Cockatiels: Sexing
Unlike most other Cacatuini species, Cockatiels display sexual dimorphism, very similar to the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Also, cocks sing and show several courtship behaviours not seen in the hens.
Cock
 |
Cock birds have a bright yellow face bordered with a small band of white by the neck. He has red-orange cheek patches and a dark black-grey tail. |
|
Normal Grey cock |
Hen
 |
In
retrospect, hens are much duller overall. Hens have a dull
grey wash over the face and crest with slightly intenser yellow
patches at the edge of the cere, beak and eyes. Her cheek
patches are dull orange. She has yellow polka dotting underneath
of her flight feathers and there may also be some dotting
on the breast. The hen's rump, vent and tail is barred with
yellow-white and grey. She has bright yellow tertial tail
coverts. |
|
Normal Grey hen |
Juvenile
 |
Juveniles
are identical to hens, although cocks somewhat lack or have
minimal polka dotting on the underneath of the secondary and
tertial flight feathers. |
|
Juvenile
Normal Greys: cock to rear, hen to front. |
Additional Sexual Dimorphism of Colour Polymorphs
Most Cockatiel colour mutations (or polymorphs) retain the same visual sexual characteristics as the Wild-type Grey, except for a few colours which display additional characteristics which may help or slightly hinder (in the inexperienced handler) visual sexing. They are explained as follows...
Lutinos
 |
In
contrast to popular belief, Lutinos can be sexed by the Wild-type
sexual charcteristics, although hens do possess a bright yellow
face which is identical in intensity to the cock bird. So
to sex Lutinos, view them under bright sunlight, where lemon
coloured barring and flight feather polka dotting in the hen
will be clearly visible (and flat solid white or lemon in
the cock). |
Lutino Pied Hen (not a brilliant photo of the tail feathers,
but enlargement shows that barring is slightly evident). |
|
Pearls
 |
 |
Pearl
hens retain their pearling thoughout life, whilst cocks generally
loose all pearling, usually gainingfull Wild-type Grey plumage
by the age of 18 months.p |
|
Adult Pearl Hen |
Adult
Pearl cock |
Reduced & Absent Sexual Dimorphism (i.e. Exceptions to the Rules)
The latter Wild-type sexing methods apply to all colour mutations except for the:
Whiteface Lutino
Dark-eyed Clear
...which will lack any pigmentational sexual characteristics and therefore must be sexed via song and behaviour i.e. cock's are generally more vocal, sing a courtship song and display.
Pieds
 |
Additionally,
Pieds are not always sexually dimorphic, with cocks sometimes
retaining their juvenile plumage and hens sometimes having
solid tail feathers or yellow faces, thus resemling cock birds.
So Pieds must also be sexed by song and sexual behaviour. |
|
Whiteface Cinnamon Pearl Pied cock exhibiting some faint barring
to the tail and rump feathers, aswell as retaining some Pearling. |
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