How Long to Cockatiels Live and Their Life Cycle?

Cockatiels are unique parrots. They are fascinating. That’s why many people make them for lifelong companions. But how long to cockatiels live? What can you expect from having cockatiels at home?

Here, I will tell how long they averagely live, both in the captivity or in the wild. In this article, I will also talk about their average life cycle. So, make sure that you keep on reading. Let’s get started!

How Long to Cockatiels Live?

Averagely, cockatiels live 10 to 15 years. It depends on where they live. Wild cockatiels will not make it to these ages because of predators & environmental factors. On the other side, domesticated cockatiels can live longer.

Some of them live well for 20 years. Even more, the longest living cockatiel reached the age of thirty-two. Many factors affect their lifespan such as the air quality in your home, socialization, their diet, etc.

Cockatiels belong to social birds. However, they don’t always get along with everyone. For example, young kids are not usually cockatiels approved.

So, it will be a good idea to keep your pet cockatiels in a big enclosure because they love having friends. This helps keep them away from getting bored and fight depression.

To make your cockatiels happy, you need to look at their life cycle. Then, you will understand the best way to take care of them.

The Average Cockatiels’ Life Cycle

If you have cockatiels, you need to know about how long to cockatiels live and their life cycle, from birth to old age.

1. Hatchlings

Newborn hatchling cockatiels have no senses & feathers. They completely rely on their parents. By the end of their 1st week of life, baby cockatiels begin to see & grow feathers.

Then, they’ll have full of senses by the end of the 1st month of life. In addition, some extra features boot.

Hactchling cockatiel

2. Young Cockatiels

Young cockatiels are very endearing and curious. In their first 3 months, they grow their feathers and wean from their mother.

After their feathers grow, they can fly and learn to look for food on their own. Within 6 months, they are still learning this important process.

Related articles:

Why Are My Cockatiel Eggs Not Hatching?

How Long Does It Take for Cockatiel Eggs to Hatch and How to Take Care of it?

3. Adult Cockatiels

Usually, cockatiels reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 to 12 months old. At these ages, pet cockatiels are completely independent. They will have their full feathers and can fly well.

But they still enjoy company although they have found their newly independence. For the rest of their lives, you should socialize with them frequently. In fact, any interaction is always positive for them.

To extend their lifespan, you have to feed them a varied & structured diet. Besides that, it is important to give them cockatiel-approved toys. If needed, you can find a specialized veterinarian to care for them.

Comparing Cockatiels’ Lifespan to Parakeets

We know that both cockatiels and parakeets belong to the most popular pets. Here, we will compare their lifespan. Now, let’s discuss more!

Commonly, parakeets have a more difficult time living in captivity. Their average lifespan in a cage is about 10 years. Meanwhile, parakeets in the wild can live for around 25 years.

Then, how long to cockatiels live? On the other side, cockatiels tend to live longer in captivity compared to in the wild.

Adult cockatiel

Anyway, both of them need socialization, especially with other birds. If not socialized & exercised properly, both can suffer from depression or other mood disorders.

It is surprising that they may have such emotional awareness. So, give your cockatiels and parakeets enough socialization soon!

What Factors Contribute Cockatiels’ Lifespan?

Now, let’s move on to another important thing: keeping your cockatiels healthy and happy. Then, they can live to the impressive ages.

Actually, there are some factors that affect their health. One of them relates to genetical factor. In this case, you cannot do much about them. However, there are still some other factors. They include diet and general care.

1. Diet

Like humans, cockatiels also need a proper diet to stay healthy and happy. Unfortunately, many people don’t pay attention to this carefully.

It is true that seeds belong to wild cockatiel food or diet. However, the type of seed is different from the dry mixes you can find at the pet store. Some will be fresh while others are partly sprouted.

Besides that, there are berries, grains, and others they can pick from farmers’ fields. In fact, they will eat anything. Even more, cockatiels may eat unlucky insects.

How long to cockatiels live in the cage? Some cockatiels survived with only seeds. However, the truth is that cockatiels with a less fatty & more varied diet have the chance to live longer. Their food should not be calorie-rich because they spend less energy every day.

It is important to have give your cockatiels high-quality seeds. You can also feed them specially formulated pellets. However, seeds and pellets cannot be the biggest part of their food dish.

2. Care

There’re also some important requirements of care you have to keep in mind for cockatiels. Remember that they are sensitive to stress, among obesity, safety, stress, air quality, and vet checkups.

How Old Is My Cockatiel?

You may be wondering how long you can enjoy your cockatiels’ presence. So, it is very important to know how old they are.

When purchasing cockatiels, you have to ask at the pet store. But purchasing from a breeder is more secure. Cockatiels from a pet store are usually less than one-year old. Anyway, it is important to know about the estimated age because it will relate to the care after you buy it.

cockatiel sick

Conclusion

So, what is the conclusion? Well, cockatiels can live long enough as long as you take care of them rightly. However, whether your cockatiels will reach their potential lifespan is up to you. It depends on your care.

So, how long to cockatiels live? As it is mentioned above, they can live up to 10 – 15 years. However, some factors may affect how long they will live.

You may interested with following articles:

Why Does My Cockatiel Have Labored Breathing?

Why Is My Cockatiel Hanging Upside Down?

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