Cockatiel food: what to feed and how much
A good cockatiel diet is built around a quality seed or pellet mix formulated for the species, topped up with a small amount of fresh food most days — not a seed-only diet, which leaves real gaps over time because cockatiels tend to pick out their favourite pieces and leave the rest.
Seed mix vs pellets
Left to a mixed seed bowl, most cockatiels will happily eat the fattier seeds first — sunflower and similar — and leave the more nutritionally balanced pieces behind, which over weeks can mean the diet actually eaten looks quite different from what the bag promises. A mix like Bucktons Cockatiel & Lovebird Food gives a reasonable base, but it is worth watching what is genuinely being eaten rather than just topping the bowl up.
A pelleted diet gets around the selective-eating problem entirely, since every piece carries the same balance of nutrients, so there is nothing to pick and choose between. Many owners transition gradually from a seed mix to a mix of pellets and fresh food, since a cockatiel used to seed can be slow to accept pellets at first.
Fresh food and treats
A small amount of fresh vegetable most days is a good addition to a cockatiel's diet, introduced gradually and offered in a piece small enough to manage easily. Millet spray and similar bird treats are popular and fine as an occasional extra rather than a daily staple.
Remove any uneaten fresh food from the cage within a few hours rather than leaving it in — it spoils quickly and can attract bacteria or mould in a warm cage, which is a genuine hygiene risk regardless of what the food itself is.
How much and how often
Most cockatiels do well with food available through the day, topped up once daily rather than left to run out, alongside a fresh top-up of vegetables a few times a week. Overfeeding fatty treats like whole seeds and nuts is the more common problem, since cockatiels can gain weight quickly on a diet too heavy in them.
A shallow dish or scattering some food for foraging suits their natural behaviour better than a single deep bowl, giving them something to work for rather than everything available at once.
What to avoid
Avocado, chocolate, caffeine and anything high in salt or sugar are all unsafe for cockatiels and should never be offered, even as an accidental scrap from the table. Alcohol and anything containing xylitol are equally to be kept well away.
If you are ever unsure whether a specific food is safe, it is worth checking before offering it rather than assuming it is fine because it is safe for other pets or for people.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Peckish Complete Seed
A husk-free garden bird seed mix with Peckish's own added vitamin pellet
From£3.00
Peckish Winter Warmer Extra Energy Seed Mix
A 1KG winter seed mix with 9 ingredients and 20% oil for extra energy
£3.99
Peckish Complete Seed and Nut No Mess Wild Bird Seed Mix
A no-mess seed and nut mix for the garden, built from 12 ingredients for up to 16 bird species
£20.99
Peckish Sunflower Hearts
Sunflower hearts for wild birds, a husk-free, high-energy straight for feeder or table
£5.39
Peckish Extra Goodness Energy Balls
A 6-plus-6-free pack of energy balls with peanuts, sunflower seed and beef tallow
£3.99
Peckish Complete Ready to Use Bird Feeder
A pre-filled, refillable wild bird feeder, ready to hang straight out of the packaging
£5.99
Peckish Robin Seed Mix
A 1KG insect-added seed mix from Peckish, marketed specifically at robins
£3.75
Peckish No Grow Seed Mix
A weed-free wild bird seed mix, husk-free and treated so it won't sprout in the garden below
From£5.49
Peckish Suet & Peanut Feeder
A perforated stainless steel feeder that takes either suet pellets or peanuts
£12.99
Peckish Extra Goodness Crumble Mix
A 1KG crumble-texture treat mix for garden birds, with added vitamins
£4.99
Peckish Winter Warmer High Energy Wild Bird Seed Mix
A high-energy winter seed mix for garden birds, feeder or table
£24.99
Common questions
- Do cockatiels need pellets or is seed enough?
- A seed-only diet often ends up unbalanced in practice, because cockatiels tend to eat their favourite seeds first and leave the rest. Pellets solve this by giving the same balanced nutrition in every piece, and many owners use a mix of pellets and fresh food alongside some seed.
- Can cockatiels eat fruit and vegetables?
- Yes, a small amount of fresh food most days is a good addition to their diet. Introduce anything new gradually, offer it in small pieces, and remove uneaten portions from the cage within a few hours before they spoil.
- How much food does a cockatiel need a day?
- Most cockatiels do well with a seed or pellet mix available through the day, topped up once daily, plus a small fresh food top-up a few times a week. Watch your bird's weight and appetite over time and adjust the amount if they seem to be gaining or losing condition.
- Why does my cockatiel only eat certain seeds from the mix?
- This is very common and is usually a preference for fattier, more palatable seeds like sunflower rather than a sign of anything wrong. It is exactly why a mixed seed bowl alone can end up nutritionally unbalanced, and why moving towards pellets or watching what is genuinely being eaten is worthwhile.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.