Hand Raised Cockatiels for Sale Sydney

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Looking for hand raised cockatiels for sale in Sydney? Birdsville has tame, fully weaned baby cockatiels available most of the year, at our store at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Cockatiels are the world’s most popular hand raised pet bird for good reason. They’re affectionate, playful and small enough for an apartment, and every one of our babies is hand raised, so it’s ready to bond with you from day one. Buy your cockatiel with a full setup and you’ll get a package discount.

Five tame hand raised baby cockatiels for sale at Birdsville, Sydney — 7 week old hand raised baby cockatiels

7-week-old baby cockatiels

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Cockatiel

A cockatiel needs a cage at least 46cm wide, 46cm deep and 60cm high, with room to spread its wings, plus toys, a ladder and a swing. Feed a quality cockatiel seed blend with pellets, fresh greens and vegetables, and keep fresh, clean water available at all times. Hand raised babies are tame but not trained, so handle your cockatiel gently every day and teach it to step up. Our How to Care for Cockatiels guide [Cockatiel Care page link, coming soon] covers everything from the right diet to worming and stopping night frights. The Unusual Pet Vets cockatiel care sheet (https://www.unusualpetvets.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cockatiel-weiro-care-sheet.pdf) is another good read from avian vets.

Visit our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) pages for updated photos and what we currently have in stock, and follow us on TikTok [TikTok link] for live updates.

Why You Should Get a Cockatiel

Cockatiels love people. They crave company, and a happy cockatiel will follow you around like a loyal dog and sit with you for head scratches.

They’re great whistlers and mimics. Males especially pick up tunes, nursery rhymes and everyday sounds like phones ringing, and some learn a few words.

They’re easy to care for. In our experience, hand raised cockatiels are much easier to look after than most parrots, and their food and setup cost far less than a large parrot’s.

They’re the smallest member of the cockatoo family, so they’re small enough for an apartment but hardy enough to fit into a big, busy family.

They’re quieter and cleaner than most parrots, which makes them one of the best first birds you can choose.

Hand raised cockatiel for sale in Sydney at Birdsville — Hand raised cockatiel at Birdsville

Why a Cockatiel Might Not Be Right for You

Cockatiels are a long commitment. They usually live 15 to 20 years, and some live longer.

They need daily attention. A cockatiel left alone all day can get lonely and bored, so consider getting two if you’re out a lot.

They’re dusty birds. Cockatiels produce a fine feather dust called powder down, which can bother people with allergies or asthma.

They can get night frights, panicking in the dark and flapping around the cage. A night light near the cage usually helps.

They do make noise. They’re quieter than most parrots, but they’ll still call and whistle, especially in the morning and evening.

Are Cockatiels Good for Apartments?

Yes. Cockatiels are one of the best birds for apartment living. They don’t make excessive noise or mess for a bird, and they fit comfortably in a standard cockatiel cage. If you rent, it’s still worth checking your lease before you buy.

Cockatiel Colours

Cockatiels come in many colours. Commonly available colours include normal grey, lutino (yellow and white), albino, pied, pearl, cinnamon and whiteface. Which colours we have depends on the season and our current breeding, so call or check our socials to see what’s in.

Sexing and Refund Policy

Our cockatiels are not DNA sexed, and baby cockatiels can’t be reliably sexed by sight until their first moult at around 6 to 12 months, when males of most colours develop a bright yellow face and orange cheeks. We’re happy to give you our best guess, but we can’t offer a refund, credit or exchange if your cockatiel turns out to be a different sex. Both males and females make wonderful pets. All our animals come with a health guarantee.

Cockatiel Setup Discounts and In-Store Help

Buy your cockatiel and its setup together and you’ll save more than buying each item separately. Our products are already competitively priced on their own, but bundling your bird, cage, food, toys and supplements into one cockatiel package gets you a bigger discount, making it the best value way to get everything you need in one go. You can browse the full range online at Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/) first, but since your cockatiel is collected in-store, buying the setup at the same time means no freight to pay on top of your package discount. Our team will help you put together everything you need in-store, from the right cage to food, toys and supplements, and there’s far more in-store than we could ever list on this page.

Every new cockatiel owner needs:

One of Australia’s Biggest Ranges of Bird Products

Birdsville stocks one of the largest ranges of bird and avian products in Australia, so whatever your cockatiel needs, we’re likely to have it. As a major distributor of avian products, we can keep our prices among the best around, without cutting corners on quality.

You can shop the range in-store at Alexandria, or online through our partner store Petsville, with delivery Australia-wide:

Live birds and some bulky items are in-store only, and there’s far more in-store than we can list online, so visit us to see the full range.

