Nymphicus hollandicus Cockatiel Review

I never pictured myself having birds, but a friend of mine found a cockatiel in his back yard years ago and gave him to me. The bird had obviously been mistreated, because he tried to bite me, and at first, I had to handle him with thick garden gloves. With a lot of patience and time, though, we became very good friends. I added a female to our little flock. When my male bird passed away, I was devastated, but then rescued another male cockatiel.
They are amazing birds, miniature parrots from Australia. The males are excellent singers and like to vocalize. Cockatiels are very curious and affectionate and make wonderful companion birds.
I highly recommend them. Keep in mind that they are social birds and need interaction; they should be kept in a busy room. They are also very curious, so keep dangerous items away from them, and keep doors and windows closed if you let them out of the cage, especially if their wings are not clipped. (They are excellent flyers.) Also, their lifespan is about 15 to 20 years, so you are making a long-term commitment when you add one (or two, or three...) to your family. Try to rescue a bird from a local shelter before buying one from a breeder; many birds are lost or abandoned, and after a period of adjusting to you, they will be very grateful; they know you saved their life!