Random Fact #1

We all know that mature wild-type male cockatiels have grey bodies, bright yellow head feathers, and orange cheeks; female cockatiels generally have duller or grey head feathers with muted orange cheeks.

But how do you determine the sex of a cockatiel with a color mutation? Ask them to shake their tail feathers, of course!

Prior to their first molt, most cockatiels have a “barring” pattern on the underside of their tail feathers. However, after the first molt, males often adopt a solid pattern while females retain the original barring pattern. It’s not fool-proof, but this trick can be a good indicator of your bird’s sex when DNA testing is not an option.

Stay Tuned for Random Fact #2…