Cockatiel Whistling an Opera Tune Could Break Every Glass in the House

I used to love it when cartoons would have someone singing opera, and then a glass would shatter when they hit the high notes. When I found out later that it's actually really rare and does not happen as often as you'd think, I was a little devastated.

If anyone could make it happen, though, I think it would be this Cockatiel. Her mom taught her a nice little tune, and slhe absolutely nailed it! Everyone is in love with her angelic little voice:

@jackiwanders

Morning duets when you're training your bird to sing opera My protégé is making some pretty fun progress! #cockatiel#birdtok#singingbird#bird#opera

original sound - jacki

Jacki Wanders is a music teacher, and I think this is definitely her favorite student. She picked up that tune so quickly! Cockatiels are quick learners, especially for little things like this that are easy to imitate.

The best part is when she skips over some of the song: she only likes to do the really high parts. If I were a glass, I'd be shaking in my boots! She does such a good job! I think she's definitely good enough to be backup singer material, at the very least.

Related: Baby Cockatiel Proudly Showing Mom His ‘Big Boy Feather' Couldn't Be Happier

This little bird's name is Aspen. Her mom is actually an opera teacher, which is really cool. She turns it into whistling for her feathered friend, who holds her own so well! They practice every day, and she's getting a lot better at the harder parts:

@jackiwanders

Aspen is happy and she KNOWS it This is the part she's been struggling with since day one… and today she finally nailed it. Proud mama moment Follow for more Aspen progress + drop your song requests #cockatiel#viralvideo#opera#birdsoftiktok#birdtok

original sound - jacki

Practice makes perfect! That's one dedicated bird. She's so lucky to have such a loving, patient teacher.

What Sounds Can Cockatiels Make?

When you're considering getting a bird, one of the things you might think is most important is what kind of sounds they make. All birds sound a little bit different, so you'd better know your stuff!

Cockatiels are a mid-sized bird, somewhere between a Budgie and a full-blown Parrot. They're overlooked a lot, but they shouldn't be! These versatile birds make a bunch of different sounds, including:

• Chirping.
• Whistling.
• Actual talking.
• Mimicking certain noises, like smoke alarms or music notes.

Though Cockatiels can learn actual words, they're typically not as crisp as something like an African Grey Parrot's words are. Even so, it's really cool, and it's so pretty when they sing!

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM.