That's a WONDERFUL aviary! How do the cockatiel boys like their new roommate?

They like the new roommate well enough. Looking at their behaviour I'm inclined to believe she is indeed a she.

Statler starts singing to her and tries to get in closer. Mrs Tiggy gives the youngster screeching-sound (if that makes any sence at all) in response and keeps her head low. I saw fleeting touches of beak, but if this goes on for too long Waldorf comes and sits in between them, keeping Statler away from her, but most of the time he doesn't care what happens. There's been no fighting at all, and I hope there won't be.

No luck in finding an adult female yet, I might have to go with another youngster...

If she's giving a food-begging call they might be responding to that. Or a lowered head might similar enough to the "I want to breed" pose that they're reacting to that. I find that my adult males who aren't fathers tend to sing to fledgling chicks sometimes but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the cockatiel way of saying "what a cute baby you are", or maybe they're flirting with the new bird in the flock to see what happens. But all of these males are passionately attached to a hen already and I can't get them to change their allegiance to a different hen, so who knows what's going on in their heads.

Today when I heard Statler singing again I went in and filmed what was going on. Mrs Tiggy doesn't seem to pleased with the attention



What do you make of this?

Wow..that is a dream aviary! I would love to have something like that for my Peach. Will your birds stay in there all the time? What lucky birds to end up in your yard!

Thank you! My birds will stay there all the time, or at least the ones I keep for myself. Only exception is for the pairs I'll breed with in the future. To avoid inbreeding I'll no longer put up nestboxes in the aviary. Every year I'll pick out two couples of budgies (januari) to breed with who'll get relocated to a smaller cage in februari. Then in march I'll give them nestboxes.

I have the option to pick up this cage for free. Of course it needs cleaning but it looks perfect for budgies since they'll be able to climb the fence. I'll also need to check if the bottom pannel for the top part is available at all. If not I just might have to make one.


The canaries will also be devided around januari. I'll keep 4 males and up to 12 females together untill that time. Then I'll select 2 females per male and put them in a bigger breeding cage. I'll give the males 2 hens since they tend to be ready for another round before the first female is ready to go again, I'll have the option to separate the newer couple from the existing nest with a panel.

The zebra finches will be in the aviary all year round (1 male, 3 females). There will also be a goldfinch (male) in there, which I hope will breed with the other canary females. But I'll take that as it goes.

The cockatiels will stay in their part of the aviary utnill 2017 for sure. Then I might or might not decide to go for a nest. But I can't say yet if I'll keep them there for that or not.

At least that's what I have in mind right now.

Wonderful wonderful set up for the tiels... luv the budgie cage too... they will be most happy there I'm sure... luv your video

Mrs Tiggy probably isn't in the mood to breed right now lol. But she might start appreciating the attention after she's settled in and notices that this would be a good place to have babies.

@Tielfan: I hope she has a bit more patience though...

We're very close to the summer solstice now, and when the days start getting shorter the birds become less interested in breeding. You probably won't see any real action until spring.