How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female

Last Updated: August 19, Fact Checked. This article was co-authored by Hayley Heartfield. Hayley specializes in pet bird care, behavior, training, and breeding.

It is beautiful and adorable! I understand a blood test would be the best way to find out if the bird is a boy or a girl. My baby Cockatiel is very outgoing, and is super friendly and sweet. I can be vacuuming his cage or around it, it will not be afraid of it, on the contrary, it wants to come near. He gets super loud when I walk away and when I respond by whistling back in the effort to teach it to sing, he responds immediately, loudly and insistently. Could my baby Cockatiel be a male? Also, If you want, I can send a photo.

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. This mostly applies to white-faced mutations.

Learn from a professional parrot trainer. In some variations, the males have dark tails with no markings, while the females have striped tails.

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.

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. But there are certain color mutations that make this more of a challenge.

How to tell if a cockatiel is male or female

Most animals are easy to tell their gender by observing specific parts of their body. Fortunately, cockatiels are not completely monomorphic and have various ways to differentiate their genders. So, how do you tell if a cockatiel is male or female? In most breeds, males have yellow faces with brighter orange cheek marks than females. Essentially, females have yellow markings under their wing feathers and tail feathers, while males lack such spots in their respective body parts. Also, males are more active and louder than females. Read on to learn the various methods you can employ to tell cockatiel genders and their differences. Cockatiels are some of the incredible pets that bird lovers enjoy caring for.

Shark discount codes 2023

Lutino breeds, or pale yellow and pale white birds that still have cheek circles, can be identified by the female's yellow spots under the wings and yellow marks under the tail. Related articles. Support wikiHow Yes No. The veterinarian confirmed he is a male. Kathryn is hoping to add to her family in the near future — maybe another cat and a dog. Cinnamon, fallow, silver , yellowface, pastelface, olive, emerald. Cockatiel Sex Comparison Chart. Kathryn Copeland Author. Unsubscribe at anytime. Table of Contents show. I had males in the past. Comparison Chart.

Are you thinking of adopting a cockatiel into your home?

You may need to use a bright light in order to see these. My lutino cocktails babys tail is full of yellow color… Reply. It depends largely on your lifestyle and the kind of pet you are looking for. While male cockatiels are noisier, they also sing and whistle far better. Even if you keep a lone female cockatiel in a cage, it would still nest and lay eggs during the breeding season. Watch for female courtship rituals. It can be good to know just because females may need different care. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Unsubscribe at anytime. Originally from The Netherlands but living in sunny Spain, she spends her time wrangling cockatiels, writing about parrots, cooking, diving and hiking. More reader stories Hide reader stories.