The Cockatiel - Just A Small Parrot - by Donna Urnick

Good news for anyone thinking of getting a parrot, a Cockatiel is really the bird for you. They require much of the same care, but without a lot of the disadvantages.

My family and I adopted Rio, our awesome Cockatiel, about a year ago. Rio had been in several homes, so he is not as "sociable" as most .... but still loves attention and shows affectionate behaviors. Here are some things I have learned about our feathered friend:

• Rio is a joy to observe. He loves to be a clown and show off. We get lots of laugh-out-loud moments!


• Rio can say, "Whatcha doing - doing doing!" We are trying to teach him more little phrases.
  


• He trills a pretty song that usually ends with a couple of wolf whistles.


• Rio loves to be spritzed with his water bottle daily.


• Rio wants his cage covered at night ... helps him sleep better.


• He must have his night-light on at night to prevent night terrors. (Cockatiels are frightened by total darkness).

Rio is extremely smart and curious. We change his bird toys quite often to keep him from getting bored. He loves attention and being part of the family activities .... his cage is between the dining room and the kitchen. Quite often when we eat - Rio eats too ! He loves fresh seeds, nuts, vegetables, and treats. Rio is a very messy boy, so his cage is cleaned daily.

Little Rio can be demanding, noisy, playful, curios, funny, and at times, aggressive. Rio is a very precocious bird and we consider him not only our feathered friend, but part of our family .... he has stolen our hearts.

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