Cockatiels can be categorised as a low – medium when it comes to loudness as the sounds they produce measure around 80 decibels. This means they are roughly as loud as a noisy downtown street. They’ll be the loudest in the morning and afternoon whilst the volume will simmer down in the evening before calling it a night. 

How Loud Can Cockatiels Get?

On average a cockatiel can achieve sounds that measure around 80 decibels. This is equivalent to the sound of a noisy restaurant, traffic or a noisy downtown street.

It’s definitely possible for these rosy cheeked birds to shriek at a much louder volume based on their mood but, on average they aren’t overly loud.

The amount of noise your cockatiel will make will differ depending on their personality. I used to have a cockatiel who was normally very quiet and didn’t speak very much at all. She did occasionally tweet and chatter but, as whole she wasn’t loud at all.

Others may be a lot louder, especially those that mimic annoying sound like car alarms or smoke alarms. Cockatiels that crave attention may chirp a lot more than others too.

In general cockatiels are low – medium volume in comparison to most parrots like cockatoos but, they’re also not the quietest out there which is mostly down to the fact they are a little bigger than other avians.

Why Would A Cockatiel Become Nosier?

There are a few reasons why a cockatiel may become louder which I’ll cover for you below:

• When They Are Excited  – If you and your cockatiel have a great bond, they may get excited to see or hear your voice and in turn will increase their volume to have you notice them. The same would apply for other animals that a cockatiel has a fondness for.
• Loud Sounds Around Them – If the environment they’re within is extremely loud, whether down to music, a movie, construction work etc. your cockatiels volume will also increase to match said volume.
• When Mimicking Sound – Cockatiels, like a lot parrots, are able to mimic sounds so say they grow a fondness for a really loud screechy sound like a car alarm for example, to mimic it well they may even increase the volume at which they produce the sound.
• When Scared – Cockatiels will increase their volume when threatened so, by increasing their volume to a louder than normal sound, it may stop the threatening individual or predator from coming any closer. After all loud screechy sounds aren’t the most pleasant for most people, especially those with sensitive ears
• When Threatening Another – A cockatiel may also get louder if they’re threatening another or just overly hormonal. if say you’re playing with their potential mate they may become more aggressive and start squawking at you.
• When They’re Bored – Your cockatiel may start making sounds to get through boredom so, if that may be the reason why, it wouldn’t hurt giving them something fun to do such as a toy to play with.

Are Cockatiels Louder Than Budgies?

On average yes cockatiels are louder than budgies, this is partially down to their size and vocal cords that allow them produce sound a fair bit louder.

The traditional budgie is able to produce volumes around the 68 decibel range, which is roughly as loud as a running dishwasher or washing machine.

Budgies would only be louder than a cockatiel when it’s in larger flocks but, then again the same could be said for a flock of cockatiels.

In general you could say that budgies are more nosier as they chit chat a lot more but when it comes to making a singular sound cockatiels are significantly louder.

Are Cockatiels Noisy At Night?

Cockatiels aren’t nocturnal birds so they tend to sleep when night falls. Therefore, most will not be loud or noisy at this time of the day unless external factors make it tough for them to sleep.

It’s also possible for cockatiels to suffer from night frights where they may awaken from a bad dream, sudden movements, from bright a light both of which could suddenly cause these birds to make little chirps throughout the night and potentially louder shrieks.

They could also be active as a result of too much sunlight which could potentially make them more hormonal throughout the day and night.

Other than instances like that which aren’t all that common, cockatiels are not noisy at night.

When Are Cockatiels Most Noisy?

Cockatiels, much like most other parrots, will be at their nosiest in the morning and late afternoon. This is because birds outside would be singing, their owners are awake, television are probably turned on and if its a sunny day, they’ll get a bunch of energy from that too.

Of course they can be relatively noisy in the evening and even at night based on external factors but, cockatiels are universally regarded to be loudest earlier on in the day.

How To Reduce The Noise Cockatiels Make

There are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of noise a cockatiel makes by doing the following:

• Give Them More Attention – Most parrots enjoy attention and without it they may stimulate themselves in other ways, like making extra noise for example. Therefore, if your cockatiel has been stimulated sufficiently through your affection (which normally should be 3 – 5 hours of interaction) your cockatiel will likely be less vocal.
• Give Them New Toys – Giving new toys to your cockatiel will give them either a puzzle to solve or have something fun to roll around or poke. This should stimulate their needs and reduce their need to squawk as often.
• Move Them To A Quieter Environment – If your cockatiels environment is too loud, moving them to a less noisy place will be beneficial as it will reduce the amount of noise around them and in turn the stimulation around them.

In terms of the volume generated and how often a cockatiel is noisy, having had both lovebirds and cockatiels, lovebirds are consistently louder whilst the cockatiels were mostly quite and tame in their volume.

Your situation may differ as all cockatiels have their own unique differences in pesonality so, you would probably want to reduce the volume using one or all of the methods mentioned above.

Summary

Ultimately the loudness of your cockatiel will be dependant on its personality, some may be the vocal type and others less so. At the 80 decibel range on average , cockatiels aren’t quiet especially, when you consider this is equivalent to the sound of a busy restaurant.

If this is a volume level you can handle, cockatiels will make fine pets. Though do keep in mind, if you live in an apartment building that has thin walls, having a relatively loud animal like a cockatiel probably won’t be to their liking.