In 2005, a friendly, colorful, and tired looking bird flew into my wife’s yard and landed on her grandfather’s head. The bird was brought inside and given water and food. After weeks of searching there was no response from an owner, and Billie Joe (BJ) the cockatiel became a welcome member of the family.

With a nice large bird cage  she has grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle over the years. Her “mansion” is filled with bird toys for her entertainment, and lots of branches and perches for her to climb on. Birds are very curious, and adding and replacing toys is a simple way to make sure birds don’t get bored and restless.

Many smaller birds, like the canary, are generally better kept in large flight cages. However bigger birds, like BJ, enjoy a few hours a day spent roaming outside of the cage. In fact, her favorite place to be is in the kitchen with the rest of the family. Whenever the family gathers, she can always be found perching on my father-in-law’s shoulder (without a doubt her favorite family member). It’s not hard to gain BJ’s affection, she will give kisses for a scratch on the head (not on the back, as this can encourage egg laying). Even the family dogs like BJ, although they don’t always appreciate it when she walks on them!

On warm days she enjoys taking warm showers in the sink, and finding a spot in the sun to dry off, but her favorite hobby is helping the family shred important documents.  Billie Joe is a cherished member of the family. This is great because cockatiels can live up to 20 years!

Birds make wonderful pets, and can show as much affection as any dog or cat. If you can commit to the responsibilities of bird ownership, then having one of these fantastic pets can be a very rewarding experience.

If you are interested in keeping a cockatiel or other bird as a pet, you can often find them at your local animal shelter! Use our pet adoption tool, put in your zipcode and sort for birds to see what is available for adoption near you!

pet adoption    pet care