Biki's Aviary - Cockatiel Care, Bird Health & Pet Bird Guides

After raising hundreds of chicks at the aviary over the years, I can tell you that hand-feeding never quite stops feeling like a small act of trust between you and a creature that depends on you completely for survival. It is also, honestly, one of the easiest things to get wrong if you go in without proper preparation — I made small mistakes myself in my early years that taught me exactly why every precaution in this guide matters. This is a detailed, practical walkthrough of how to hand feed a baby cockatiel safely — from deciding whether you should hand feed at all, through formula, schedule, technique, and the India-specific realities of sourcing supplies and managing power cuts during a delicate feeding routine. ⚠️ Please Read Before You Begin Hand-feeding carries real risks to a chick if done incorrectly — aspiration (food entering the airway) can be fatal, and incorrect formula temperature can cause severe crop burns. If this is genuinely your first time and you have any way t...

There was a phase, about two years back, when Mango would not stop screaming every single evening between 6 and 7 PM. I remember standing in my Livingroom, genuinely wondering if something was seriously wrong with her. My neighbour even knocked once, half-joking, half-serious, asking if everything was theek thaak at home. Turns out, Mango was simply doing what cockatiels have done for thousands of years in the wild — calling out before sunset to check where her flock was. In her head, I was the flock, and I had gone quiet in the kitchen for too long. If your cockatiel is screaming and you are at your wit's end, take a breath. In this post, I will walk you through exactly why cockatiels scream, which causes are completely normal, which ones need real attention, and — importantly for those of us living in Indian flats and housing societies — how to manage this without ending up in a fight with your neighbours. Is Screaming Normal Cockatiel Behaviour? Understanding Contact Calls B...

The Problem Most Bird Owners Don't Know They Have Here's something I see all the time: a beautiful cockatiel sitting in a nice cage, seemingly healthy, energetic — and eating nothing but sunflower seeds and millet day after day after day. The owner loves the bird, there's no doubt about that. But cockatiel nutrition? That part often gets overlooked — and honestly, it was something I got wrong myself in my early years of keeping birds. If you've ever wondered why your bird's feathers look dull, why it keeps plucking itself, or why the vet found it to be Vitamin A deficient — chances are, the diet is the problem. Proper cockatiel nutrition isn't complicated, but it does require understanding the basics. And that's exactly what this guide is for. I've been keeping and breeding cockatiels for over a decade now, and I can tell you from firsthand experience: feed your bird right, and everything else — energy, feathers, mood, lifespan — just falls into p...