50 Fun & Interesting Facts About Cockatiels
Below are 50 fun facts about cockatiel that you may not be aware of.
Throughout this list, you are GUARANTEED to learn at least 1 new fact about cockatiels that you didn’t know before. This post is not just a regurgitation of the basic info you can find on Wikipedia, these are actually very interesting cockatiel facts.
Whether you own cockatiels as pets or just love birds as I do, you’ll enjoy these little nuggets of info:
50 Amazingly Fun Facts About Cockatiel Birds
1. Cockatiels Have Multiple Names
“Cockatiel” is obviously the most common name for these birds, but they also go by “weiro birds” and “quarrions”. They are also the only bird in the “Nymphicinae” subfamily and their scientific name is “Nymphicus Hollandicus”.
2. Cockatiels Are One Of The Most Owned Birds Worldwide
Cockatiels, as well as budgies, are very popular companion birds.
Due to their small size, affectionate nature, and trainability, cockatiels make great additions to the family. However, their maintenance requirements and the behavioural problems they can display make parrots one of the most surrendered pets worldwide.
3. Cockatiels Are Native To Australia
Although they’re currently kept as pets worldwide, cockatiels originate from Australia.
Wild flocks of cockatiels can be found almost anywhere in Australia except for South Australia and they mainly reside in rural, arid areas. They share the same environment as budgies and some cockatoo species.
4. Cockatiels Are Emotionally Complex & Intelligent
Cockatiels experience a wide range of emotions that include happiness, sadness, excitement, anger, contentment, depression, anxiety, and other complex emotions.
They are also known to get traumatized upon witnessing horrible events.
Cockatiels will get depressed when their partner dies, which shows a high level of social awareness and intelligence similar to ours.
5. The Crest Indicates Emotion
A cockatiel’s crest indicates its current mood.
You can roughly determine how a cockatiel is feeling based on the crest position as it’s part of their body language. For example, a crest that’s pointing all the way up can indicate fear or curiosity while a folded-back crest can indicate happiness or anger.
It’s still a bit confusing, but the crest makes cockatiels easier to read compared to crestless birds, such as budgies.
Most cockatoos and a few other bird species have crests, but it’s a rare feature with parrots.
Related: Cockatiel Body Language: Crest Position Meanings
6. The Oldest Cockatiel Lived For 32 Years
The Guinness book of world records shows that the oldest cockatiel to ever live was 32-year-old Sunshine, a cockatiel in the USA.
Sunshine was adopted in 1983 which made her 32 years old when she passed in 2016.
32 is very old for a cockatiel, especially considering their average lifespan of 15 – 25 years.
7. Cockatiels Are The Smallest Of The Cockatoo “Cacatuidae” Family
Cockatiels are the smallest (and arguably the cutest) member of the cockatoo (cacatuidae) family. Their close relations are apparent from not only the crest but also their general appearances.
Just look at the comparison image above!
8. Cockatiels Can’t Sense Spice
To us, chilli peppers and jalapenos are extremely spicy.
But to cockatiels and most other parrots, they are nothing more than a tasty fruit.
Cockatiels simply don’t have the taste buds needed to sense spice, meaning they won’t burn their tongues if fed spicy chillies.
9. Wild Cockatiels Live In Huge Flocks
Large flocks of wild cockatiels will stick with each other for safety and socialisation.
Single cockatiel flocks can far surpass 100 individuals.
However, they don’t necessarily interact or even get along with all members of the flock, just a select few, including their mates. During breeding season, cockatiels will spend more time away from the larger flock as they look for nesting sites, mate, and care for the young.
10. Cockatiels Mate For Life
Soon after they reach maturity, cockatiels will choose a single mate who which they will mate and spend their lives with. Wild cockatiels are able to choose a partner from their huge flock while pet cockatiels will often choose one of their cage mates as a partner.
Cockatiels get territorial over their selected mates, so much so that the male will attack another male who attempts to show affection to his female.
The love between two cockatiels knows no bounds!
11. Clipped Cockatiels Can Still Fly
Many people still believe that clipped cockatiels can’t fly away.
Clipped cockatiels are known to fly away when their owners take them outside thinking they would be safe.
A strong gust of wind can easily carry cockatiel for miles, even with clipped wings.
Related: The Harsh Impacts Of Wing Clipping On Pet Birds
12. Cockatiels Are Sexually Mature After 1 Year
Cockatiels become sexually mature between 6 – 12 months of age – LafeberVet
Around this time, owners should expect negative behavioural changes, such as sudden aggression, hormonal behaviour, and nest-seeking acts. This is just their natural behaviour, however.
