3. The Cockatiel is a member
of the Cockatoo Family. Some characteristics it shares with its cockatoo cousins are an
erect crest, both sexes incubate their eggs, and the young rock from side to side and hiss
when they are disturbed. When the chicks first hatch from the egg they are covered with
yellow down which is soon replaced by feathers. Both parents feed the chicks in the nest
for the first four weeks of their life at which time they fledge (leave the nest). They
continue to be dependent on the parent birds for around 3 to 4 more weeks as they learn to
feed themselves. Once they are 8 weeks old they are usually self-sufficient.
