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

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...

📌 Quick Answer:   When a cockatiel puffs up, it can mean many things — from normal warmth-seeking and contentment to illness, fear, or breeding behaviour. The key is to read the combination of signals: body posture, crest position, eye state, and time of day. This guide gives you a complete decision framework to decode every type of puffing in your cockatiel. Why Do Cockatiels Puff Up? The Science Behind Feather Fluffing If you have ever watched your cockatiel suddenly transform from a sleek, slender bird into a round, fluffy ball, you have witnessed one of the most common — and most misunderstood — cockatiel behaviours. Puffing up, also called 'feather fluffing' or 'thermal fluffing', is when a cockatiel raises its feathers away from its body, trapping pockets of warm air beneath them. This creates a natural insulating layer — essentially a built-in blanket. But here is what most articles fail to explain: puffing up is not one behaviour with one meaning. It is a s...