Dominant Cockatiel

Question
I love all pets and believe in proper treatment.  I visited a friend who has two cockatiels.  She said the grey one is a male and the one with the orange cheeks a female.  The grey one seems dominant and if you speak to the other, he will chase her away and peck at her.  The grey one talks but the other does not.  He did peck her legs until bleeding.  I think they should be separated in different cages.  My friend has an active 5 year old who runs up and pokes fingers in the cage.  I told her this is stressful also.  She needs to approach slowly and speak softly.  I worry about the one that she says is female with the orange cheeks.  I think she would sing and be happy in her own cage.  Please give some advice that I can pass on.  My friend thinks this is just normal behavior and male dominance.  Thank you.

Answer
Lori,

I agree with you about separating the birds.  Anytime you have one bird pecking at the other bird until it bleeds is a dangerous situation and should be rectified.  

The female will not sing in her own cage because female cockatiels do not normally sing, merely cheep.  However, I do think she will be healthier and happier, and perhaps they can be given some "out of cage" time together.  Also, the new cage could be put right next to the current one, thus alleviating the stress due to separation.

Thanks for your concern!

Cindy