How Much Does a Cockatiel Cost in 2024? One-Time & Recurring Expenses

Adopting a cockatiel is not something you should do on a whim. It requires forethought and planning to ensure you have the means to bring home a new pet. There are a lot of factors to consider when adopting a bird that goes beyond that initial investment.

The initial investment is high due to the adoption prices and the cost of your cockatiel’s cage, but monthly fees can add up, too. Since cockatiels live to be around 10 to 15 years old, you need to be willing and able to pay these monthly costs for that many years.

Before you get your heart set on a cockatiel at your local shelter or start researching breeders nearby, take a look at our guide below. We will review the start-up and annual costs of owning a cockatiel.

Bringing Home a New Cockatiel: One-Time Costs

The initial costs when you adopt a new cockatiel will be the biggest. Your most expensive investment will likely be your bird’s cage and the cockatiel itself.

Free

You might stumble upon an advertisement online or on a bulletin board announcing that someone has a cockatiel to give away for free. You should always tread carefully in these types of situations. Ask a lot of questions. Why are they looking to rehome their bird? Who is their current vet, and when was the last time the cockatiel had a check-up?

The last thing you want to do is adopt a free pet only to find out a few weeks later that it has severe behavioral problems or is extremely ill.

The previous owner should have a good reason that they’re looking to rehome their bird.

Adoption

Another way to acquire a cockatiel is through adoption. Your local pet shelter is likely home to several different species of birds that have been surrendered by their owners. Be sure to inquire about the health, training, and behavior of the cockatiel in question before adopting them. You might also consider visiting the bird several times before moving forward.

Your local pet store is another excellent place to find a cockatiel. This is especially true of nationwide pet store chains. It’s unlikely that you’ll find rare mutations of cockatiels at the pet store, but it’s not impossible.

Breeder

If your heart is set on a specific cockatiel mutation, you should consider adopting from a breeder. Be sure the breeder in question is reputable and ethical.

When you adopt from a breeder, you’re getting a cockatiel that’s been specifically bred to be friendly and docile. A breeder-born cockatiel is more likely to be well-behaved than if you were to adopt one from the pet store or find one for free online.

The best bird breeders will hand-raise their birds so they are immediately accustomed to humans.

The exact cost will depend on the mutation you choose. Rarer and more sought-after mutations such as white cockatiels can cost as much as $400. Common mutations such as pied or cinnamon cockatiels will fetch much lower, around the $100–$130 mark.

Initial Setup and Supplies

Your biggest bill will come when you first purchase your bird. Not only will you need to pay for the cost of their adoption, but their cage as well. The cage is likely to be your most significant investment for your bird, but it’s something you shouldn’t skimp out on. The good news is that you shouldn’t have to buy another cage as long as you own the same number and type of bird in the future. You can reuse an appropriate cage over and over.

List of Cockatiel Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does a Cockatiel Cost Per Year?

Once you’ve invested in the big things, such as your cockatiel and its cage, you should still expect to spend money on your bird every month.

It’s not a bad idea to set aside extra money every month in an emergency fund in case the unthinkable happens. If your bird’s cage is destroyed or a medical emergency arises, you’ll be thankful to have this additional money to fall back on.

Below you’ll find some of the everyday things other cockatiel owners budget for monthly.

Health Care

Even if your cockatiel is healthy, it’s not a bad idea to get them in to see the vet for an annual check-up. Since you’ll need to take your bird in to see an avian vet, you should expect to spend more for its check-ups and other routine care. Avian vets can be hard to find, but their expertise will be more than worth the cost of your cockatiel’s check-ups.

Food

A cockatiels diet should consist of pellets and fresh fruit and vegetables. Pellets are the perfect diet for cockatiels as they have been developed to meet your bird’s nutritional needs. Fresh vegetables, greens, and fruits should account for around 20–25% of your bird’s daily diet.

You can also offer them seeds, but keep in mind that seeds for cockatiels are akin to candy for children. Seeds are highly palatable but nutritionally incomplete. Seeds should comprise just a small part of a balanced cockatiel diet.

You can save money on food by buying pellets in bulk and growing your own fruits and vegetables.

Grooming

Grooming for cockatiels consists of beak and nail trimmings. Overgrown nails can get caught on toys or cage components, leading to broken nails or even broken toes. The beak of a healthy bird will stay at a constant length as it knows just what to do to wear it down. If their beak starts getting too long, it may indicate a health condition like liver disease or beak cancer. Never try to trim their beak yourself at home, as there is a blood vessel down the center that can bleed profusely if it gets nicked.