13. Wild Cockatiels Spend 70% Of Their Time Foraging
Cockatiels, like most other birds, spend almost all of their waking hours on the ground, foraging for food (AdelaideVet). This wild instinct still exists in pet cockatiels as they prefer to work for their food instead of it being given to them in a bowl.
Foraging offers lots of mental stimulation, which keeps them busy and happy.
Hiding seeds and treats inside toys and around the cage while also removing the food bowl for a short time will encourage foraging.
14. Cockatiels Mingle With Galah Cockatoos
In the wild, cockatiels are often seen mingling and feeding alongside their cockatoo cousins, the galahs. It’s honestly amazing that the galahs allow the much smaller cockatiels to eat beside them, knowing that they both eat the same foods.
Birds of the feather eat together!
15. Cockatiels Have Bred With Galah Cockatoos
There have been instances of cockatiels breeding with galah cockatoos and creating hybrids.
The video shown above is of that hybrid.
You can clearly see that it has the cockatiel cheek patch, but has the crest of a galah cockatoo.
It’s often referred to as a “galatiel”
The galatiel shows many characteristics of both bird species. However, it’s not encouraged to attempt to breed this bird for ethical reasons.
16. Only Grey Cockatiels Appear In The Wild
Of course, cockatiels have plenty of colour mutations in captivity because breeders can deliberately breed two birds of a specific mutation to create offspring with other mutations.
However, only grey cockatiels appear in the wild.
Rarely do cockatiels have mutated colours in the wild and will almost always look like the image above.
17. Female Cockatiels Have Markings Beneath The Flight Feathers
Male and female cockatiels can be differentiated by looking under the wing and tail feathers.
Males will have a solid colour, but female cockatiels have patterns on the underside of the wing feathers. However, this “rule” does not apply to albino or pied cockatiels as their colours and patterns are often completely random.
Relate: How To Identify Male Vs Female Cockatiels With DNA Tests
18. Males Have Yellow Heads & Females Have Grey Heads
This fact mostly applies to wild-type/grey cockatiels.
After a cockatiel’s first moult, which normally occurs at around 6 months of age, they will either bloom a yellow head or they’ll keep a grey head. Males develop yellow faces while female heads remain grey.
19. All Juvenile Cockatiels Have Grey Heads
This is yet another fact that mostly applies to wild-type cockatiels.
Before going through the first moult, both male and female cockatiels will have grey heads, indicating that they’re juvenile. After the first moult, the male will develop a yellow head while the female head remains juvenile grey.
20. There Are 12 Primary Cockatiel Mutations
There are roughly 12 different cockatiel mutations that occur in captivity, excluding the regular grey type, which includes:
- Lutino
- Pied
- Pearl
- Silver
- Whiteface
- Albino (Lutino & whiteface combination)
- Yellow-face
- Emerald
- Cinnamon
- Fallow
- Olive
- Pastel face
Some mutations can cross over, which makes another mutation, but the listed mutations are the ones that cross over with each other to make new mutations. The list might seem short, but I excluded the grey type and the combined mutations.
Read the complete guide to all cockatiel mutations (2023)
21. Cockatiels Are Not The Only Cockatoos With Cheek Patches
Many birds have check patches, such as the zebra finch and budgie, but it’s fairly uncommon within the cockatoo family, of which the cockatiels are honoured members.
The yellow-tailed black cockatoo has a yellow cheek patch similar to a cockatiel’s cheek patch.
Certain white cockatoos also have cheek patches.
I found this interesting as it shows just how closely related these very different-looking birds are!
22. Male Cockatiels Are Better At Mimicking Than Females
Whether it’s a song or human speech, male cockatiels are usually much better at mimicking than females. Despite females being just as capable, it’s usually the males that pick up whistle tunes or speech.
My theory is that since males are naturally more attention-seeking, they mimic our words and songs for our attention.
23. Cockatiels Can Talk, Though Often Not Very Well
As discussed in the last fact, cockatiels can learn to mimic human speech.
However, their voices are quite “rough” or “raspy”, which can be a little difficult to understand.
Hand-raised cockatiels have a higher chance of speaking words more clearly.
24. Hand-Raised Cockatiels Make The Best Companions!
It’s fairly common knowledge that hand-raised parrots make better companions than parent-raised birds. A hand-raised cockatiel will be more accepting of human affection, pick up more words, and behave better compared to parent-raised birds.
Hand-raising means the bird was nurtured and handled by humans while they were babies.
A parent-raised bird was nurtured naturally by their bird parents.
