10 Cockatiel Sounds & What They Mean (Explained)
Cockatiels make a whole variety of sounds, each with different meanings that can be challenging to understand…
Especially for new tiel owners.
It’s even more confusing once you know their sounds can have inconsistent meanings.
My aim with this article is to clear up some of that confusion by showcasing common cockatiel sounds and explaining their meanings using video examples and my own personal insight as a fellow cockatiel carer.
By the end of this article, you’re going to have a much better understanding of the various cockatiel sounds and what they mean.
Let’s get started!
Quick Navigation:
- 1. Loud Whistling & Singing | Happy Cockatiel Sounds
- 2. Cockatiels Mimicking Sounds They Commonly Hear
- 3. Screeching “Angry Dino” Sound Explained
- 4. Cockatiel Flock/Contact Call | Sound Meaning
- 5. Cockatiel “WAAAAH” Crying Sound
- 6. Cockatiel “Hiss” “Hss” Meaning
- 7. Beak Grinding “Crunch” “Crunch” Noise
- 8. Cockatiel Tongue Clicking/Wiggling Sound
- 9. Soft & Quiet Cockatiel Chirps
- 10. Baby/Young Cockatiel “Scraaaww” Sound Meaning
1. Loud Whistling & Singing | Happy Cockatiel Sounds
In most cases, cockatiels sing and whistle loudly when they’re happy.
Male cockatiels like to spread their wings while singing to show off to flock members or attract attention from potential mates. Typical male cockatiels also make these happy sounds more often than the much quieter females. The actual tune that they sing will vary between individual cockatiels as they all develop their own little songs.
When your cockatiels begin to sing like this, they’ll love it if you sing with them!
2. Cockatiels Mimicking Sounds They Commonly Hear
Cockatiels are usually happy or in an attention-seeking mood whenever they mimic frequently heard noises.
They can mimic microwaves, human speech, whistle sounds, and a whole range of other noises!
Sometimes when I place my hand under my cockatiels chest, he’ll say “step up” as he knows that’s what I say whenever I make that gesture. This tells me that cockatiels like to mimic sounds they remember hearing from situations similar to their current situation. They possibly do this as a communication attempt, but it seems more like attention-seeking behaviour.
For example, it’s definitely attention-seeking when they mimic words or phrases they’ve learnt…
When they do this, they’re trying to get the attention of a beloved human. But if they mimic another bird’s call, like budgies, for example, they likely want the attention of that bird.
3. Screeching “Angry Dino” Sound Explained
In case you couldn’t tell, those screeches mean the cockatiel is upset or angry.
Angry cockatiel sounds are usually the easiest sounds to understand.
Those angry sounds are usually accompanied by fanned-out tail feathers, a folded-back crest, and an open beak to further indicate the cockatiel’s aggression. When your mature cockatiel makes these sounds, they’ll likely bite if you approach them without caution.
I said “mature” cockatiels because these screeches sound similar to baby noises, but definitely do not mean the same thing.
Here’s another example of angry cockatiel screeches:
I know, this video example is overused across multiple websites and you’ve likely seen it at least 10 times already, but it’s still a very good example of how angry cockatiels sound.
4. Cockatiel Flock/Contact Call | Sound Meaning
“HEY!, Where Are You?!?” is how the majority of flock calls can be translated from cockatiel language. Cockatiels use this contact call primarily to locate other flock members, but it’s also used for attention-seeking.
The loud single chirp will pinpoint their location to other flock members, and other flock members respond with another contact call, which pinpoints their own location. When they do this continuously as in the above video, it usually means they’re looking for someone in particular…
Or they could be having a loud conversation with another bird from across the house.
Flock calls are also the most common sounds you’ll hear from cockatiels in the wild…
Wild cockatiels primarily use flock calls for flight navigation and general communication within their huge flocks.
5. Cockatiel “WAAAAH” Crying Sound
My cockatiel makes a heartwrenching crying sound whenever he is left alone in a room for more than a few seconds. Although it sounds like they’re extremely sad, it can also be an attention-seeking method they’ve learned…
And in most cases, it is.
Because they’re normally completely fine as soon as they get the attention they were crying for.
