7 Cockatiel Sounds and Their Meanings (With Audio)

By Alberto Roy

Updated on:

Owning a cockatiel can be a richly rewarding experience, and a big reason is the selection of gorgeous cockatiel sounds / audios that they make. These are deeply meaningful birds, and also it’s simple to persuade yourself that both of you have an interaction style that’s special to your partnership.

However, cockatiels make particular seems despite who their proprietor happens to be. If you wonder to discover what, precisely, those sounds indicate, though, the overview below will stroll you with each of them carefully (full with instances).

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1. The Scream

This set needs very little explanation. Cockatiels sometimes discharge a shrill, high-pitched screech that’s impossible to ignore.

That’s the entire factor of it, actually. It’s designed to obtain attention, and the birds use it when they’re sad, lonely, scared, or otherwise distressed.

Cockatiels are naturally social animals, so they can shriek to let various other birds recognize that a predator is in the area or to notify them to other concerns that they may be having.

So, what does it imply when your cockatiel screams? We don’t know– that depends on you to figure out. However, as you learn more about your bird much better, you need to have a great idea about what’s distressing them so much.


2. The Whistle

The whistle is even more melodious than the scream, but it can obtain frustrating when it goes on for hrs and hours on end.

Consider sharing a work area with a colleague that’s constantly whistling the style from “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” and also you’ll have a concept of what spending time with a whistling cockatiel is like.

Whistling is sometimes additionally called singing, as well as it’s generally done by males seeking to find a mate. Your bird may be whistling because they’re feeling amorous, or they might have just seen themselves in the mirror and liked what they saw.

If you don’t wish to manage whistling from your cockatiel, the best way to avoid it is by bringing home a lady.


3. The Mimic

Lots of people don’t realize it, but cockatiels can creating exact reproductions of the human voice. Some have actually also been taught a selection of words as well as expressions that they can repeat on command.

Certainly, just because your cockatiel is speaking to you doesn’t imply they’re in fact interacting. They’re simply recreating the noises that you’ve made.

Similar to whistling, men are much more likely to mimic audios than women are, but some women do notice it. If you want to educate your bird to simulate you, speak slowly as well as in a reduced pitch, as they’ll duplicate points back to you in a higher register.

Also, be patient. It may take months of trying prior to your cockatiel can copy you, so practice daily and also don’t quit.

Also see: Cockatiels for Sale 


4. The Hiss

Similar to cats, snakes, as well as hissing roaches, cockatiels can in some cases hiss when they feel upset or threatened. Unlike some other hisses that you’ll hear in the animal kingdom, however, the cockatiel’s war cry is short and silent– and never intimidating.

That doesn’t indicate you should not take it seriously, though. The hiss is typically a precursor to a strong bite, and these little birds can load a strike.

They can conveniently damage the skin if they feel the requirement to, so give their hisses respect. Back off, and also let them compose themselves for a few minutes prior to you attempt to handle them once more.


5. The Chirp

Chirping is just one of the most delightful sounds that a cockatiel can make. They tweet when they’re happy or web content, as well as they’ll frequently tweet at you to let you recognize that they consider you a participant of the group.

Unlike a number of the other audios on this list, chirping isn’t raucous or overwhelming, and also it’s not likely to get bothersome. The one exemption is if they begin tweeting at sunrise, in which situation you could wish to move them to a different area.

They often chirp when they’re really feeling investigative as well. If they see something new that they don’t feel intimidated by, they might tweet at it or at you until they seem like they have a much better understanding of it.

Additionally, feel free to talk to them or chirp back. They like it– it’s what other birds in the wild would do, nevertheless.


6. The Contact Call

Cockatiels are social animals. They love to check up on other participants of their flock, however doing so isn’t simple if the various other animal is out of eyesight.

That’s where the get in touch with telephone call is available in. It’s a low-key method for them to check in with loved ones, as well as it’s typically returned in kind until both pets can be together once more.

Think of it as the matching of sending out a person a note to tell them that you’re thinking about them.

Don’t blow them off, nevertheless. If your cockatiel is continuously calling or whistling for you every time you leave the room, that means they’re stressed over you– as well as they might start to panic if you do not react.

This can be exceptionally demanding for them, so make certain to chat or whistle back to them so they understand you’re all right.


7. The Beak Grind

Beak grinding acts in much the same manner in which purring does in felines. It’s a means for the animal to signal that they’re happy and material, and also cockatiels will frequently grind their beaks as they’re being cuddled. They additionally typically do it ideal before going to sleep.

The beak grinding is normally accompanied by fanning the facial feathers over the mouth as well as enabling plumes on the body to become cosy and shaken up.

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What Is Your Cockatiel Saying to You?

Understanding what usual cockatiel noises indicate is a good way to begin recognizing your bird, but bear in mind that they’re all individuals, with special communication designs.

As you reach understand your bird much more, you’ll have a much better suggestion regarding what their different noises suggest.

