How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female?

Because cockatiels males and females are quite the same. So, by eye you will have difficulty distinguishing them. Let’s see below for more information.

The cockatiel (also known as the Malayan or Australian cockatoo) is a bird native to Australia, related to other breeds such as the Galah cockatoo and the black cockatoo. Adult “regular gray” cockatoos (grey body and yellow head) will be relatively easy to distinguish based on their plumage. 

Other colored Malayan parrots can be a bit more difficult to identify, but there are behavioral differences and small signs that you can rely on for guesswork. Try to use a lot of information instead of relying on just one trait, as each individual cockatoo has very different variations in structure and behavior.

How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female?

Basically, the sex determination of Cockatiel is most accurate when they are 3-4 months old after the first moult. We can distinguish by the following forms:

Voice

Cockatiel drum (Male) can sing and talk. This is an easy feature to identify empty Cockatiel. Cockatiel males start to talk – whistle, make some unknown sounds at 2nd to 3rd month. Starting from this stage, young birds will learn some sounds from adults if kept together and learn to speak if the owner actively teaches. The song consists of a mixed but long and purposeful sound, which they will later use to woo the female cockatiel. 

In which, they are also quite intelligent at learning to imitate sounds and are known to mimic any sound they hear such as a car alarm, phone, microwave noise, etc.

As for the female cockatiel, they have only 2-3 types of sounds in their vocal dictionary, including some squeaks and the length of these sounds is very short 2-3 sounds in a single song.

Behavior

Cockatiel reaches sexual maturity when it is 5-6 months old. At this time they will have some behaviors such as singing and folding heart-shaped wings when flirting with female birds. They knock their beaks on the barn wall, on the bridge standing continuously with stakes. These behaviors also occur in cockatiels in Vietnam.

Plume

Similarly, the Gray line (gray) on a gray-brown background is yellow spots under the tail and wing feathers. After the first moult at 3-4 months, the male Cockatiel will lose the yellow spots and the female will not change. Gray cockatiel, the head will change to yellow and the roof will remain gray-brown, the same is true for Lutino. However, the hair covering the female cockatiel tends to turn yellow more than the male.

Basically, when born Cockatiels are similar in shape and color, collectively known as “Biomorphic”. For example, two young lutinos are similar in color, yellow and white, and below the tail plume, the wing feathers have light yellow spots (with color). 

Besides, once cockatiels reach their maturity, they are hermaphroditic which means different sexes. But it is a subtle difference from some other birds. In which, male often mark white or yellow markings on the underside of the tail and tail feathers after the first. Simultaneously, the gray feathers on the cheeks and crest turn bright yellow and the orange cheek patches become lighter. 

Other characteristics

Some other lines are due to crossbreeding between lines, but the origin is still Gray, so only male and female birds can be distinguished based on the main line being Gray with contrasting markings under the wings.

Methods to choose cockatiel male for insemination

If you already have several cockatiels and want to breed them, you need to determine the exact sex of the cockatiel you intend to breed. There are several ways to identify male cockatiels

Pay attention to the eye color of the bird. In parrots, the color difference is very noticeable. Males of this species have dark brown or black irises, while female cockatiels are light brown.

Regarding the crest, the crest of male cockatiels is narrower than that of female cockatiels. Male cockatiels have two or three long feathers on the folded apex. The females, on the other hand, are finer and straighter.

Besides, the tail of the male is like an arrow shape, it is long and narrow compared to the female.

Some notices when raising cockatiels male and female

Each male and the female bird has different preferences and will not eat everything on offer. However, raising a cockatiel is not a difficult thing as there are many types of food they can enjoy that are very close to their life.

They can enjoy fruit, with the exception of toxic avocados and whole grains like barley or oats. Nuts like almonds and walnuts can be offered as well as greens like dandelion leaves, watercress, and broccoli. Cabbage, cucumbers, fresh peas, parsley and peppers have all been noted as foods suitable for both male and female cockatiels.

In captivity conditions, cockatiels are usually kept in large cages. However, they also need time outside the cage to perform their activities and feel free rather than cowering. Some birds, if raised in this way, will feel closer and friendlier to humans and more easily interact with their owners.

Conclusion

So, the sex determination of Cockatiel is most accurate when they are 3-4 months old after the first moult. We can distinguish by the following forms: voice, behavior, plume or other characteristics. Female cockatiels are usually sweet and reserved, while males are mostly vocal. However, they are also easier to teach to speak.

Moreover, cockatiels also are a good parrot to start with if you want to keep birds. They can reproduce quite easily with no complicated requirements when they reach the age of about 9-12 months. However, you need to care to sex them to secure better nourishment.