Most Accurate Way To Tell The Age Of Your Cockatiel Bird
Cockatiels are not like trees, you can’t tell how old they are just by looking at them.
In fact, cockatiels will look very much the same throughout their entire adult life with little to no changes in their general appearance.
However, there is an easy way for you to discover your cockatiels hatch date, which you’ll soon learn. This article will also teach you the ideal cockatiel age for breeding, the average cockatiel lifespan, and a few less reliable ways to tell the age of your cockatiel.
First, I’ll explain how to get an accurate idea of your cockatiel’s age super quickly.
Quick Navigation:
- The Most Accurate Way To Determine Your Cockatiel’s Age
- Age-Related Cockatiel Behaviour
- Minimum Cockatiel Age For Breeding
- What Is The Best Age The Adopt Cockatiels?
- Average Lifespan Of Pet & Wild Cockatiels
- Conclusion
- Sources
The Most Accurate Way To Determine Your Cockatiel’s Age
By far, the most reliable way to tell the age of your cockatiel is to simply ask whoever sold you the bird
Most breeders and pet stores will be able to tell you how old your cockatiel was when you adopted them.
The best time to ask is when you’re actually adopting the bird!
But if you’re already past that point, don’t worry, you can still ask via phone, email, or through a visit.
Even if it’s been a few months or even a year since adoption, most places would likely still be able to tell you how old the batch of cockatiels was when you adopted them.
Of course, you’ll need to tell them exactly when you adopted one of their cockatiels.
They would then look back through their records, and they would be able to see the hatch dates of the cockatiels they were selling at the time of your bird’s adoption.
Hopefully, you’ll get the answer you seek at this point.
Although a lot of breeders and pet store owners keep archives of their birds, there are many that don’t.
If you adopted your cockatiel from somewhere that doesn’t keep these records, you might be out of luck here.
But there are other (less reliable) ways to discover your cockatiel’s age if you need to resort to them…
Leg Bands
Many cockatiel traders put leg bands on their birds to indicate the year they were hatched. Leg bands don’t actually show the exact date on which the bird was born, it only shows the year.
But trying to learn your cockatiel’s age through a leg band could be unreliable as they could display an incorrect year.
Leg bands are often ordered in bulk, meaning there is usually a lot left over by the end of the year.
Instead of discarding the outdated bands, breeders will continue to use them, resulting in future cockatiels wearing leg bands that suggest they’re much older than they are.
If you can, try to avoid using this method to determine your cockatiel’s age.
Pet Store Purchases
There is a good chance that any cockatiels you adopt from a pet shop are less than 1 year old.
This is because most pet shops typically don’t keep newly bred cockatiels for any more than a year as they would have already sold them.
Cockatiels are very popular birds to have as pets, so there is a high demand for them.
My cockatiel, Arthur, was adopted from a pet shop.
While I was there, I had a chat with the store owner who said they prioritise selling older birds to ensure they don’t stay there for too long.
He said he has never kept any newly bred cockatiels longer than 8 months.
Of course, all pet store owners are different, but I would assume most of them prioritise selling birds who have been there the longest.
Rescue Centre Adoptions
Parrot rescue centres have many birds of varying ages, some young, and some very old.
However, most parrots that end up in rescue centres or bird sanctuaries were surrendered, which means they’ve been in at least one home for a certain amount of time.
I would personally assume that all cockatiels in rescues are at least 1 year of age.
This is based on the fact that a lot of people adopt cockatiels, live with them for a bit (usually a year or 2), and then surrender them because they can’t deal with the screaming, poop, dust, etc.
And now that 2 – 3-year-old cockatiel is in a rescue waiting to be adopted.
DNA Tests For Cockatiel Age Determination
Many social media users seem to be spreading a big misconception that a cockatiels age can be discovered through a DNA test.
This is 100% incorrect, DNA tests cannot tell you how old your parrot is.
They only work to determine gender.
Just thought I’d point that out for anyone under that misconception.
Related: 9 Key Differences Between Male & Female Cockatiels
Age-Related Cockatiel Behaviour
Generally, young cockatiels will behave differently from adults.
Cockatiels that are below the age of 1 will often show their “baby behaviours” while adult cockatiels show more independence and maturity.
A few examples of young cockatiel behaviour include:
- Frequent head bobbing
- “Feed me” screeching sounds
- Very clingy (More so than adults)
Before their first moult at 6 – 12 months of age, young cockatiels will have shorter crests and their colours won’t be as vibrant as adults.
Male cockatiels also won’t develop their yellow heads until after their first moult.
