Ask Lafeber

Is it the right pair?

Hi I’ve had my male cockatiel for 5 years and my female for 3 years. Usually before they never liked each other and always hated. I’ve always had a nest box in their cage for a long time but they never went in it. Now this time I see that my male cockatiel is so frustrated and wanting to mate that he keeps going in and out of nest box and doing the material the way he wants. He is super stressed and keeps going in and out. Also I see that they are grooming each other and doesn’t fight anymore and eat together and preen together. But my female is sleepy as usual and also she only goes into the nest box once or twice a day. So does this mean they are trying to be each other’s partners or is it that my male cockatiel is overreacting since he’s wanting to mate. He never liked any other cockatiels before and never acted like this before. Also before he used to be attached to his mirror and also to me but now he seems to want to be near her all the time. They don’t talk to each other or anything

Hi,

To begin with, a pair should not be given a nest box until they show signs of being bonded – spending time together, sitting together, feeding and interacting with each other and mating. It is very frustrating when you have two unbonded birds together with a nest box, because one of the pair tends to want to breed. Leaving the nest box in the cage can cause fighting when one bird wants to mate and the other keeps rejecting it. It does sound like possibly they are more interested in each other, but she has only been old enough to breed since she turned two. When you say she is always sleepy, this isn’t normal. I would remove the nest box and take the female to an avian Vet to see what might be going on with her. Don’t give them a nest box unless they actually bond and start mating. It’s good that they are getting along better, but she may not be healthy enough to breed.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda