How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female

Last Updated: August 19, Fact Checked.

January 15, These birds can be sexually dimorphic, meaning that sexing a cockatiel is often possible just by looking at it. But what should you be looking for? Keep reading for everything you need to know about sexing a cockatiel and figuring out whether your bird is a boy or a girl. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, a small percentage will go directly to Psittacology at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Psittacology!

How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female

Dying to know the sex of your new bird? This article will help you identify the sex of your cockatiel — male or female. If you are planning to get a cockatiel, you might be curious about how to differentiate between males and females. Now, sexing cockatiels can sometimes be a little tricky. However, some of the cockatiel mutations have little or no difference between the males and females. Major visual cues in this regard include:. In males, the stripes are missing altogether. You should note that this method works only for adult cockatiels because juveniles of both sexes have such tail markings. The tail markings can sometimes be very faint, requiring you to hold the feathers up against a light before you can see them. The facial appearance of cockatiels changes after their first molt. The males develop bright yellow faces with distinct bright orange cheek patches. In female cockatiels, the orange spots are lighter. However, the females may have faint cheek spots of the same color as their body plumage.

The males will also show spots and barring on the wings and tail, just like females. To tell if your cockatiel is male or female, look at its head, since males usually have vivid orange spots and a bright yellow face, while females generally have lighter spots and grey or faded yellow faces. Bird Specialist.

Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Cockatiels are serious contenders for being one of the most popular birds to own as a pet. And no wonder! They are beautiful birds with gentle and loving personalities. They are also charming, smart, and enjoy spending quality time with their owners.

Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Paola Cuevas. Whether you currently have a cockatiel or are considering adopting one, the topic of gender may come up at some point.

How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female

Cockatiels are an exception. Aside from some mutations such as lutinos, the coloring of male and female cockatiels differs once birds have reached full maturity. Male and female behavior also tends to be distinctive. Cockatiel chicks molt their first set of feathers and begin to get their adult coloration at 6 to 9 months of age. Around the same time, you may notice behaviors that will lead you to believe a chick is either male or female. If you need help on how to gauge their adulthood, do check out our popular post about how to tell the age of a cockatiel. In this guide, we will feature 4 methods taught by our in-house experts clicking on the hyperlinks will bring you to the respective sections :. The following characteristics apply if your bird is a normal gray , white-faced , fallow , cinnamon , or silver. Male cockatiels will have solid yellow faces and bright orange cheek patches.

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Table of Contents show. Take the cockatiel to a veterinarian. The answer is at the bottom of this post! Watch Articles How to. By Nicole Cosgrove. The body plumage of a cockatiel might give away its gender too. It sounds like you have a very sweet bird regardless of if it is male or female. Share yours! Keep reading for everything you need to know about sexing a cockatiel and figuring out whether your bird is a boy or a girl. Having a great relationship and taking excellent care of your pet is what truly matters in the long run.

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Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues. Good luck! The males, on the other hand, get very active and start singing and whistling, frequently lifting their wings. The test usually requires you to pluck one or multiple feathers from your bird and send them to the address listed on the test. If you have young cockatiels of opposite sexes or unidentified sexes, consider keeping them apart until adulthood, or watch them closely for signs of mating rituals. Search… Search. Team Beauty of Birds Beautyofbirds. This is one of the less reliable methods, but it may help confirm suspicions raised by earlier tests. Thank you! They are also charming, smart, and enjoy spending quality time with their owners. My lutino cocktails babys tail is full of yellow color… Reply. Angel Moore Jan 3, As I mentioned earlier, the selective breeding of cockatiels has made gender identification a bit difficult. I'm very glad that I visited your site, because I was going to buy one this week and put it in the cage. There are several pied cockatiel variations created by cross-breeding with other mutations like lutino or pearl cockatiels.