25. Cockatiels Have Zygodactyl Feet
Most birds have “anisodactyl” feet, which means to have 3 toes pointing forward and 1 pointing backwards. You can see this foot structure on hawks, eagles, and many songbirds.
Cockatiels and most other parrots have “zygodactyle” feet…
This means they have 2 toes pointing forward and 2 pointing backward.
26. Cockatiels Only Have 350 Taste Buds
Humans have roughly 9000 taste buds with a majority of those located on the tongue. (BBC)
Parrots on the other hand, including cockatiels, only have about 350 taste buds located in various parts of the mouth. Despite their far fewer taste buds, cockatiels can still differentiate between sweet, salt, bitter, and sour.
27. Their Taste Buds Are Found On The Roofs Of Their Mouths
Only some of a parrot’s taste buds are located on their tongues…
According to SmithSonianMag, a majority of those taste buds are actually located on the roof of the mouth and the back of the throat.
28. Cockatiels Can Fly Up To 43 MPH (70 Kmh)
According to KidsZoo.org, cockatiels can reach a flight speed of 43 Mph (70 Kmh).
Compared to a macaw’s average flight speed of 40Mph (60 Kmh), cockatiels are slightly faster than these large parrots. Although it’s certainly fast, it’s nothing compared to the top speed of a diving peregrine falcon, which is 242 Mph (390 Kmh).
29. It Takes 10 Weeks For Feathers To Fully Develop
Moulting is a natural process that involves a cockatiel losing and regrowing feathers.
From the moment a feather is dropped, it takes 10 weeks for that feather to fully develop and grow back into place. Growing a new feather is a process that takes 10 whole weeks for a cockatiel to complete.
Learn about the full cockatiel moulting process here…
30. Every Single Feather Goes Through The Same Process
Continuing from the previous fact, every feather on the cockatiel’s body will go through the same process in the same amount of time. This isn’t to say that all feathers drop and regrow at the same time, but they all go through the process one by one.
First, they’ll be blood feathers, then a keratin sheath will emerge (pin feather), and then the sheath will break away, leaving only the fluffy feather.
Learn Everything There Is To Know About The Cockatiel Moulting Process…
31. Cockatiels Go Through Heavy Moults During Spring
A heavy moult is when a bird loses and regrows more feathers than usual around the same time.
For cockatiels, parrots, and most other birds, heavy moults occur during the warm season of spring. Since warmer weather is a moulting trigger, some cockatiels can also moult in the hotter season of summer.
32. Cockatiels Get Hormonal During Spring
For cockatiels and most other parrots, spring season is hormonal season.
Many bird owners, myself included, dread hormonal season as it brings out the worst behaviours in our feathered friends. You should expect some sudden aggression and nest-seeking behaviour from your cockatiel during spring.
Related: Cockatiel Hormones: Behaviours, Signs, & Management
33. They Control Sounds Using Their Syrinx
Have you ever wondered how a parrot can mimic so accurately?
Cockatiels and most other birds use a syrinx, which is pretty much their vocal cords, to produce and manipulate their sounds. Mimicking unnatural sounds with accuracy requires the cockatiel to have a lot of skill in manipulating their syrinx muscles.
34. Cockatiels Can Blush
Yes, you read correctly, cockatiels can blush!
However, it’s hardly visible on a cockatiel’s face as they’re covered by feathers. According to BirdTricks, macaws are the most visible blusher as there are fewer feathers on the face, but all parrots blush, including cockatiels.
35. Cockatiels Were First Discovered In 1770
According to PetMate.com, cockatiels were first discovered in Australia in the year 1770 by British explorer James Cook. However, they didn’t become popular household pets until many years later.
36. They Became Popular Pets Throughout The 1900s
According to TheSprucePets.com, cockatiels did not become popular pets until 130 years after their initial discovery, throughout the 1900s.
It’s amazing to think people have been caring for these little guys for over 100 years now!
37. Cockatiels Sleep On One Foot
All cockatiel owners know this fact!
Cockatiels sleep on just one foot to take the weight off their other foot. You would think it’d be a little uncomfortable sleeping like that, but they seem to manage.🦜 💤
38. Cockatiels Can Rest Half Of Their Brain While The Other Half Remains Vigilant
This is referred to as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS).
Being able to keep half their brain on alert while sleeping is a natural instinct that can help them quickly escape predators at night. Cockatiels can still get the full benefits of sleeping while also keeping half their brain vigilant for predators.
Many other birds, dolphins, and even whales can do this too.
39. Hawks & Eagles Actively Hunt Cockatiels In The Wild
Birds of prey are natural predators of cockatiels.
