Meet Rio and Cookie, my new cockatiels – part 1

Anika Schulz

6.11.2024

Translation: Katherine Martin

My heart’s all of a flutter. Fluttering with little, grey feathers, to be exact. Two weeks ago, Rio and Cookie, my new cockatiels, moved into my living room – and my life. These two little rascals may not have been here long, but I’m already completely taken with them.

Now, I’ve got Rio and Cookie. They’re not a replacement for Iko. After all, I put my grief behind me a long time ago. And yet, I’ve had a little bird-shaped hole in my heart ever since he died.

Unlike budgies, which chirp and chatter all day long, cockatiels are relatively quiet animals. Well, as quiet as it’s possible for a little parrot to be. Cookie and Rio have to communicate somehow, right? It’s not like they can sit in the corner and read a book.

I’ve also forewarned my neighbours that they might hear the occasional bout of loud cawing coming from my place. And besides, my rental agreement allows small animals, a definition that includes birds.

After extensive research, I decide on the Madeira III from Montana Cages.

The Madeira III arrives as two large packages. Given that there’s a sticker on each box saying «over 20 kilos», I feel like assembling it will be a feat of strength.

I manage to put the cage together myself. Afterwards, I’m drenched in sweat, have bruises on my arms and my muscles ache for two days straight. But the effort has paid off. The mansion’s ready.

The really great thing about the cage? It has a roof terrace! I can open it up at the top and hold it open with a perch, giving Rio and Cookie a seat.

When I go there and look around, everything looks clean and well-cared for. The cockatiels live in a flock in a large aviary, and look happy. I quickly realise that I’ve come to the right place. I load my shopping basket with wooden perches, far too many toys, food, sand and treats.

Here’s a little snapshot of some products suited to cockatiels. I’ll be writing a detailed article on them in the near future. If you don’t want to miss it, scroll down to follow me as an author.

So there I am, standing in front of the aviary, watching the birds. A grey, particularly lively cockatiel immediately catches my eye. That’s my Rio! I decide to go for Cookie because he’s dozing away, gloriously relaxed, and I reckon he’ll balance out the whirlwind that is Rio.

I catch the attention of a store employee and say: «I’d like to buy two cockatiels. The grey one there and the one with the white head.» The woman then catches the birds and puts them in a tiny transport box. This is when the drama kicks off. Rio hisses punishingly in my direction, while Cookie won’t even grace me with a look. It’s not a good start.

When I get home, I set up the cage and usher the cockatiels into their new home. Two pairs of black, googly eyes stare back at me. Believe me, if looks could kill, you wouldn’t be reading this article. I can practically read Rio’s and Cookie’s thoughts: who are you and what do you want? Why did we have to go into that horrible transport box?

I tip the contents of the food bowls onto the cage floor. In the pet shop, the animals were fed in large, shallow bowls on the base of the cage – and apparently, this is the only way Cookie and Rio know how to eat. This does the trick. Two minutes later, the chorus of squawking has quietened down and both birds are munching away. But they can’t eat from the floor forever. Especially since that’s where they leave their droppings. Hardly a fine dining experience.

Now, it’s Cookie’s turn. He seems utterly uninterested. No matter what I do, Cookie’s not keen. He even turns away when I show up with the millet. A cockatiel that doesn’t like millet? Hmm. I give Iceberg lettuce a go instead. Maybe Cookie likes greenery. Lo and behold, hunger trumps fear yet again. Cookie tucks enthusiastically into his salad. I feel a bit like Khaleesi in Game of Thrones with her dragons.

This article is the first instalment in a short series. In future instalments, I’ll be writing about how to create a good cage setup, and how to make caring for your cockatiel babies easier. As my boss put it: «Anika, a bird in an article’s worth two in a cage!»

Anika Schulz

Teamleader Editorial

Anika.Schulz@galaxus.de

As a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.

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