Skip to Content

Do Female Cockatiels Sing? (Read This First!)

Cockatiels, also known as quarrions, are a type of small parrots that are native to Australia. These birds are kept as household pets as they are relatively easy to breed and second in popularity after the budgerigars. 

Female cockatiels are more reserved and do not go into noisy or active areas.

Do female cockatiels sing?

Female cockatiels sing. They can talk and sing like male cockatiels. Although female cockatiels are less vocal than male cockatiels, they can whistle, sing, hiss, and scream. Female cockatiels can be heard singing during the mating season. It is natural for female cockatiels to be less vocal.

Female cockatiels are less vocal than male cockatiels. They are usually shy and more reserved and avoid noisy and active places. However, female cockatiels prefer to screech and hiss instead of whistling and singing like the male cockatiels.

Although female cockatiels are less vocal than male cockatiels, it is a misunderstanding when people think these birds cannot sing. Female birds can sing and whistle like the males. They prefer to stay quiet and listen to male cockatiels to impress them.

During the mating season, you can hear male cockatiels singing. Male cockatiels sing during the mating season to show courtship. Additionally, you can also hear male cockatiels whistling frequently.

Female cockatiels avoid active places as they are more reserved than male cockatiels. When they hear too much noise, they will usually stay away from the noisy site. They prefer being in quiet areas and may occasionally sing if comfortable enough.

Can you teach a cockatiel to sing?

Most cockatiels are songbirds. They can use their vocal abilities to sing songs and whistle. Also, most cockatiels can learn how to sing and use their verbal ability to whistle and sing.

Teaching a cockatiel how to sing requires a significant amount of time. Also, consistency is a must for teaching a cockatiel how to sing. Once your pet cockatiel has learned how to sing, you will notice your cockatiel frequently singing a song or making sounds that sound like music.

How to teach a female cockatiel to sing?

Below are some methods you can use to teach a female cockatiel how to sing.

Introduction to music:

You can introduce music to the female cockatiel you want to teach how to sing. You can start by humming a piece of music or whistling various tunes from different songs.

Model the singing process for the female cockatiel to follow:

When a female cockatiel is familiar with some music and tunes, it will try to sing. Also, it will try to replicate you while you are singing. You should stand close to the female cockatiel and sing a song aloud. 

Singing in front of the cockatiel will allow the female cockatiel to see how your lips move and how you produce sound.

Play some music or songs around the female cockatiel:

Playing some music or songs around the female cockatiel is mandatory to learn how to sing. When the cockatiel listens to some tunes and music, it will learn how to produce the sounds. 

After some time, you will notice the bird trying to make similar sounds.

Repeat and stay consistent:

When teaching a female cockatiel how to sing, staying consistent and repeating the process is the key. You will have to consistently sing songs around the cockatiel, play songs, and hum songs and tunes. You can make a routine to stay consistent.

Reward the female cockatiel for progressing:

Encouraging the female cockatiel to try singing is crucial. To encourage the female cockatiel, give the bird a tasty meal after it tries singing. In this way, the female cockatiel will improve its singing ability.

Do female cockatiels talk or whistle?

Since cockatiels are a species of parrots, they can mimic and use their vocal abilities to create sounds like music, whistling, and talking. Cockatiels usually speak or whistle, but they cannot do both. Male cockatiels are more vocal than female cockatiels.

Since female cockatiels are less vocal than male cockatiels, they prefer staying quiet most of the time and listening to the male cockatiels. Most of the time, you will see male cockatiels chattering while the female cockatiels are paying attention.

Although female cockatiels are less vocal, they can talk or whistle. Few cockatiels, male and female, can speak and whistle. However, not all cockatiels can do both talking and whistling.

What sounds do female cockatiels make?

Female cockatiels are more reserved and shier than male cockatiels. Even though they are less vocal, they do make various sounds. Below are the descriptions of the sounds:

Curious call:

Cockatiels are vocal when they are curious about something. When a female cockatiel does not know where the other birds, animals are, it will let out a soft chirp or a series of chirps. Their soft chirping is like them asking about the whereabouts of the household members, including the humans. 

So, if you go out of sight of your pet cockatiel, you will hear chirping from your bird.

The call for attention:

Female cockatiels get startled by loud sounds or sounds that disturb their peace. When a female cockatiel hears a loud sound, such as a crashing sound or just a truck rumbling down the street, it will let out a loud chirp. 

It can be a series of loud, intense chirping. The bird will continue chirping till it calms down. Moreover, if the bird feels alerted about something, it will start tweeting continuously and in an intense manner.

A happy cockatiel:

A cheerful female cockatiel will tell you when it is content. If you hear your cockatiel grinding its beaks, you will know that it is happy at the moment. Also, if you notice that the facial feathers are relaxed, the female cockatiel is content. 

Sometimes, you can hear a female cockatiel grinding its beaks while asleep.

When do cockatiels start singing? “How old do cockatiels start singing”

You can expect cockatiels to start singing after it has learned how to mimic certain sounds. Younger cockatiels learn to sing faster than older cockatiels. So, teaching a younger cockatiel how to sing takes lesser time than teaching an older cockatiel how to sing.

At the age of eight months, cockatiels start being vocal. The male cockatiels sing more than the female cockatiels. However, your pet cockatiel will only start to sing when it is eight months old if you have spent four months teaching it how to sing.

When cockatiels are young, they learn the most in a short time. Therefore, it takes a shorter time to teach a young cockatiel to sing than an older cockatiel.

Why do cockatiels sing?

Cockatiels sing mainly for two reasons. One reason is enjoyment, and the other reason is for courtship. Usually, you can hear male cockatiels singing rather than female cockatiels.

If your cockatiel is having a great time and is content, it will start singing. You will hear the cockatiel make a variety of music. It may also talk depending on its learning.

During the mating season, male cockatiels sing to attract female cockatiels. The female cockatiels remain silent and pay attention to the singing of male cockatiels.

Does a happy cockatiel sing?

Yes, a happy cockatiel sing. Most cockatiels, like parrots, chirp during sunset and sunrise. Additionally, they also chirp throughout the day.

When cockatiels are happy, they grind their beaks. They may also whistle songs as they enjoy them.

What does it mean when a male or female cockatiel sings?

A cockatiel singing can mean a lot of things. Below are some indications about what cockatiel singing means.

The cockatiel is happy:

When cockatiels are content, they whistle songs. As they enjoy whistling music, you may hear your male cockatiel singing when it is cheerful and happy. Female cockatiels occasionally sing as they have a quieter nature.

Enjoyment:

If you hear your cockatiel singing, it is enjoying something. Maybe the cockatiel is in a great mood or happy about the meal. Cockatiels prefer to sing during the times of sunrise and sunset.1

Mating season:

For the cockatiels, singing is a sign of courtship. During the mating season, male cockatiels whistle songs to attract female cockatiels. During this time, female cockatiels listen to the male cockatiels singing.

Final Thoughts

Female cockatiels occasionally sing as they are more reserved than male cockatiels. They mostly prefer listening to the male cockatiels singing and may make hissing or screeching sounds. However, if you teach them how to talk or sing, they will do so for their enjoyment.