In other words, the crying sound is usually just an overdramatic way for cockatiels to get attention from their carers.
But the context behind the crying sound is important because it can still indicate stress, sadness, or loneliness. With contextual sounds like this, you just really need to know your own cockatiel in order to understand what their sounds mean.
6. Cockatiel “Hiss” “Hss” Meaning
There are two main types of situations that will cause your cockatiel to hiss at you:
- Territorial aggression
- And fear
Here’s what a territorial cockatiel “hiss” sounds like:
You can tell it’s territorial aggression because the cockatiel gets provoked and hisses toward the camera because it is invading her territory. She views her territory as the spot underneath the perch and the bowl and expresses an angry hiss when that territory is invaded.
The swaying motion and puffed-out feathers also visually indicate hormonal aggression.
Next, this is a fearful cockatiel “hiss”:
Although the clip was very short, you can tell that the cockatiel was afraid of the camera and hissed toward it while backing away.
No matter the situation, a cockatiel hiss is ALWAYS a warning to stay back!
The cockatiel will most definitely bite you if you tried to interact with them after they hissed at you.
7. Beak Grinding “Crunch” “Crunch” Noise (Volume Up!)
A lot of new parrot owners get alarmed when they hear their cockatiel making weird crunching noises with their beaks. However, there is no need for alarm as beak grinding is a clear sign of contentment, relaxation, and comfort.
Cockatiels usually grind their beaks before taking an afternoon nap. 🦜 💤
The beak grinding sound will usually be accompanied by relaxation behaviour, such as slowly blinking, puffed-up feathers, one foot up, and a relaxed posture.
If your cockatiel beak grinds near you, it means they feel safe and secure around you!
Related: 4 Signs Your Cockatiel Is Relaxed & Sleepy
8. Cockatiel Tongue Clicking/Wiggling Sound
Context is very important for identifying the meanings of this relatively confusing cockatiel sound.
This tongue-clicking sound is typically made by mature male cockatiels and can mean a whole variety of things, such as:
- Happiness
- A territorial warning sign
- Comfort
I know, very different possible meanings for the exact same sound and behaviour.
There are some cockatiels that use this action as a warning sign, but there are others who do it to express their happiness and comfort. To understand the meaning of this sound, you simply need to know which contexts (happy or stressed) cause your cockatiel to show this behaviour.
9. Soft & Quiet Cockatiel Chirps
There are many cockatiel sounds that can be described as “small soft chirps”.
Cockatiels make small chirping sounds when they’re investigating something they’re curious about, but there are other similar sounding noises that are made in entirely different situations, such as the video above.
The female cockatiel in the video is quietly chirping because she is sexually stimulated and hormonal. When hormonal and ready to mate, female cockatiels raise their tails and begin to make soft and quiet chirps.
Click here to learn more about cockatiel hormones
Male tiels can also make soft chirping sounds, but it’s usually when they’re investigating or foraging.
10. Baby/Young Cockatiel “Scraaaww” Sound Meaning
When young cockatiels make this “scraawing” sound as demonstrated in this video, it means they’re begging for food.
Baby cockatiels in the wild will make this sound continuously while bobbing their heads in order to get food and attention from their parents. Once they’re fed, they stop making this sound. You can easily tell the “feed me” noise apart from other baby tiel noises because hungry babies bop their heads and will extend their necks when they believe they’re about to get fed.
They’re usually not that expressive when making other types of sounds.
When you hear this noise from a baby cockatiel, it’s time to give them some food!
Male & Female Cockatiel Sounds Differences
Male cockatiels will sound, behave, and vocalise differently to females in most situations.
Here are just a few vocal differences between male and female cockatiels:
- Male cockatiels typically like to sing and whistle for longer periods than females.
- Male cockatiels are more expressive with their actions (heart wings) while singing.
- Female cockatiels primarily use flock calls instead of singing songs or whistling for long periods.
- Female cockatiels will quietly “beep” when ready to mate, males do not.
Click here to learn more about the differences between male and female cockatiels
Hopefully, you’ve learnt something new about the various cockatiel sounds and what they mean.
Thank you for reading.
See what TheParrotTeacher has to say about cockatiel sounds & their meanings:
0 Comments