Why We Recommend Our Own Seed

The biggest problem we see in pet cockatiels is low quality or wrong seed. Many chain store and supermarket mixes are bulked out with low quality grain and filler seed, and over time that affects the health and vitality of your bird, dulling its feathers and leading to problems like fatty liver disease. Our seed and Birdsville Blends are very high quality, bagged fresh on site from quality ingredients, with a high turnover so nothing sits on a shelf for long. Because you buy direct from the people who mix it, you also get better value. Read more on our Cockatiel Seed page (https://birdsville.net.au/seeds-grains/cockatiel-seed/) and Birdsville Blends page (https://birdsville.net.au/birdsville-blends/).

Staff Tip From the Birdsville Team

“Cockatiels will almost always eat seed before pellets. Give them one bowl of seed and a separate bowl of pellets, and once the seed is finished, they’ll move on to the pellets. It’s an easy, cost effective way to get them eating both. Just don’t do this with a baby. Recently weaned cockatiels need an all you can eat buffet with plenty of seed until they’re at least 14 weeks old.”

Hand raised albino cockatiel for sale at Birdsville, Sydney — Hand raised albino cockatiel

When Are Cockatiels Available at Birdsville?

Hand raised cockatiels are available most of the year at Birdsville, except over winter, when breeding slows down. Availability depends on the season and the breeding cycle, so give us a call before you visit. We’re happy to take a deposit to secure one of the next babies coming through, and you can ask us about a particular colour.

Taking Your New Cockatiel Home

Bring your cockatiel home in a secure, ventilated carry cage, and go straight home. Keep the trip short, avoid extreme heat or cold, and never leave your bird alone in a car, even for a few minutes. If you don’t have a carrier, we sell carry cages in-store. See our Carry Cages page (https://birdsville.net.au/carry-cages/).

Once home, let your cockatiel settle in for a couple of days before you start handling it, especially if it’s a baby. Add Sulphadim or Inca Sulfa 3 to its water to help prevent stress related diarrhoea, and keep plenty of seed and millet on offer. Worm your cockatiel 10 days after bringing it home. When you’re ready to start training, our How to Train Your Parrot guide (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/bird-training-clicker-training-parrot-body-language/) walks you through step up and more. We also clip wings and nails in-store, 7 days a week (https://birdsville.net.au/wing-clipping-nail-clipping/), and board cockatiels when you go away (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-bird-boarding-sydney/).

Sydney Seasonal Tip

Summer: On hot Sydney days, keep the cage out of direct sun and away from hot windows, and never travel home with a bird in a hot car.

Winter: Baby cockatiels chill easily. Keep the cage in a warm, draught free room and cover it at night.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cockatiels for Sale

Are hand raised cockatiels always available at Birdsville?

Hand raised cockatiels are available at Birdsville most of the year, except over winter when breeding slows. Availability depends on the season and the breeding cycle, so call us on (02) 9669 1766 before you visit, and check our Facebook and Instagram for current babies. We can also take a deposit on upcoming babies.

How long do cockatiels live?

Cockatiels usually live 15 to 20 years, and some live well over 20 with great care. A quality seed blend with pellets, fresh greens, calcium, vitamins and regular worming all help your cockatiel live a long, healthy life. That makes a cockatiel a long term family member, so think ahead before you buy.

Should I get one cockatiel or two?

One hand raised cockatiel will bond very closely with you, as long as you spend time with it every day. If you’re out at work or school most of the day, two cockatiels keep each other company and stay happier. Two can still be tame, as long as you handle both of them regularly.

Do male or female cockatiels make better pets?

Both make wonderful pets. Males tend to whistle, sing and mimic more, and they develop a brighter yellow face. Females are often a little quieter and gentler, but just as affectionate. Since babies can’t be reliably sexed until their first moult, choose the bird whose personality you love most.

Can cockatiels talk?

Some cockatiels can learn a few words, but they’re far better known for whistling. Males in particular pick up tunes, nursery rhymes and everyday sounds like phones and doorbells. Repeating words and whistles to your bird every day gives you the best chance, and starting young helps.

What does a cockatiel need when you bring it home?

A cockatiel needs a cage at least 46cm wide and deep, a quality seed blend and pellets, fresh water, cuttlebone, vitamins, toys, a ladder and a swing, plus a carry cage for the trip home. Our team will help you put together a full setup in-store, and you’ll get a discount when you buy the setup with your bird.

Visit Birdsville

We’re a small business that does things in a big way. With no one telling us how to run things, we can keep our birds, seed and products the best of the best.

Come and meet our hand raised cockatiels at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, on the corner of Gardeners Road, with parking out the front and on the street. Visit us or call (02) 9669 1766 to check what’s available.