First you have to decide where to get your bird. From a dealer? Or breeder? I usually prefer a hand fed cockatiel form a breeder. They are usually tamer and are used to hands. Sometimes in pet stores they dont get the attintion they need. So they will become mean and bite. And for a beginner I dont think you would want to go through the taming process.

It is also easier to get on the web and search for a breeder. Another good thing is to join a society where you will be able to obtain the best advice for buying a bird.

As a novice you will not know the good and bad qualities of a bird but and experienced fancier will be willing to help you. Experienced fanciers will also spot any signs of disease or disability.

Buy only from breeders and dealers who keep the cage or aviaries in the best order. If the cages and aviaries are clean and tidy and in good order then you should have no worries in buying birds. If the cages are clean then the breeders or dealers are obviously aware to keep a healthy well fed bird. Of course you must know what to look for in a healthy bird. A healthy bird will sit up right and nimbly on its perch; it will have bright shiny eyes and smooth sleeked tight plumage, and will not allow itself to be harassed by other birds in a cage.

When you approach to closely a healthy bird is likely to show fear flying or walking away, but still focusing its attention on you. A sick bird may perhaps fly or walk away, but likely not to show interest at all. And dont be mislead by the apparently "tame" nature in such a bird. Healthy birds have a smooth coat of feathers. The tail feathers may be a little frayed along the edges or the tail will be short, but this is usually a result of too small a cage or inadequate bathing facilities. Some birds will be missing feathers and the common cause of that is too much handling, for example catching the bird to put it in another cage to often. The feathers will be replaced in the next molt, but is poor bird keeping to grab birds more than absolutely necessary.

Also make sure to check other things on the bird. Take a look a the beak make sure it shuts properly and blow on its feathers to check the skin under make sure it is clean and healthy not spotty and red. There are some other things you need to check on the bird too. So you can read up on that, because I am not going to get into that alot.