Cockatiels In The Wild

Cockatiels In The Wild

Cockatiels come from Australia, where they live in the interior of the continent. They penetrate to coastal areas only if scarcity of food forces them to do so, and they avoid dense forests. But they are not dependent on a specific habitat. They are found in open eucalyptus savannahs and in steppes covered with mulga shrubs, as well as in desertlike grasslands covered with spinifex grass.

Conditions can be extremely harsh. There may not be any rainfall at all for months at a time, and the temperature often is 100°F (38°C) in the morning, rising to 113°F (45°C) or higher by noon. Cockatiels rest in the midday heat in groups of up to 50 birds in the tallest trees or bushes they can find. They prefer dead branches and tree limbs to perch on, where the gray of the wood provides good camouflage for their gray plumage. They always sit parallel with the branch, so that their silhouettes don't stand out and thereby attract the attention of birds of prey.

In the morning and evening cockatiels fly long distances to drink. They are extremely uneasy on the ground, however, and always land, not on the shore, but in the shallow water, where they take a few hasty sips and then quickly fly off again. Sometimes there are flocks of thousands of cockatiels near a watering place. They circle above the water for a while, then descend rapidly, dropping to the water at an almost vertical angle. The birds forage for food on the ground in the early morning hours and in the late afternoon, remaining very quiet. During the dry seasons they eat the seeds of various grasses and other plants, and they pick up some sand to aid digestion. Cockatiels also drink nectar, preferably from eucalyptus blossoms. If there is too long a period without rain, the birds take off in large flocks and travel hundreds of miles until they find a place that has food and water.

Cockatiels have the reputation of being the fastest flying birds of Australia. They fly at an even speed, fast and straight. While flying, they sometimes emit their two-syllable flight call. The white areas of the wings are clearly visible when the cockatiels fly and probably play a role in flock cohesion. When the birds want to land, as at a watering place, they let themselves drop straight down, slowing their fall only shortly before they reach ground. The undulating flight typical of other small parrots is not seen in cockatiels.

Raptors are the natural predators of cockatiels. Living in open landscapes, cockatiels therefore choose high places for perching so that they can scan wide areas of the sky. The birds' nervousness on the ground arises from the fact that they cannot see far amid grass and shrubs. In recent times cockatiels have acquired a new and dangerous enemy in Australia, namely house cats, that were imported and have become feral.

Unfortunately, nature has not equipped the birds with a warning system that works against predators on the ground. In addition, starlings, which have been introduced into Australia, compete with cockatiels for nest sites. These pesky birds are not intimidated by the hissing of cockatiels, and they usually win contests over nesting sites, even when a pair of cockatiels is already sitting on a complete clutch. But the biggest threat to cockatiels is drought, which sometimes lasts for years. Cockatiels respond to drought by taking up a nomadic way of life, a form of existence for which they are amazingly well adapted.

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