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.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Bendable multicolour cotton rope perch, 40 cm (€21.90) · the whole shop
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Budgies, Cockatiels and Canaries: The Starter Guide (€13)
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.
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