When you are preparing to bring a pet bird into your home, you generally have a choice between buying a bird that has been hand-raised, or one that has not.  A hand-raised bird means one that has been raised by a person instead of its parent.  Hand-raised birds tend to be tamer, but birds that are not hand-raised are not necessarily wild, either.

Hand-raised birds are generally quite a bit more expensive because they take much more time to raise.  In our local pet store, a hand-raised cockatiel costs about $50 more than one that is not, but since the time is already spent making it tame, it may be worth the extra investment to get a turnkey pet.

Birds who are not hand-raised are definitely more difficult to tame, and may not ever be as “in your pocket” tame as a hand-raised bird, but for bird lovers with patience, they can usually be tamed enough to enjoy spending time with.

Some people prefer a bird that was not hand-raised, because they maintain a little bit more distance.  If you have ever spent time with a hand-raised cockatiel, you will know that they can be a little bit too friendly sometimes.

Buying hand-raised or not is really a matter of personal preference.  If you are not sure which way to go, I recommend going to a local pet store and interacting with the birds some.  A bird that is not hand-raised will be leery at first, but with time and patience, can become tame enough to be a best buddy.