cockatiels, are they really as fragile as the books make them sound?

They are very delicate birds. I have one myself, which was a gift to me from a well respected and professional breeder, and she told me all the same things the books say. They do need a lot of preventative steps taken to keep them healthy, and you do need to be very careful with them. They're wonderful pets, though, if you have the patience and money care for them.

I have 7 cockatiels. They can be fragile. Most bird species can get scared and have a heart attack. I think that budgies are the easiest to have this happen to them. If you are going to look after any birds don't get more than 2 as every bird owner has a lot of work to look after them. They all need regular cage cleanings,water dish changing, nutristional care. You have to be aware of what products you use in cleaning dishes cages, and even your home. All birds are sensitive to airborn orders, such as: Smoke, arisals, teflon coated cookware, and even certain foods can kill extreamly fast. if you want any information you can ask me anytime.

I have one I adopted from the porch of a friends SIL. I have had him for 8 months. He will not let you get near him unless he wants you there. He broke his wing years ago and it is still warped. There is only one vet around me that will see him and I tried that and will not return, another story there.He has never had any problems in his 5 years other than the broken wing.

No I wouldnt say so. I have written in a previous post how mine was attacked by an eagle through his cage, I thought for sure that he would die within a couple of hours. This was about 6 weeks ago. He is still here. He lost an eye and half his head I had to syringe feed him, then moved on to feeding him one seed at a time...lol he is great now, minus one eye he eats by himself I just have to give him his drink now because a chunk was taken out of his beak. But he survived after all of that he is 15 and his will to live was just amazing. I wouldnt worry about what books say, I just go with my heart.

I have had quite a few cockatiels. We moved a cage full from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and they lived in my car until we built a shed. That shed had only a propane heater in weather that got down to -25. We were there 7 years. I lost 2 from illness and 2 from a weasel. We moved from there to Alabama in a 4-day trip. They have done just fine. They need to be kept free of drafts and given veggies or fruit or pasta plus other goodies. I have fed seeds plus goodies, not pelleted feed. My 2 boys are probably 8-9 years old. They do talk a little bit and whistle a lot as well. Wonderful pets. I also have parakeets, doves, and a sun conure. I have had canaries and lovebirds as well.

hm... i'd say it really depends on the hardiness of the bird. I have a male going on 16 years old, and I grab him, rough house with him, wrestle with him, and take him outside, and he's still as active as he was when he was 4.

I had no idea they were fragile. A year ago my grandma's house burnt down and that bird was through a lot. It was the only thing besides my grandma that made it out the door. Maybe this one is made of strong stuff...lol. He has 4 cats staring at him daily and he just sings to them. They really are nice birds but they can bite. To me it seems like they bite a bit more than the average bird but I can only compare him to a parakeet and they hardly bit.

Well, I had a friend that has had one for a very long time! They make sure though they put her somewhere high from the floor surface in case of any accident. The birds need to be treated as friends. You sing to them, you talk to them, you take good care of them and they will last!