Cockatiel

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Description

• Physical Description

  Normal cockatiels are gray, with white patches on the wings. They have a yellow/white face with a bright orange patch over the 'ear'. Variations include : Pied (varing white patches cover body), Pearl (each feather retains gray color, with white intersperced), Lutino (Bird white with yellow/white/ orange face), and Albino (white bird)
  
  The drawback to the cockatiel is that it is very dusty. The cockatiel uses a powder to keep their wings water proof. After petting the bird, one normally has a powdery finger.
  

  Length

  12 Inches
  

  Ave. Lifespan

  18 years (some as long as 25 years)
  

  Sexing

  Males tend to have a brighter facial color. Females have a duller facial color, and have barring under their tails. Some breeders say this general sexing rule is not always true. This method of sexing becomes more difficult in the variations.
  

  Origin:

  Originally from Austrailia. Can be found in almost all regions of Australia.
  

• Trainability

  Very good personality. Can be trained to mimic whistles and short phrases. Some people say the the males are more easily trained. However, this fact has been debated by many people.
  

• Loudness

  Not too loud.