Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel life span

Hi! Generally speaking, how long does a cockatiel live? My grey male cockatiel just turned 26 in February. He’s very active and has a ravenous appetite. Also any cure for seed moths?

Hi Joe,

You have taken great care of your bird! The grey cockatiels are the natural color and tend to be the strongest cockatiels genetically. At 26, your bird has far outlived the average cockatiel these days. With all of the mutation and sadly inbreeding, many cockatiels only live to around 12 years old. The oldest confirmed cockatiel was in his late 30’s. It sounds like your guy is going strong so I wouldn’t make any major changes.

Regarding seed moths, you can freeze the bird food for at least a few days when you buy it. You can store it in the freezer and only take out about a week’s supply at a time. (Do not store it in the refrigerator.)This will prevent more moths from hatching from the food. But the moths can also get in your house through groceries. Anything with grain can contain the eggs. Once you have them in your house you can get rid of them using your vacuum and also put out bowls of water. The moths are drawn to the water and then drown.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda