Bonnie,

It's a good idea to cover your cockatiel's cage at night for two reasons. First, it will keep him from waking you up at the crack of dawn every day, and will allow him to get the 10-12 hours of sleep he needs per day. Also, he is less apt to have night frights, where something startles him into flapping during the night. Keep a night light right under the area where his cage is to assist him in seeing if this occurs.

Some cockatiels are more susceptible to illness or diseases than others. That's why it is so important to obtain your birds from a reputable bird breeder. The better bred birds are the healthier birds. Here's a few don'ts. Don't feed your bird avocado or chocolates. Both can be deadly. Don't expose them to extreme temperatures. When properly acclimated they can tolerate temperatures from the 30's to 90's. Don't let your bird chill. Cockatiels are very susceptible to chilling, so don't place them in front of a heating or cooling vent. Don't allow Teflon type materials to get too hot when cooking. Teflon type fumes are deadly.

Do clip your pet bird's wings. This prevents them from flying into objects and hurting themselves plus it should make escaping almost impossible.

Do feed your birds a nutritional and balanced diet. Fresh clean water, seed or pellets, supplemented with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Do keep your birds environment clean. Wash water and seed or food cups daily. Fresh foods have a tendency to spoil quickly and become a haven for bacteria.

Cockatiels are hardy birds that can adapt to almost any environment as long as both are taken care of the way they need to be.