Name: Whiley
Type of bird: Cockatiel
Gender: Male
Color: Cinnamon Pearl, split for Pied
Arrival Date: Summer 1997
Age: ? At least 10 years old

Background:
10 years ago, I visited a local pet store to buy bird supplies. When I walked in the store, I saw a gorgeous cinnamon, split for pied male cockatiel. An employee who I really didn't trust much, told me it was a hand-fed baby cockatiel. I knew he was just trying to make a sale as the bird had long tail feathers and a bright yellow face. It takes several molts minimum to get the full yellow male face and tail feathers THAT long. The bird had to be at least 2 years of age.

I later went back and talked to the owner. Whiley, was no hand fed baby as I had known. A lady had been outside in her back yard, when to her surprise, a cockatiel came out of the blue and landed on her. She could not keep the bird and he promptly ended up in the pet store where I came across him. I still do not know how old he actually is but I have owned him for 6 years. Cockatiels can, if well cared for, live into their twenties so I cannot know his true age.

Whiley is everything that is good and bad in a cockatiel. He is a sweet heart who loves to whistle, have his head scratched. His favorite hobby is tapping on soda cans and bowing to them, as well as tapping on paper towel rolls and whistling into them. So what is so bad about him? When he is hormonal, he will bite, chase, and attack people. I am very good at handling him and if he gets too bad, I just clip his wings which dents his ego enough that he can be handled again. I love him even when he bites but he like many male tiels, can be very temperamental when they choose. Whiley is also a permanent member of my flock.