How to Determine the Sex of a Cockatiel

It is difficult to determine the gender of most cockatiels.

Both male and female cockatiels make excellent pets, but many owners want to know the sex of their birds for future mating. Juvenile cockatiels resemble each other closely until the first molt, which makes determining gender difficult. Surgical or DNA testing offers the only way to truly determine the sex of a young cockatiel. However, the owner can watch closely for certain signs as the bird ages. With time, most bird owners become aware of the subtle differences between males and females, making determining gender easier. Following are some general suggestions, as well as tips for some specific cockatiel varieties.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight
• Mirror

Instructions

1. Cup the cockatiel in your hands. Use your fingers to gently palpitate the bird's vent opening. The pelvic bones of the male feel pointed and close together. The pelvic bones of the female bird feel wider and more rounded.

2. Watch for behavioral clues to your cockatiel's gender. Male cockatiels vocalize more than females, and this difference becomes noticeable at six months; listen for the male to become more vocal around this age. Also, make sure your cockatiel's cage has a mirror. Male cockatiels love preening in front of a mirror, while females rarely look at themselves.

3. Watch the normal gray cockatiel after the first molt as its feathers begin to develop. The male will exhibit a bright yellow face with a brilliant orange cheek patch. The female will have a gray face with only a dull orange spot. Yellow may appear around the female's eyes, beak and nose. A male gray cockatiel has a bright yellow crest with gray tipping, while the female's crest appears gray.

4. Observe the speckling pattern on the pearl cockatiel. After the first molt, males lose this speckling, while females retain it. Also, a male's face will turn yellow or white, but a female's will turn gray or brown.

5. Check under the wings and tail feathers of the lutino cockatiel. After the first molt, females will display yellow spotting on the wing feathers, as well as light yellow barring. Shine a flashlight on the feathers to better see this faint yellow marking.

Tips & Warnings

• It is impossible to visually determine the gender of pied and lutino whiteface cockatiels.

References

• Cockatiel Cottage; Is My Bird Male Or Female; Eleanor McCaffrey
• Greeson's Sweet Spot; Cockatiels Advice From A Breeder; Linda Greeson; Jan 2000
• Bird Health: Cockatiels As Pets
• Lets Talk Birds: Cockatiel Information
• Pet Birds: Determining A Cockatiels Sex

Resources

• National Cockatiel Society: How Do I Tell What Sex My Baby Cockatiel Is?