How to Understand a Cockatiel by His Crest

There are seven different things (for the most part) that cockatiels do with their crests to tell us how they are feeling and perhaps even what they want. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell what they mean when they move their crests back and forth, but this simple and easy guide will make sure your and your bird-friend have the best possible relationship! The seven main emotions/feelings are:

• Curiosity
• Anger
• Sleepiness
• Cautiousness
• Happiness
• Contentedness
• Excitement

When a bird is curious about something or someone (or maybe even just feels like exploring), the crest will go up as straight as possible, and usually there is an outstretched neck that follows this behavior. Though usually curiosity is positive, this is not always the case, and it can sometimes be confused with cautiousness.

When a bird is angry, usually the tell-tale sign is the lunging or open beak that goes along with the crest. When upset, the crest goes as flat against the head as possible, and even the curly point at the end (that not all cockatiels have) is as straight as possible. In this case, you or another pet are really making the bird upset, and it's best to back off before you get bit. A bird who is always upset like this is probably not living the best possible life it could be.

When a cockatiel is tired, the crest goes midway up in a relaxed position. The end of the crest will usually be curled upward. The bird might be grooming before bed or having a little shut-eye during the day. When it is night-time, the bird should have its head tucked under its wing.

A cautious bird's crest is up all the way, but not tensed. Usually, the crest is curved upward and not exactly straight. A cautious bird might be frightened, but this is not necessarily the case. It could just be that it sees something outside or is meeting a larger bird/animal for the first time.

When a cockatiel is happy, they are always the cutest. Their crest is flat on the back of their heads, but relaxed and strongly curled upward. Happy birds tend to sing or chirp with a calm, content demeanor. Happiness is probably the easiest emotion to identify, because they're in such a darn happy little mood!

When a bird is content, you might be fooled. Not to be confused with a frightened or hissing bird, a content cockatiel will have their crest straight up—as straight as it can be. Usually, this emotion is identifiable by the calm attitude the bird has (rather than hissing or biting like an upset bird might).

Excitement, in this case, is a positive attitude. Along with a raised but relaxed crest, an excited bird may fly around, raise their wings, chirp (or sing), and dance. This emotion may easily be confused with curiosity or cautiousness, but indeed it is very different. Usually, in a beginner's eye, it is easier to detect excitement by other movements, such as the ones mentioned earlier.