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Habitat

In the Wild: Cockatiels are native to Australia and live in the subtropics and temperate regions. They
are found over most of Australia except the coastal areas. They are not found in Tasmania.

Lifespan:
The average lifespan of a cockatiel is 12 to 15 years. It is not unusual for a Cockatiel to live to 20 years of age and the occasional cockatiel makes it to 25+

Characteristics

Cockatiels are a member of the cockatoo family, displaying their cute little head crests, as well as having their male/female colorings and nesting behaviors.
Weight: 3-4 ounces; Length: 12 inches from beak to tip of tail. Adults generally have darker feathers and beaks. Males generally have brighter yellow heads and orange cheek patches, as well as predominant crests.
in the wild, they are mostly gray in color. Domestic breeding has resulted in color variations known as
Pied, Pearl, Cinnamon, Lutino, and Silver.
Lifespan: In the Wild 12-14 years; In Captivity 20-25 years

Behaviors

Cockatiels can be very docile (calm) and friendly to people as well as to other birds. In the wild, they live in groups of about 12 birds, though they will flock in the hundreds after breeding season and where food is plentiful. Although part of the parrot order, they are better at imitating whistles than at talking.
Some do learn to repeat phrases; the males are generally better at mimicking than the females are. Cockatiels communicate vocally with each other quite a bit, alerting other flock members of danger, food, or of their locations.  

Reproduction

Cockatiels reach sexual maturity at 18 - 24 months of age. This is the only cockatoo species that can breed at such a young age.
Pair bonding is very strong and they may mate for life. They build their nests in tree hollows about 6 or more feet above the ground. Mating may be immediate or may take up to 4-6 weeks, during which time there will be a lot of mutual preening (feather cleaning). Breeding begins after a rainy season.
The female will lay an egg every other day for a clutch of between 3-9 eggs. The incubation period is 18-
20 days. Chicks leave the nest at about 5-6 weeks and will be totally independent about 2 weeks after
leaving the nest. The young reach full size at about 9 months of age.

Diet

In the Wild:
A wide variety of small seeds gathered from the ground, native grass seed where abundant
Safe Herbs for your Cockatiel:
Fruits, vegetables, mixed variety of seeds, paradise pellets, greens
Toxic for your Bird: DO NOT FEED!
Avocados, rhubarb, leaves and stems from potato, tomato, eggplant and bean plants, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, salt, greasy foods, tobacco, fruit seeds or pits from apples, apricots, oranges, cherries, peaches, pears and plums are toxic and can make your bird sick. If a large quantity is ingested, some foods can be lethal to birds.