If you choose to get their wings clipped, this can also be part of their monthly grooming.

Pet Insurance

Finding a pet insurance company that will cover exotic pets such as cockatiels is difficult. Only one company we’ve found in the United States will provide coverage for birds. Nationwide is one of the leaders in the pet insurance world. Their low monthly costs can help cover unexpected vet bills such as parasite treatments, cultures, and prescription medications.

Environment Maintenance

Your bird will rely on you to keep its environment healthy and clean. Your main tasks are to replace the cage liner daily and do a deep and thorough cage clean at least once weekly. Many bird owners love commercial cage liners like these from Vitakraft as they are super absorbent and help reduce odor. You can get the same effect from the newspaper you receive in the mail every day.

Cage cleaner is another must-have. You can’t use any old cleaner in your cockatiel’s cage as its fumes could be toxic. We love Nature’s Miracle’s Bird Cage Cleaner as it’s bird-safe and can provide continuous odor control. One bottle should last several months.

Entertainment

You need to provide some source of entertainment for your cockatiel for when you’re not around. Toys are the best way to provide endless hours of playtime and enrichment for your bird. We love this foraging toy from Planet Pleasures as it’s made of shreddable fibrous material safe for birds.

Cockatiels love chewing, exploring, and foraging, so you should invest in toys that will allow them to do just that. It would help if you had a lot of toys in your arsenal so you could switch them out every week or so to keep things fresh and exciting for your bird.

Total Annual Cost of Owning a Cockatiel

Owning a bird, or any pet really, is an investment. You need to be sure you’re financially secure enough to set aside money every month to pay for your cockatiel’s expenses. You’ll also want to set aside additional money as often as possible to pay for emergencies and incidentals. This is especially true if you’re not opting for pet insurance.

Additional Costs to Factor In

Although we’ve covered a lot of the traditional costs associated with owning a bird, there are other things you might consider setting aside money for.

If you go out of town often, you’ll need to pay for a pet sitter to come to your home daily or a boarding agency to board your bird. A pet sitter can run you $15–$30 per day as they often perform other duties such as getting your mail, checking up on your home, or watering your garden. A boarding facility charges between $15–$20 per night.

Behavioral training is another thing you might want to budget for. If you have the time and patience, you can train your cockatiel yourself using online bird schools. You can expect to pay anywhere between $5–$25 per course.

Emergency care for exotic animals can be extremely pricey. If your cockatiel ever had an accident, you could be looking at a costly bill.

Owning a Cockatiel On a Budget

Owning a cockatiel on a budget is possible, but if money is tight, you should sit down and write a budget before adopting your new feathered friend. Use our above guide to determine how much money (minimum) you should set aside every month for your pet and then compare that with your income.

Do not bring a new animal into your home if you don’t have the means to support it just yet. Instead, try budgeting for a few months to get a feel for it, and then return to your original budget to see how well you’re doing.

Saving Money on Cockatiel Care

You can save money by comparing prices from pet store to pet store and even online. There are several cash-back websites and apps you can use to give you money back for your purchases. When shopping online, use the Honey extension to see if there are any coupon codes for the websites you’re shopping on.

You might also consider buying your bird’s cage second-hand to save on that huge upfront cost.

Use recycled newspaper as bedding instead of buying expensive cage liners to cut back on unnecessary costs.

Make your own bird toys instead of buying them from the store.

We also recommend shopping around for an exotic vet in your region that’s reasonably priced. Some veterinary practices offer payment plans, which should be another consideration when choosing the vet for your cockatiel.

Conclusion

When first adopting a cockatiel, you’ll be looking at a few hundred dollars out of the gate. The average initial cost can quickly add up to more than $400. Make your adoption budget-friendly by buying a second-hand cage and adopting a cockatiel from your local shelter versus buying one from a breeder.

Your annual costs of cockatiel ownership will start around the $300 mark once you factor in food, toys, environment upkeep, insurance, and medical care.

Adopting a cockatiel is an exciting time, but birds are certainly not cheap pets to own. Make sure you have space in your budget to buy the things your cockatiel needs to live and thrive. Don’t forget to put aside money for unexpected costs and pricey vet bills, too.

See also:

• 9 Signs Your Cockatiel Loves You: What to Watch For!
• Bronze Fallow Cockatiel: Pictures, Facts & History

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Featured Image Credit: ariesa66, Pixabay