Music For Cockatiels: Do They Actually Like It?
Cockatiels enjoy listening to music.
They have been recorded dancing and singing along to their preferred tunes.
Music has the ability to mentally stimulate most parrots, cockatiels included.
Cockatiels are even smart enough to develop their own taste in music.
In this article, you’ll learn how cockatiels can react to music and what genres they typically prefer, you’ll also learn the best and worst times to play music for your parrot.
Quick Navigation:
- How Cockatiels React To Music
- Do Cockatiels Prefer Specific Genres?
- When To Play Music For Your Cockatiel
- When To NOT Play Music For Parrots
- Quick Facts About Birds And Music
- Sources
How Cockatiels React To Music
Cockatiels are highly intelligent birds with lots of cognitive functions going on at all times.
This cognitive function allows them to remember things they like and dislike, even music.
Cockatiels who enjoy the tunes you play will become content or they may start dancing by bobbing their head up and down.
Becoming content or excited both indicate that they enjoy the music.
However, when they don’t enjoy the music, they won’t show any response.
If the music is annoying, they may even become angry or frustrated.
But your cockatiel shouldn’t get too cranky so long as you don’t play any horrible music.
A good example of horrible music is anything Cardi B has produced:
But then again, all birds have unique preferences, which means there is a slim chance some birds like Cardi B.
Anyways…
Do Cockatiels Prefer Specific Genres?
Cockatiels enjoy all sorts of music, but typically, their preference is calm, soothing music.
Arthur, my cockatiel, personally loves Minecraft music.
Other genres of music preferred by birds include:
- Rock
- Pop
- Classical
- Heavy metal (cockatoos love this!)
Heck, they’ve even been seen dancing to Irish fiddle music:
However, according to lafeber, most parrots hate electronic dance music.
This means daft punk is off the table for birds.
Since all birds have different music preferences, most other types of music have the potential to get your bird grooving.
When the right tune comes on, cockatiels love to jam out.
Based on my experience, cockatiels prefer music with a consistent beat or melody.
I’m guessing it’s because they can follow along and head bob to the beat easier.
Experiment with different songs, artists, and genres, to see what sparks interest in your cockatiel.
When To Play Music For Your Cockatiel
There aren’t too many moments where you shouldn’t play music for your bird.
Cockatiels will normally enjoy listening to tunes throughout most of the day as it keeps them entertained.
However, there are situations where parrots will appreciate the music more than normal.
Music For When They’re Alone
A lonely cockatiel will often be stressed, but music can help keep them calm.
I would never recommend leaving a cockatiel alone for long periods, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.
Maybe all household members need to leave and there is simply no way to keep the birds company.
If a situation like this occurs, play some background music for the lonely bird.
It’s a simple way of keeping them entertained when you aren’t there to entertain them.
Although you probably don’t need to worry about loneliness if you have more than 1 cockatiel, a pair of cockatiels will keep each other company while you’re gone.
Music For When They Want Attention
When you’re unable to give them attention, play some music to keep them from screaming.
For this situation, we’ll say that you’re still in the room with your cockatiel but can’t give them attention right now.
To stop them from screaming for attention, simply play some music.
Maybe provide a new shredding toy so they have something to do.
Cockatiels are usually happy playing with a new toy while listening to some music without your constant attention.
Main Takeaway: Music is a great way to entertain a cockatiel if you can’t entertain them in other ways.
However, there is one situation when you DEFINITELY shouldn’t play music…
When To NOT Play Music For Parrots
The worst time to play music is when you’re training your cockatiel.
During any training session, you must have your cockatiel’s full attention on you and the task.
Music is a HUGE distraction for cockatiels.
Having your bird split their attention between you and the background music will result in an unproductive training session.
A cockatiel might not learn the command very well if there is music playing in the background.
Training progress could be significantly delayed by having music playing during a session.
Save the epic tunes for after the training session, during their relaxation time.
Quick Facts About Birds And Music
- Cockatiels and most other parrots like music
- Most parrots hate loud music as they have sensitive ears
- Cockatiels can enjoy a whole range of genres
- All birds have different and unique music preferences
- Music can help keep a parrot stimulated while they’re alone or when you can’t give them attention
- Music is a huge distraction and therefore should not be played during training sessions where you need their full attention
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