Cockatiel

Cockatiels are the smallest of the cockatoos and are native to Australia. Cockatiels often live in flocks of hundreds of birds. They communicate with vocalizations and raising and lowering their head crest feathers. Unlike other parrots, they can’t mimic a human voice, but they can sing and mimic music, which makes them popular pets.

Male cockatiels are gray with yellow and orange faces. Females are more greenish with less colorful faces. They form mating pairs and make a nest in tree holes, often near water. The parents take turns caring for the eggs: males are on duty during the day, and the female takes over during the night while the male stands guard outside the nest. Both parents care for the young for about a month until they are grown. They can live 12 years or more in the wild.