Not only are food and water scarce in their environment, but they must always be on the lookout for native hawks and eagles. These are birds of prey that viciously attack cockatiels, budgies, and other small birds for food.
Don’t feel too bad though, it’s just the beauty and horror of nature.
40. Wild Cockatiels Are Nomadic
The Australian outback environment is scarce in vital resources, such as food and water.
Because of this, staying in one spot for too long is simply not an option. Wild cockatiels are masters at dealing with this as the flock is always on the move to find the next area where food and water are abundant.
41. Lutino Cockatiels Often Have Bald Spots
Lutino cockatiels are known for having bald spots right behind the crest.
Go ahead and search up “cockatiel bald spot” and you’ll find that most, if not all the results are of the lutino colour mutation. Lafeber says that this genetic defect is caused by the fact that many lutino cockatiels are inbred, and therefore share this trait.
42. Whiteface & Albino Mutations Show No Cheek Patch
All cockatiel mutations show a cheek patch, except for the albino and whiteface mutations.
Instead, they will simply show the main colour for that mutation, which is mostly white or grey, depending on gender.
43. Rarer Mutations Are More Expensive
Regular grey cockatiels are often less expensive than cockatiels with colour mutations.
The reason for this is that customers are simply more interested in the different and rarer mutations.
The rarest and most expensive cockatiels have either the whiteface or albino mutation.
44. The Average Cockatiel Is Sold For $60 – $165
The price of a cockatiel will depend on many factors…
But on average, parent-raised (aviary) cockatiels are sold for $60 and hand-raised cockatiels are sold for $165. I didn’t find this out on the internet, I called 4 of my local pet stores, asked their prices, and calculated the averages!
45. The Albino Mutation Is A Combination Of The Lutino & Whiteface Mutation
Fun fact, “albino” is actually the incorrect term for white cockatiels…
The official term is “white-faced lutino” because albino cockatiels are simply a combination of the whiteface and lutino mutation. Because albino is a mixed mutation, they’re much harder to breed, which is why they’re so rare and expensive.
46. Regurgitation Is A Cockatiel’s Show Of Love ♥
Wild cockatiels will regurgitate food for their mate to care for them and show affection.
If they’ve ever chucked up some food for you, just know that it’s a show of love, despite how gross it is. This behaviour should not be encouraged as it could make them believe you’re their mate.
Related: 17 Adorable Ways Parrots Show Affection To Humans
47. Cockatiels Become Independent 6 – 7 Weeks After Hatching
Baby cockatiels need to be fed by their parents until they reach around 6 – 7 weeks of age.
After they reach this age, they’ll already have started flying a little bit and can find and eat food by themselves.
48. They Can Reach A Max Volume Of 80 Decibels
It’s no secret that cockatiels are loud, but how loud can they be?
Well, according to psittacology.com, cockatiels can reach up to 80 decibels with their contact calls. This makes cockatiels slightly louder than budgies, who can only reach a maximum of 70 decibels (Kaytee).
49. Cockatiels Can Be Free-Flight Trained
Free flight might seem like a large parrot-only activity, but cockatiels can learn as well!
For the best results, cockatiels should begin free flight conditioning as young as possible so you can take them outside unrestrained as adults. Note: You should NOT take your bird outside without a harness or cage unless they’re properly free-flighted.
Taking them outside without training will cause them to fly away.
50. Males Make Better Pets Than Females
Not only are male cockatiels more likely to mimic speech and sing songs, but they’re not prone to egg-laying problems. Many owners of female cockatiels struggle to deal with egg laying, egg binding, and other female-related issues.
For this reason, I believe it’s much easier to own male cockatiels.
Read next: 50 Incredible Budgie Facts You Need To Know
Sources
- https://petkeen.com/most-popular-pets-statistics/
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-cockatiel
- https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/questions/cockatiel-behavior-4/
- https://currumbinvetservices.com.au/sex-and-your-pet-bird/
- https://adelaidevet.com.au/news/what-should-i-feed-my-cockatiel
- https://www.talkingbirds.com.au/world-firsts/galatiel-php
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatiel
- https://drcockatiel.com/what-is-your-cockatiels-senses/
- https://kidszoo.org/our-animals/cockatiel/
- https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Repro_behavior.pdf
- https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/do-parrots-have-taste-buds/
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-parrots-180957714/
- https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/macaw
- https://www.thesprucepets.com/cockatiels-as-pets-1236728
- https://birdtricksstore.com/blogs/birdtricks-blog/why-do-macaws-blush
- https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/questions/lutino-cockatiel-having-lots-of-bald-spots/
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