Do cockatiels mate for life?
If you love cockatiels, then you are probably curious if these birds mate for life. Or if they are the types of bird that bond with so many other birds.
Then, this question further makes you wonder about other relevant topics such as whether you need to have a pair of cockatiels, or how the bond between the two actually forms.
So, if these are the questions that are on your mind, then you have come to the right place! Today, we will discuss all of these and a few other topics that you would want to know more about!
Do Cockatiels Mate For Life?
First of all, to answer the first question, they do mate for life. These birds are monogamous creatures and once they have found their mate, they stay forever (until they die). When in the wild, these birds still choose to mate for life. They are the kind of animals that once they have found their mate, they never stray.
Considering there are so many choices, it is not common to find them wandering off with others. So, it is typical for them to stick together. But in captivity, it is a different story since they don’t actually have a choice with their mate. So, they bond to whoever was given to them.
And then, they do become mates for the rest of their lives.
Now, cockatiels may or may not be okay to be with a partner in the cage. But for the most part, these are social creatures that love to be with their flock. They may enjoy the company of other birds but they only have one mate, which they have a special and strong bond with.
But if you want your cockatiel to be happier, then giving it a friend to be with in the cage is always a good idea. It is sensible to keep cockatiels in pairs considering what these birds are used to when in the wild.
However, there is a big “IF” to this. For instance, you have a solitary cockatiel that appears to be thriving and doing perfectly fine being alone in the cage. The diet is good, the weight is within normal, and you do not observe any strange behavior. If so, then it may be a good idea to simply keep things as they are.
If you decide to introduce another cockatiel in the mix, then it can get a bit difficult. There are certain things that may occur such as an increased aggression towards you, poor attachment or bond to the owner, and some occasional fights in the cage. Although these things may not happen all the time, it can occur in some cases.
So, if you notice that something is off with your solitary pet, then giving a mate should be okay. However, if everything appears to be fine and it enjoys being alone, there is no reason to change up the situation. Just like what they say – it ain’t broken, no need to fix it!
You may also wonder why these birds mate for life. This can be kind of misleading since there are also different situations that can affect this. For example, once the bird finds its mate, then they are mates as long as they are both alive. But if the other one dies, then it may choose to find another one to be its mate.
However, if these two birds live a long life – and they are at that point where mating age is pretty much over – they are unlikely to mate with others. There is something within them instinctively telling them to mate with only one bird and take care of their offspring until they are ready to be independent.
More About Cockatiels And Mating
Cockatiels can mate early on in their lives. However, it is advisable to not allow your pet to mate until the female is a minimum of 2 years old and the males are 18 months or so. If you allow them to mate earlier, this will prevent them from having any chicks. But even worse than this, they may have chicks but without responsible parent birds to care for.
As horrifying and gruesome as this may sound, young parents end up killing their offsprings when they are unable to care for them.
On the other hand, 2 year old females and 18 month old males are more mature. They can mate and also care for their young. It is also quite fascinating to note that female cockatiels are fertile until they are 8 to 10 years old while males until 12 to 14 years. This is how they are able to enjoy a very long partnership, especially with a very strong and special bond.
Cockatiels also mate once or twice a year. But if they are domesticated and held in captivity, it can be as often as basically all year round. Yet again, it is best to only allow your cockatiels to mate at a maximum of twice a year since when it is done more than that, it can lead to some complications.
For instance, the birds may get sick and perhaps even die. If they produce two sets of eggs a year, it is still normal. This is why if mating happens more than that, you should intervene to keep the birds healthy and well.
Females incubate eggs after they have mated for about 20 days. However, it can also extend up to 23 days and there should not be any concern at all. Cockatiels may also lay their eggs as often as every other day until each one has hatched. There is no standard number that is hatched, and this depends from one bird to another. So, it is always best to observe your pet and know when it has finally stopped.
Read More: Why Do Parrots Scream In The Morning? Here’s Why!
Conclusion
Cockatiels are devoted to their mates and the best way to prove this is that they do mate for life. Once they have developed a strong bond with the other bird, they never stray. But mating has some complications when it is done more than twice per year. So, it is best to make sure your pets are within the normal or safe mating frequency to ensure their health, as well as the offsprings.