Soon, you’ll be as fluent in chirp or whistle as you are in English (simply do not chirp at unfamiliar people– they have a tendency to think it’s weird for one reason or another).

Cockatiel Sounds Explained

An arbitrary chirp, a warble duplicated over and over, a long, drawn-out wolf whistle, a piercing squawk, recurring chirps, a sophisticated whistle serenade, a soft cheep while sleeping– these are all sounds pet cockatiels make.

Like various other parrots, cockatiels are natural-born communicators. In their indigenous Australia, cockatiels stay in groups, where get in touch with calls are crucial to notifying others in the group if a predator is also close for comfort.

No question, there are several other articulations taking place in a wild cockatiel group– from happy foraging audios to “Yes, you can perch right here,” and “Did you hear that?” chirps as well as squawks.

Parrots typically are most singing at daybreak as well as sunset, consisting of cockatiels. However, that does not imply a family pet cockatiel will not vocalize periodically throughout the day.

In fact, a happy, playful cockatiel will certainly not inspect the clock to see if it is chirp or whistle time. Male cockatiels, particularly, are inclined to burst into a whistle song when the state of mind strikes them.

Specifically if they snoop their reflection in a mirror or other reflective object like a lacquered vase; but that doesn’t indicate they won’t whistle a song to simply themselves or to you. Below are some usual cockatiel audios and also a brief description of what cockatiel noises mean.

The Cockatiel Contact Call: “Where’d you go?!”

A family pet cockatiel will most likely effort to keep house participants’ motions in consult call telephone calls. When you leave the room, your cockatiel reacts with a chirp or series of chirps, as if to claim, “Where are you going, as well as when will you be back?”

A cockatiel’s call calls isn’t purely scheduled for individuals the bird is passionately bonded to.

Even a “hands-off” cockatiel is inclined to send a get in touch with call from its perch area in the cage when you leave the area.

You can aid place your cockatiel at ease by answering its get in touch with telephone call with a quick whistle back when you transform an edge out of its sight.

The Cockatiel Alarm Call: “Attention! Attention!”

The pet cockatiel may appear an alarm system telephone call if something shocks it. This call is a louder, much more intense chirp that proceeds up until the bird relaxes.

Almost any kind of unexpected audio or activity, such as a vehicle rolling down the street, a crow flying past the window, or a pet dog being strolled on the sidewalk outside, can cause an alarm system telephone call.

Inside the home, there are much more views and also sounds your cockatiel could feel the demand to vocally discuss, such as when you relocate a chair throughout the room, move the floor, go down a recipe, or the phone rings.

A Happy And Content Cockatiel

The noise of beak grinding is a telltale sign that a cockatiel enjoys and also un-winded. This is typically accompanied by face plumes that are extended over its beak as well as loosened up, fluffed body feathers. A drowsy cockatiel might grind its beak shortly prior to sleeping.

The Cockatiel “Leave Me Alone!” Noise

A high-strung cockatiel will certainly have a high-strung appearance– the feathers will certainly be held securely in– and also it could likewise blurt a fast hiss to reveal its ridicule.

One sound you do not wish to hear from your cockatiel is “hissing.” A cockatiel that really feels endangered may pull away to an edge of its cage or travel carrier and also hiss like a serpent.

This is in some cases the case with cockatiels that are not used to interacting with individuals, such as an unsocialized cockatiel being brought from the pet store into a brand-new residence.

It is particularly important to not compel interaction if the cockatiel is frightened. Rather, enable the cockatiel time to get used to its new atmosphere.

Cockatiel “Ready For Bed” Signal

A cockatiel might send out a bedtime telephone call, such as some eye-catching chirps, when it is ready for some slumber. It is your cockatiel’s means of advising you to visit bed, as well.

Cockatiel Inquisitive Chirp

A cockatiel that is uncertain of something might give off a single “What was that?” chirp, as if it is not quite certain what to construct from the circumstance. This might be your cockatiel’s way of asking, “What do you consider that cockatiels sounds?”

Talking ’Tiels

Like most parrots, cockatiels are likewise capable of talking. A cockatiel’s vocabulary is typically not as considerable as various other parrots, such as African greys and Amazon parrots, but some can be shown to say a few words or phrases, such as “Hello there,” “Pretty bird,” “I’m a good bird,” etc.

Male cockatiels are more inclined to speak than females. The key to getting a cockatiel to speak is to repeat a certain word or phrase and then proceeding to one more word/phrase once it masters it.

Your cockatiel vocalizes to communicate with you. Equally as you would certainly examine to see why the pet dog is barking, you ought to additionally check to see why your cockatiel is squawking, specifically if it sounds urgent.

Is there a pet cat outside the home window? Did something fall near its cage? As well as if your cockatiel is by itself in an additional room, its chirps might be its means of reminding you, “Hey, I’m over right here … speak to me!”

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