion cockatiels kept in a too-small cage cannot move about as they like. This inactivity can lead to weight gain and obesity, putting your pet at risk for developing certain health conditions. The boredom of living in a small cage may also result in psychological issues (such as self-mutilation or aggression toward other cage mates or humans).
Proper hygiene and cleaning protocols should also be in place as all pets have the fundamental right to live an environment that’s conducive for their overall health and well-being. This includes husbandry tasks: keeping the cage clean, discarding uneaten food on a daily basis, and ensuring your bird has access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times.
Birds also require mental stimulation and interaction to ensure their well-being.
4. Mental Stimulation
All parrots require adequate social interaction and mental stimulation to stay healthy. This involves interactions with either you or conspecifics, play toys, puzzles, games, and other activities that challenge them on an intellectual level. Without mental stimulations, parrots quickly resort to destructive behaviors and show signs of stress.
5. Healthcare
While wild cockatiels will most likely never pay a visit to the vet, you need to keep tabs on your companion bird’s health with regular visits to a qualified avian veterinarian. Periodic check-ups allow your medical team to establish a baseline to catch potential health problems before they have a chance to develop into something life-threatening. Preventative health care is an investment into the future of your cockatiel.
6. Genetics
Finally, the genetics of your cockatiel play a part in determining their maximum potential age. Birds that are not inbred and are a result of careful selective breeding have a genetic edge over birds that are inbred or bred without proper planning or screening of potential parents. It is therefore important to purchase your cockatiel from a credible breeder. Ask your breeder for information about your bird’s lineage and genetic tests.
The 5 Life Stages of a Cockatiel
1. Hatchlings
Hatchlings are newborn birds that have just hatched from their eggs. Newly hatched cockatiels are born featherless with their eyes closed.
2. Nestlings
3. Fledglings
Once cockatiels begin leaving the nest and acquire their first set of flight feathers, they are known as fledglings. This typically occurs between weeks four and five. Fledgling cockatiels are awkward and can only fly short distances, though they’re quite active and can hop around. They are still dependent on their parents for food at this stage.
4. Juveniles
Cockatiels become juveniles after developing their first plumage of hard feathers. At this stage, the young birds will begin foraging for food independently and exhibiting their independence by flying further and longer.
5. Adult
How to Tell Your Cockatiel’s Age
Before 2 years of age, your cockatiel will have a very juvenile looking appearance–not so full, baby-faced, and less feathers. By the time they reach two, they can look much older and will stay the same throughout their adult years.
Sometimes, you can also tell age based on certain sex-based markings once they are fully grown. All cockatiels have female markings until their first molt between 6 months to 1 year old. Mature male cockatiels will have fully developed markings by the time they’re 2 years old. These include brighter yellow faces and crests than females. Young male cockatiels have yellow stripes under their feathers, but these stripes will fade by around 9 months old. So if you know you have a male and these stripes are still there, they are likely under 9 months old, but if the stripes are gone, they are older.
Females will have certain markings too that change as they get older. So basically, if the bird’s markings stay the same, they are likely older than 6 months old, but if they’ve changed since you got them, they were likely less than 6 months old when you got them.
If you don’t have documentation about when your cockatiel was born, the absolute best way to tell is to have an exotic animal veterinarian, preferably one that specializes in birds, look them over in order to best estimate their age.
Conclusion
Cockatiels can live very long lives compared to other common domesticated animals. So, if you’re adopting one, ensure you’ve considered its long lifespan and whether you’re willing to care for a bird for 20+ years. It’s a huge responsibility but an extremely rewarding one. There’s nothing like getting a cockatiel snuggle or listening to your cockatiel sing after a long, hard day.
See also:
- Pearl Cockatiel: Facts, Origin & History (With Pictures)
- Emerald (Olive) Cockatiel: Pictures, Facts & History
Featured Image Credit: Birute Vijeikiene, Shutterstock
