I have researched the web and asked many questions at all the local pet stores and have ended up thoroughly confused. I have an albino cockatiel that is 27 years old, he flew to my house back in 1985, no small feat, he got past 2 big Labradors, had survived a cat attack, and we did find his former owners that had him locked in a rabbit cage WITH a rabbit and he was eating only corn that you give chickens. At the time when I first got him, I didn't even know what he was, because the net was not prevalent in those days and we didn't have a pet store anywhere in the area since I lived in Northeast Tennessee. So we fed him scratch feed and wild bird food until we found out what he was a couple of months later. Naturally I bought everything he needed including real cockatiel diet, but we also fed him anything he would eat, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, fruit of all kinds, though he does NOT like banana's at all, and even buttermilk biscuits and cornbread, HE LOVES those. And 23 years later we must have done something right. The former owner let us keep him though he was really his, but I could NOT let him go back to a rabbit cage w/a rabbit. We named him Jasper because at the time I liked the cartoon Casper and he reminded me of it, but he also reminds me of an old man, so Jasper fit. He's quite unique, not really touchable, he does bite when he's had enough of being nice. But in general he's sweet, he'll take food from you, does allow head scratching, etc. He did lose his eyesight a couple of years ago, I think from cataracts and old age, he did scratch his eyes a lot, then one day his sight was just gone. We took him to vets who say it's cataracts, it is possible to remove them, but it could kill him in the process because he does breathe heavily now with a lot of activity. It is going to be a very sad day when Jasper is gone because he is the pet that has survived my childhood, adolescence, teenage years, and now adulthood. He has a personality all his own. He never cared for attempted breeding, he thought only he was beautiful, he had mirrors which I guess ruined that possibility, he LOVES paper bags, I guess it makes him feel like he's in a cave and he defends it whole heartedly, unfortunately he doesn't really enjoy that activity any more because of his lack of sight. I have to keep everything in his cage exactly where it is and not change it around because he doesn't know where it is. I honestly think he counts his steps up to his other poles because I watch him and he slowly and methodically goes the same route every time he needs to go between poles. He used to fly, but cannot any more because he bumps into everything. I really feel horrible with his lack of sight, but he still seems happy as ever. He taps the top of his seeds now if he needs them turned because he can't see them to get at the bottom ones. I think this bird deserves a medal because he has been through so much and has lived this long. He wolf whistles, can say some sentences, especially Jasper's a prettyboy, he can mock a motorcycle, chatter false teeth, kiss, and do spitting noises, as well as cough, say quit, and whistle out some songs. He LOVES to balance on chicken eggs, I don't know why, I don't know if he thinks it is a ball, but he keeps trying and trying to stand on top of them, unsuccessfully, but it's so funny watching him surf the chicken egg. Unlike many birds, he doesn't step up to your finger, he steps behind, I don't know why, but that's the way it is. Anyways, long story short, how long is he going to be with me? I know I've had him 23 years, and the man before me had him around 4 - 5 years, so that makes him at least 27 years old.