Trimming your cockatiel’s toenails is an occasional duty that improves everyone’s life. You should clip your bird’s nails on an as-needed basis, but here’s how you know for sure when it’s time for a trim:
The youngest and oldest members of the family can’t hold the bird without getting scratched or bruised. Their skin is the most sensitive, and holding a cockatiel may be painful for these members of the family unless his nails are clipped.
The nails are getting snagged in your sweaters or in the carpeting. They’re just too long for the cockatiel’s own safety.
An errant nail is getting long and threatens to grow up into the pad of your cockatiel’s foot. Your cockatiel never kicks back and puts his feet up, so his feet need to be in excellent shape. If a long toenail or two threatens his comfort, then it’s time to take care of those nails.
You can see that the nails are too long. When he perches, they wrap around each other. When he walks on a flat surface, they force his feet up off the surface instead of just touching it.
Your cockatiel has a foot injury or defect that prevents him from perching normally. Without wear and perching, his nails may grow too long.