All About
Cockatiels
Overview (scroll down)
Cockatiels as Pets ... Breeding
Chicks: Day-to-Day Development (Photos)
Mutations & Sexing ... Breeders
Feeding / Diet ... Diseases ... Books
Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) are endemic to the outback regions of central Australia. Their preferred habitat includes the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bush lands.
The sociable and generally gentle cockatiel has become a treasured household pet that will do well in most households.
Arguably more popular than the Budgerigar, cockatiels are popular household pets in many parts of the world. Today, all pet cockatiels are bred in captivity, as Australia no longer permits the export of native wildlife, whether endangered or not.
The cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is a small parrot that occurs naturally in the outback regions of inland Australia. It is the smallest member of the Cacatuidae (cockatoo) family.
In Australia, it is also commonly referred to as Quarrion and Weiro.
They average 12.8 inches or 32 cm in length (including tail). Healthy adult cockatiels usually weigh between 2.8 - 4.4 oz (78 and 125 grams) - the average being 2 oz or 90 grams. Some cockatiel mutations, particularly some lutinos, tend to be rather small-boned birds. They may weigh between 2.8 - 3.2 oz (78 and 90 grams). Some cockatiels selectively bred for competitions may way between 3.9 - 4.4 oz (110 and 125 grams).
- Note: Bird weight is an important indicator of good health or health problems (please click here for diseases associated with weight gain or weight loss). Monitoring your pet's weight regularly, establishing a healthy base weight and keeping an eye on changes are recommended as part of their general care regiment. Your vet should be alerted to any weight deviations that are not in line with natural weight fluctuations.
Like some other cockatoos, as for example the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, the cockatiel has an erectible crest. Cockatiels and cockatoos in general also share other features, such as the facial feathers covering the sides of the beak, which are rarely - if ever - found outside the Cacatuidae family. In contrast to most cockatoos, the cockatiel has long tail feathers, roughly making up half of its total length. The cockatiel's distinctive pointed yellow crest is held erect when startled or excited, while a crest slightly tilted indicates a relaxed state of mind.
The plumage is generally mid-grey, lighter underneath, with an orange cheek patch and a prominent white blaze on the wings. A row of yellowish spots can be found underneath the wings of female cockatiels, but not on the males. Some other mutations exist, such as the Lutino, which is a light yellow color. Female Lutinos also have barred tail feathers. Both the cock and the hen have yellow facial feathers: the female has a yellow wash around the beak and eye, in the male, yellow covers most of the head and the fore part of the crest. Male cockatiels are very protective and nurturing of their offspring and are known to be very capable of raising their newborns if the mother is unable to.
Cockatiel lifespans in captivity are generally given as 15-20 years, though it is sometimes given as short as 12-15 years and there are anecdotes of cockatiels living as long as 30 years.
Mutations:
Pet cockatiels have been bred to have many different coloration patterns. Featured above (Soupy) and below (Cico) are normal greys. The "wild" natural grey cockatiels are said to be the hardiest and smartest of all. This might have been true for the longest time, as a lot inbreeding was done to produce mutations. Many color mutations are now well established and may very well be as hardy and smart as the original greys. The opinions differ as much as the personalities of the great numbers of cockatiels out there. Over the years, I have owned very smart mutation tiels as well normal greys. I would choose a cockatiel on the basis of its personality over its coloration any time.
Available color variants include Lutino, Pearl, Cinnamon, Pied, Silver, and Whiteface (mutation photos can be viewed on this webpage) and appear both singly and in combinations such as lutino pearl, whiteface pied, and the very rare whiteface lutino which is the technical term for albino cockatiels. There have also been reports of an 'Olive' variant. Albino cockatiels (who have no color pigments) are relatively rare and more expensive than other colorations -- although they have become more available in recent years and the price went down substantially since then. Whereas all other cockatiels have black eyes, the whiteface lutino has pink / red eyes, pink toenails, and a pink beak. Whereas most mutations persist into adulthood for all cockatiels, certain mutations like pearl are molted out in the males and retained in the adult females. Nearly all whiteface lutinos are females, a factor of the sex-linked mutations that create the combination.
| Chart by |
| Cockatiel - Nymphicus hollandicus |
| Size: 30cm in length |
| Pet Status: Excellent | Breeding Ability: Excellent |
| Talking Ability: Males - good, Females - poor. |
| Noise Level: Moderate to high |
| Lifespan: average 15 years (although some cockatiels have lived to over 30 years) |
| Courtship Display: Mutual preening. Male may bob head at female. |
| Number of Eggs: 4-7 eggs - Incubation: 19 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Good |
| Sexing: A bright orange cheek patch invariably indicates a male bird. Head of the cock is predominantly yellow and that of the hen is usually grey. |
Procuring Your Cockatiel:
Please visit this webpage to learn about nutrition, day-to-day living, toys, home safety, health care for your bird.
Class: Aves ... Order: Psittaciformes ... Family: Cacatuidae ... Subfamily: Nymphicinae
Genus: Scientific: Nymphicus ... English: Cockatiel ... Dutch: Valkparkieten ... German: Nymphensittich ... French: Callopsitte
Species: Scientific: Nymphicus hollandicus aka Psittacus hollandicus ... English: Cockatiel, Quarrion, Weero, Crested Parakeet ... Dutch: Valkparkiet ... German: Nymphensittich ... French: Perruche à huppe jaune, Callopsitte ... CITES Status: Free
Distribution: Australia
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