Tumas
Cockatiel
Acquired: Other
Gender: Female
Mean, mean bird
I have heard the Cockatiel often recommended as a great first time bird. But the one female cockatiel, Tumas, I inherited from a deceased family member, was a nightmare. I do not think that that Tumas got very much attention when he was younger. Consequently, he was a mean, mean bird. I think this demonstrates the importantce of being a companion to your bird early on.
Tumas, who was under-socialized, would leave her cage, but she had no desire to have any interaction with people. When it came time to return her to her cage it was a nightmare to get her. Also, she would bite. I got bit many, many times by her. She would bite when I gave her food, when I would touch her, and one time when I touched the cage. Her bites were also very hard. On several occasions she broke my skin and caused me to bleed. Because of how hard the bites were, I only recommend this bird for people with older children.
I prefer parakeets. Tumas was not as vocal as parakeets. If you are looking for a good beginning bird, I would recommend the parakeet. The parakeet was much more vocal with me, and the parakeet was much friendlier.
