A cockatiel is a tiny colorful parrot-like bird native the cockatoo family. You can constantly distinguish the by the influential crest top top the head.

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Cockatiels are simpler to tame than various other parrot species, thanks to their smaller sizes. Plus, castle are just as qualified of mimicking speech, although it deserve to sometimes be difficult to know them.

There’s a lot much more to know around a cockatiel, however one point that repetitively baffles cockatiel owner is how to recognize the bird’s age. Simply keep reading, and also you’ll discover various methods to carry out it.

How come Tell the period of a Cockatiel

If friend didn’t own a cockatiel appropriate from its hatching stage, you could never be certain of its period straightaway. However, there are several determinants you can look in ~ to help determine the age, including alters in physical appearance.

Cockatiels, just like other birds. Go with several changes as they age. A most these alters are similar to the human experience as they age.

1. Beaks

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Image Credit: PixabayYou have the right to know her cockatiel’s period by looking at its giveaway attributes like the face and beak. A young cockatiel will have an immature “baby” face. It additionally has larger exposed beaks, mainly due to the fact that the feather at the beak side are short.

On the other hand, older cockatiels have tiny beaks as the feather at the beak side cover many parts the the beak.

2. Human body Size

Mature birds are typically larger than young birds, ranging between 12 come 13 customs in size. You deserve to also notice that the spot on the cheek grow considerably large that they can cover nearly the whole face.

You may want to stop from purchase a bird as soon as an enlarged cheek patch, which method that the bird is really old.

3. Sleeping Hours

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Image Credit: cutting board B., PixabayOld cockatiels tend to sleep much more than young ones. They can sleep for approximately 17-18 hours day-to-day besides daytime naps. Young persons sleep the normal 10-14 hrs a day.

4. Pelvic Bones

You have the right to use this feature to gauge a cockatiel’s age, generally if you’ve owned one before.

Female cockatiel pelvic bones widen together they age. When the distance between their legs is wide, then the cockatiel is all set to begin laying eggs.

5. To sing Voice

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Image Credit: CapturePB, ShutterstockThis function can assist with determining a masculine cockatiel’s age. The factor is, infant cockatiels and females hardly ever vocalize uneven provoked. However, mature masculine cockatiels usually sing with a pure voice 보다 their younger masculine counterparts.

6. Tail Feathers

A cockatiel’s tail feathers room usually equal to the body dimension until it it s okay one year old. The feathers then start acquiring more an extensive than the body after the one-year mark.

7. Nails

Older cockatiels have really long nails that appear cracked and also usually bending inwards.

8. Eyes

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Image Credit: Joshua_Willson, PixabayThe eye size is commonly notably bigger when the birds room young but get smaller as they get older.

9. Crest

A baby cockatiel’s comb is usually quick with straight feathers, while mature birds have actually longer crests the bend slightly backward.

10. Adolescence

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Credit: Nicky Jacobs, ShutterstockCockatiels reach the adolescent stage once they molt because that the first time, at about 6-12 months.

The females start being less vivid while the males change color on your cheeks and at the bottom of their flight feathers.

11. Foot Scales

Just like other birds, a younger cockatiel tends to have actually smoother skin with fewer scales. However, the scales increase with age, which additionally makes their skins feel rougher.

12. Courting Behavior

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Image Credit: rainyclub, ShutterstockA cockatiel’s courting behavior can provide away that age. Masculine birds begin displaying courtship actions such together strutting and hopping once they are approximately six month old.

On the various other hand, female cockatiels come to be broody at approximately 10-18 months. Then, they may start burrowing to prepare a nesting place to lay your eggs.

Cockatiel Origins

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Image Credit: jggrz, PixabayCockatiels are indigenous to Australia, where they’re likewise called quarrions or weiros. This birds live in large flocks in the wild and also exhibit characters comparable to any kind of other bigger bird.

Cockatiels started coming to be popular family pets in the 1900s, although it’s no longer feasible to trap and also export them native Australia. In addition, they room docile, friendly, and easy to breed in captivity, making them a organic fit for human being companionship.

Temperament

These birds are attractive as well as friendly, and any bird lover will certainly tell you exactly how delightful the is to own one.

Cockatiel birds space gentle and also affectionate birds the love to be petted. They may not mimic your words as parrots do. However, they can bond with you and stay loyal, especially if it was born right into captivity and also saw you immediately.

The males and females have different demeanors, with males being much noisier 보다 their woman counterparts. Woman cockatiels don’t vocalize or connect much. They just do for this reason if they room in the atmosphere or desire water, food, or treats.

The just time both genders complement their craziness is during their reproduction season.

Interesting Details around the Cockatiel

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Image Credit: Gaschwald, ShutterstockMany civilization want and also own cockatiels around the world. However, very few know just just how special and unique these little birds are.

You’ll it is in surprised at just how perfect they are, that you can even use castle to describe various facility biological concepts! because that instance:

They count on intuitive Communication

Cockatiels space expressive birds, and also they carry out so utilizing their head comb feathers. A cockatiel can display screen its “mood” come its owner or other cockatiels through simply an altering the place of the comb feathers.

Of course, every bird is unique with the distinctive personality. However, cockatiels normally use a well-laid screen system.

For instance, it may straighten the crest come alert you of risk or that it’s curious. This generally happens as soon as it’s viewed something brand-new after friend startle that or when it gets excited end a treat.

Contrastingly, a planarization crest means that the cockatiel is fearful or angry. It may additionally include a hissing sound to insist on it.

Imprinting is Important

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Image Credit: Jenifer Kramer, PixabayA cockatiel creates a bond through the very first thing that lays its eye on after hatching. This is since baby cockatiels imprint top top the very first thing they watch after lock hatch.

This behavior is helpful in the wild since it create a bird all set to sign up with the rest of the flock’s social fabric. However, this ability creates a bird the bonds carefully with the owner, i beg your pardon is often preferable for many owners, however it might not be so an excellent in the lengthy run.

The reason is, the bird gets easily depressed if you leaving it alone for an extensive period. This is why it’s essential to keep more than one cockatiel for companionship.

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Final Thoughts

One thing that may make you go for a cockatiel is the longevity. These birds have the right to live as lengthy as 16 come 25 year in captivity.

This way that if you obtain a recently-hatched infant cockatiel for your kids, they’ll flourish right beside each other. Pertained to think of it, identify its period won’t be based upon guesswork anymore!