Happy Cockatiel | Whistling in Good Mood

Play music for your cockatiel. Playing an instrument, whistling, or singing can be entertaining for you bird. With enough exposure to certain songs, it may even learn to sing them back to you.

Try playing games with your cockatiel. Playing games can be a great way to help your cockatiel keep stimulated and learning new things. It may also help to your bird to bond with you. Try some of the following games out with your cockatiel:

Try dancing with your cockatiel. Move your head up and down, or side to side, to the beat of a song. Cockatiel's have a sense of rhythm and will often move their head with you and the music.

Play hide and seek with your bird. Take your bird into a room and gently set it down. Go around the corner to a new room and call out to your bird. Peak your head around the corner so you bird can see you and say “come find me!” before ducking back around the corner. When it find you, give your bird a head scratch and let it know how well it did.

While watching the cockatiel, bob your head or rock your finger back and forth to music with a steady beat. When it starts to rock back and forth, reward it with a clicker and a treat. As you continue this training, and find music that gets the cockatiel's attention, it may sway more energetically and raise its wings while doing so. Similarly, whistling during these dance sessions may encourage the cockatiel to make sounds of its own.