Cockatiel Tips: Cockatiels are great as pets! They adapt well to their surrounding and they give owners a lot of love. In 1991 we bought our 1st cockatiel and by 1996 we had 12 cockatiels.  After much pleading, we finally gave some to relatives and close friends.
Taming is easier when tamed alone. When we bought "Pokey" we kept him away from the other birds. After constantly repeating " Pokey is a pretty bird". Pockey started saying it. When we later put him in with the others, he repeated it to them. Now all the males say the same phrase, " Pokey is a pretty bird".
Nesting- We paired off Pokey and Snowball into a cockatiel nest box. Of the 9 eggs that snowball produced, 6 of them hatched into the most adorable little cockatiels. Snowball and Pokey felt overwhelmed so I assisted them in feeding the brood. The babies did not like the store bought rearing food, so we fed them soft food. Scrambled eggs were their favorites.
Chewing Cockatiels love to chew or gnaw, so provide them with something before they find it on there own. My birds favorites are wires and window sills.
Cages Cockatiels need room, as they love to fly. Since our cockatiels are often out of their caged, I keep their wings clipped.
Accidents happen so consider keeping styptic powder and the vets phone number handy.
Food My birds enjoy a variety of foods. Some foods they eat in addition to their cockatiels mix are: apples, peas, eggs, chips, cake, millet spray and treats. All these are given in moderation.
Preening is common among cockatiels. Usually our birds preen each other in the face/head region.
Feather Plucking happens and as a result of preening/plucking "Pokey" has lost all his head feathers. I have tried separating him from the female that does this to him, then he cries and refuses to eat. When together he does not seem to mind his oddity, or her picking at him.....but I sure do.
Perches there are many to choose from, my birds prefer the limbs I wash and bring into their cage. If you wish to bring limbs in from outside, make sure they are safe ( non-toxic), for your birds.
Hissing & Biting; We have a hisser. Anytime she becomes disturbed she hisses. Cockatiels will bite. I had one bite me and draw blood. I felt this was really my fault. I adopted him because his owners were having trouble with him, and I rushed him in hand taming. He was being territorial.
Beak,Claw, Wings, All can  become overgrown. I file and clip my birds. 
Sexing- I think sexing a young cockatiel is difficult. as the birds age the female cockatiel tends to have lighter cheek patches, darker beaks, than the males.
Bathing  and Misting some birds enjoy it, and some don't. However all my birds love to have me spray a light mist over their heads.