How to tell the gender of your cockatiel

DNA testing on a blood sample, chest feathers or the egg shell that your bird hatched from can determine the gender of your bird with 100% accuracy. Surgical sexing is another method used to determine gender, but it's reserved for larger species of birds because the bird must be anaesthetized. Although not always accurate, your avian vet may be able to detect the gender of your bird by examining pelvic bones and feather patterns. Cockatiels have 2 bony ridges at the base of their abdomens, above the vent. In females, the structures are more flexible and further apart. A person inexperienced with breeding and examining birds should NOT try to do this. You can seriously injure your bird. Breeders frequently use visual clues which suggest whether a cockatiel is male or female. Most color mutations are monomorphic, meaning that there is no visual difference in the appearance of a male or female cockatiel. However, in normal grays, lutinos, fallows, silvers and cinnamons, males will have bright yellow faces and bright orange cheek patches. The female will usually have duller cheek patches, all gray or all brown faces, spots under wing feathers and barring on their tail feathers. You may need to hold one of these feather up to a bright light and use a magnifying glass to see them.

Gender can often be determined by an individual bird's body language as well. Males are usually more vocal than females and they are capable of mimicking words and sounds. (A very small percentage of females can sing and talk as well. )Males will start to whistle and imitate sounds at about 6 months of age. Many of them will have mastered the "wolf whistle" before being welcomed into their forever homes. Body and courtship behavior provide other clues to help determine gender. Males will pull their wings back to form the shape of a heart when whistling. Males also tap on cage bars, food dishes, toys and other surfaces to attract the attention of a mate. One male behavior that often puzzles and disturbs new bird owners is the sight of their bird briskly rubbing the vent against a toy, perch or other object, while quickly swishing the tail from side to side. Adult male birds will masturbate if their hormones are stimulated. Females on the other hand, exhibit a much different and more subtle behavior when ready to mate. The female will tilt her head down forward, then slightly elevate the tail, while making soft chirping sounds.

To tell if albino and other light tiel mutations are female or male. Hold a tail feather up to a light and you will see clear little bars if it is a female and it will be solid of it's a male. This only works after maturity (first molt) because all young cockatiels look like females at first. -Cinnyluver

Credit goes to
http://www.cockatielcottage.net
CinnyLover

Good job on finding this!

Yeah.:p

I know how to tell if albino and other light tiel mutations are female or male. Hold a tail feather up to a light and you will see clear little bars if it is a female and it will be solid of it's a male. This only works after maturity (first molt) because all young cockatiels look like females at first.

Thanks Ana! I added it to the post.

You're welcome!

No YOU are welcome. Will help us all.

Oh, you're too kind!

I have read about - and seen - females with bright yellow heads like the males. The true test is the barring on the tail feathers which is much more reliable. You might want to change your post to say females USUALLY have duller head colors.

That's true. I will change the post.

Good point....like the lutinios!