# How do males impress and attract females?



## Sebastior (Jul 29, 2013)

I know that males are generally good whistlers and whistle to attract and impress the females.
But do they do it in other ways too? Nests? I know some parrots do, where a male finds a nest and shows a female or his partner, and once he finds one that's good enough for the female, they mate in there and raise their chicks.

Do cockatiels do this too?
My male cockatiel couldn't even impress a rock with his whistling, i'm not trying to be mean, but he just doesn't whistle, he chirps. Maybe he's gay, i don't know, it doesn't matter. Only time you might hear him actually whistle a melody is when he's done masturbating, only sometimes though. Not as frequent as when he started.

But he loves finding nests it seems like, he loves crawling into spaces, cleaning them out, tidying up.
Is that a way for a male cockatiel to impress their partner?

My male cockatiel sees me as his partner (i'm pretty sure), which i don't mind whatsoever, it's quite fun.
He tries to make babies with me, i did mind a little at first, but i've gotten used to it. He preens me like i had feathers, which kinda hurts sometimes, if it does, like on the fingers, i say 'ow' and move his beak away and he usually goes back and does it gentler.
We have a flock call, he follows me around the apartment, wants to do everything i do.

Another question just came to mind, do they mate for life? I know a lot of parrots do, but do cockatiels?


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Yes usually bonded pairs don't find other mates unless separated long term; death or human separation. Does he hold his wings out in a heart shape/ heartwings. I'm not sure about the nest clearing behaviour


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

I know that usually a male will investigate the nest box and get it ready/renovate like chewing the opening and such to make sure it's ready before the female goes in, that's how mine go about it anyway


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## Sebastior (Jul 29, 2013)

He does heartshaped wings a lot with me, espcially if he's on the floor and i stand up.
Or when he eats his broccoli leaves and stalks, i guess he really *hearts* them 

He always runs around with a leaf/leaf and stalk in his mouth, running, strutting, chirping with his heart shaped wings, then when he drops it he looks distraught, it's adorable. He gets so upset.
So then i have to pick it up for him, but i'm never allowed to take any away, god forbid!

He does his nesting ritual in bed, under the blankets when i'm in it, sometimes under the bed he recently found a spot in the kitchen under a cushion pad thing, you know those for garden chairs and stuff, we have one we're getting rid of, it's in the kitchen making a perfect tent, he found that quite interesting today lol.

Right now he's crying after me as i'm in my/our bedroom and he's in the kitchen, i have the door closed, was fixing some stuff in here, so i'ma go get him now and socialize 
He keeps doing out flock call and cries, i think he misses me lol.

EDIT: After my first tame bird died years ago, i never thought i'd get another as tame as him, this one even more tame goddamn it!
He was a budgie, named Flipp. I miss him so much, he was my best friend growing up.


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## Sebastior (Jul 29, 2013)

So what you reckon, he a girly boy or what?
Do they learn to sing naturally and come up with melodies naturally or do you play them stuff and then they mimic what they like?
But what about in nature, i haven't found a whole lot of clips of male 'tiels whistling to impress the gurlz.

Right now he's on the floor making strange noises, gonna record him and see if i can upload on here


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## Fredandiris (Nov 27, 2012)

My guy mimics tunes he hears to his girl, but he adds little of his own musical twists. He'll whistle a tune to his mate (same one every time) right before he enters the nestbox and for a minute or two after he's in there with her. He'll also beak tap things. He does a lot of heart-winging too, and those funny little hops. Those are my favorite haha. 

His son does the same exact things, which I guess much of which he learned from his dad. He's a bigger heart-winger though. He's really into doing those.


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## Sebastior (Jul 29, 2013)

Yeah baby does a lot of beak tapping when he heart wings, is that to show how big and strong they are? He especially beak taps if i'm about to leave the room and i just set him down somewhere.


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