🏠Housing a Cockatiel: a 80 × 50 × 70 cm cage, fully fitted

Cockatiel : A cage at least 80 to 100 cm wide with horizontal bars for climbing, budget 100 to 200 euros. Beware of night frights: a soft night light prevents panicked thrashing in the dark.

In short: About 30 cm including a long tail, 15 to 20 year lifespan, moderate noise level. A small cockatoo, gentle and affectionate, it shows its mood through its crest and craves daily contact. Prone to night frights, it thrashes in the dark: a soft night light and a stable cage prevent injuries from panicked flapping.

80 × 50 × 70 cm: the serious minimum

For a Cockatiel, the cage measures at least 80 × 50 × 70 cm, wider than tall: birds fly horizontally, not in lifts. Bars horizontal for climbing, spaced 1.2 to 1.9 cm — any wider and the head slips through and jams.

Perches and layout

Fitting out a Cockatiel cage starts with the perches: raw natural wood, mixed diameters between 1.5 and 2.5 cm, mounted at both ends to keep the flight axis clear and never directly above the bowls. Complete with no-waste feeders, a paper floor changed every two days and the bathing corner; rule out smooth plastic perches and abrasive sleeves, which wound the soles.

Placement changes everything

Against a wall (safety at its back), at eye height, in the living room but out of the kitchen — fumes from overheated non-stick coatings are lethal to birds. Natural light without direct sun, 10 to 12 hours of calm darkness at night.

Frequently asked questions

What cage size for a Cockatiel?

80 × 50 × 70 cm minimum, wider than tall, bars spaced 1.2 to 1.9 cm — plus daily free flight, the cage being only base camp.

Where should a Cockatiel’s cage go?

Against a living-room wall at eye height, away from the kitchen (toxic fumes), direct sun and draughts, with 10 to 12 hours of quiet darkness.

The guides that apply to you

The rest of the Cockatiel’s gear

Bedding & habitat for related breeds and species