Here’s a male cockatiel before and after his first moult:
As they get closer to their adult years, cockatiels will begin to show more independence and they’ll be less clingy toward their owners.
Apart from when they’re singing, adults also rarely bob their heads.
Minimum Cockatiel Age For Breeding
Most people want to know the age of their cockatiel so they can prepare for hormones, and age-related illnesses, or to know how many years they have left.
But others, especially breeders, want to know when it’s safe to allow their cockatiels to reproduce!
According to Lafeber, cockatiels begin to develop sexual maturity between 6 – 12 months of age.
However, it’s also not recommended to encourage breeding until both cockatiels are at least 2 years of age, which is when they’re fully sexually mature adults.
A few problems can occur when breeding birds too young, including:
- Eating or breaking eggs
- Not keeping the eggs warm
- Not feeding or caring for the chicks
These are bad breeding habits that can negatively impact the way they breed in the future.
Young female cockatiels are also at risk of egg binding as their bodies simply aren’t ready to breed.
In case you don’t know, egg binding can lead to death!
For all these reasons, you must make sure that any cockatiels you breed are at least 2 years of age.
What Is The Best Age To Adopt Cockatiels
Cockatiels of all ages can make very friendly companions!
Older birds who have been through trauma or neglect will take longer to trust a new face, but eventually, they’ll make great companions.
Of course, this is dependent on how well you tame them.
Related: How To Tame An Adult Cockatiel (Step-By-Step)
Cockatiels that you raise from a baby or from less than 6 months old will always make for more affectionate, comfortable, and trusting companions, however.
Babies, juveniles, adults, and even elder cockatiels are all great ages to adopt!
If you decide to adopt from an egg, you’ll need to learn how to properly syringe feed them and raise them. You’ll also need to prepare yourself for dealing with behavioural changes in the different life stages, such as during the teenage years (6 – 12 months) when they’ll start to become hormonal.
Hormones can be very difficult to deal with, especially for new owners.
If you want to learn more about parrot hormones, click here!
Average Lifespan Of Pet & Wild Cockatiels
For cockatiels in the wild, the average lifespan is between 10 – 15 years.
However, it’s pretty difficult for cockatiels to survive in the harsh environment of the Australian outback, so many don’t make it this long.
It might sound cruel, but it’s just nature.
There are lots of natural predators to cockatiels in the Australian outback, and food and water are often scarce.
A lot of chicks don’t make it to adulthood at all.
If they manage to find enough sustenance and avoid predators, such as raptors, wild cockatiels can live between 10 – 15 years.
The average lifespan of cockatiels in captivity is almost double that of wild cockatiels, with most pets living between 16 – 25 years.
Feeding a nutritionally balanced diet and making sure they avoid toxic foods or fumes will ensure that they live long and healthy lives.
I’ve created a few posts to help you with these specific topics:
Too many people have lost their birds because they accidentally put toxic fumes into the air.
The best way to avoid unexpected tragedies is to read up on what’s dangerous within your household.
Also, the longest-living cockatiel on record is 32-year-old Sunshine from Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the Guinness Book of world records.
This record just shows how long these amazing birds can live when cared for properly.
Conclusion
Here’s a quick recap of the best way to tell the age of your cockatiel:
Simply ask the person who sold you the cockatiel about their age and when they were hatched, they’re more than likely to know the EXACT hatch date.
Most breeders and pet shops would be able to recall how old their batch of cockatiels was when you adopted them.
Of course, some places might not have this information.
In that case, you’re unfortunately not going to be able to get the exact hatch date for your bird đ
However, you can make an educated guess as to how old your cockatiel is using these 3 tips:
- Pet stores typically don’t stock cockatiels that are over 1 year old. If you adopted from a pet store, there is a high chance that your cockatiel was under a year old.
- Some breeders put leg bands on their birds that tell them the hatch year. However, they’re also known to use leg bands that are outdated, meaning the leg band will display an inaccurate hatch date, so this isn’t the most reliable way to determine your cockatiel’s age.
- Young male cockatiels don’t have vibrant yellow heads until they go through their first moult. First moults occur at 6 – 12 months of age. If you noticed any sudden colour changes within your cockatiel, you likely adopted them before the first moult.
Hopefully, you’ve gained some valuable insight about determining cockatiel age and the other various age-related topics we discussed in this article.
Feel free to check out my article on how to easily identify all cockatiel mutations
Anyways, thanks for reading đ
Sources
- https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/questions/age-2/
- https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/questions/cockatiel-sexuality/
- https://www.psittacology.com/how-long-do-cockatiels-live/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatiel
- https://www.cockatielcottage.net/basics.html
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-cockatiel
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