World’s Oldest Cockatiel Celebrates Another Birthday

A cockatiel named Sonny has just celebrated his 33rd birthday, cementing his position as the world’s oldest. The old bird – who has experienced more than double the lifespan of your average cockatiel – was recognized last year by Guiness World Records.

Sonny has lived with the same Northbrook, Illinois family, the Reichers, since he was 12 weeks old. Having lived through the first Clinton administration, Sonny is almost certainly the world’s only surviving millennial cockatiel.

“I guess he has good genes. He has never been sick,” Janet Reicher tells People magazine. “The key to his longevity is cleanliness, human food rich in protein and vegetables, human interaction and lots of love.”

Sonny’s diet is not the kind of fare a cockatiel will experience in the wild: 

freshly baked muffins, vegetables, chicken, eggs, bread, pasta, and potatoes. But it’s really that other thing – interaction and love – that sets this bird’s existence apart. Sonny’s cage is where he dines and takes the occasional nap, but other than that he’s mostly living it up with the family.

“He usually spends waking hours outside of his cage, sitting on various size perches. In the evenings, he often sits on my knee while watching TV,” says Reicher. The family sent several photos to Guinness to document the decades of Sonny perching on the shoulder or knee of one Reicher or another. They made the wise decision to paper-train their bird like a good dog, so he has the run of the house.

The TV has also been a source of enrichment: Sonny can whistle songs from The Bridge on the River Kwai and the themes from “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Addams Family.” At his advanced age, Sonny sometimes confuses the tunes, but who doesn’t?

“Years ago, he had a larger vocabulary,” says Reicher. “Now that he is much older, his vocabulary has dwindled.” Sonny can still say “Hi Sonny,” “No” and “Okay,” which is probably just enough to live the good life.

Photo credit: Janet Reicher