Animal-World > Birds > Cockatiels > Grey Cockatiel

Grey CockatielGrey Tiel ~ Quarrian ~ Weiro

Family: Cacatuidae

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Grey Cockatiel - femaleNymphicus hollandicusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     Grey Cockatiels may or may not have red cheek patches, but they ALL have white on their wings!

     The Grey Cockatiel is the most common kind of cockatiel. Grey is the natural color of cockatiels in the wild, though there are occasionally some naturally occurring color mutations. These cockatiels are sometimes referred to as the 'Normal Grey' Cockatiel or the Wild-Type" Cockatiel.

     Cockatiels are probably the most popular of the parrot family with their main competition being the Budgerigar (referred to as the Parakeet in the United States). They make wonderful pet birds because they are are hardy, easily handle changes in their home, and are easy to breed. On top of that, keeping a cockatiel as a pet is easy because they are not noisy parrots and they are comfortable when left alone for long periods of time.

     Cockatiels are considered parrots as can be seen by the shape of their beak. They are members of the Cockatoo family which is apparent by their cute little erectile crests. Unlike cockatoos however, they have long tails making up about half of their total length, and giving them more of a parakeet type appearance.

     Cockatiel's evolved as nomadic creatures, surviving in a variety of diverse and rugged habitats. They are constantly on the move, changing locations with the seasonal fluctuations of food and water supplies. This native habitat and their adaptive behavior has made them well suited as pets.

For more information about the care of Cockatiels see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Cockatiel

Scientific Name     Nymphicus hollandicus

Distribution     Grey cockatiels are found over most of Australia except the coastal areas and most of Tasmania. Tasmania, an island state of Australia, has many of the parrots found in Australia but the cockatiel is not present there. It is thought that though they are one of Australia's fastest flyers, their flying strength is apparently not sufficient to help them bridge the waterway that separates the island from the Australian mainland.

Description     Cockatiels are considered parrots, as can be seen by the shape of their beak. Cockatiels are probably the most popular of the parrot family. They are closely related to the Cockatoos, and like Cockatoos they are members of the Cacatuidae family.

     As members of the Cacatuidae family they too have an erectile crests. This cute little crest will be held erect when they are stimulated and excited, flattened when they are feeling angry, defensive, or submissive, and somewhere in between when they are in their normal 'hanging out' state. Unlike the other members of this family, however, they have long tails. The tail makes up about half of their total length and gives them more of a parakeet type appearance.

     The Grey Cockatiel is very common pet bird cockatiel. The Grey Cockatiel is not one of the cockatiel mutations. Gray is the natural color of cockatiels in the wild, though there are occasionally some naturally occurring color mutations. Both male and female Grey Cockatiels are primarily gray with white along the outer edge of the wings.

     See descriptions of sexual differences for this pet bird cockatiel below, under the breeding cockatiels section.

Size - Weight      These birds get up to 12 inches (30 cm) and weigh 3 to 4 ounces.

Care and feeding      Good sized bird cages are a must for good cockatiel care. A roomy cockatiel cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a playpen or parrot perch. Bird food consists of a variety of sprouts, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and commercial pellets.

See About Cockatiels: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors      Cockatiels travel in flocks in the wild and this influences cockatiel behavior in captivity. Their social 'flock' disposition along with their native habitat makes them well suited as pets. They are hardy, adapt easily to change, and are easy to breed. A big plus is that cockatiels are not noisy and can be left alone for long periods of time. They make a very loving and devoted pet if bonded properly.

     For taming cockatiels and cockatiel training, see About Cockatiels: Handling and Training.

Activities      Common bird activities for cockatiels, they like to climb and play. Cockatiel bird care includes providing lots of bird toys and excercise. Give them plenty of time outside the cage if possible, a playpen works well for this. Many cockatiels can learn to talk and whistle, especially the males.

     See About Cockatiels: Activities for more information.

Breeding/Reproduction      Cockatiel breeding can be a very rewarding experience. Cockatiels will readily nest provided they have a nest box and some material to construct the nest from. They lay one egg every other day until they have laid about 5 eggs. The incubation period is 17 - 22 days. After hatching the young birds will open their eyes at 9 days of age.

     This is a good time to start hand feeding if you don't want to incubate the eggs yourself. Incubation and raising the chicks yourself requires dedication since the baby cockatiels will need feedings every two hours for the first couple of weeks. Likewise, you can pull them from the nest earlier than 9 days, but with greater risk to the chick and greater effort on your part with frequent feedings. After about 18 days the orange cheek patch will appear on the babies. At about 30 days they will look like adult birds, and will fledge at about 35 days of age.

     For more information on cockatiel breeding, see About Cockatiels: Breeding/Reproduction.

Sexual differences      There are a lot of opinions about how to sex these birds, but with many of the color varieties they are usually they are just indicators, and not certain ways to tell. A Grey Cockatiel can usually be visually sexed at about six months of age. A mature grey male will have a yellow or white face while the female's face will be grey or a lighter grey. Males also generally have a darker and more distinct orange spot on the cheek than females, but not always. All juvenile Grey Cockatiels have barring on the underside of the tail. This barring is lost with the male's first molt but is retained by the female.

     "Loki" (seen to the right) is a male by this criteria. Loki is one of the oldest (and maybe the prettiest) cockatiels that we know of. He (or she?) is at least 23 years old and looks very healthy! "Loki" is the name of the Viking God of mischief. Do you think the owner is trying to say something about this sweet innocent little bird?

Potential Problems      The cockatiel health is easy to maintain as these are very hardy birds, but for all pet birds there are potential problems For optimum bird health care for your cockatiel, it is good to know what signs of illness to be aware of.

     For information about cockatiel health, see About Cockatiels: Problems.

Availability      The Grey Cockatiel is one of the most common cockatiels for sale. It is readily available and affordable. There are also lots of different color mutations readily available including lutino, pied, pearl, cinnamon, and white-faced varieties.

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Latest Comments
I bought a cockatiel about a month ago. I named him Hercules because he was chasing away the other cockatiels to nibble on my finger through the pet store cage. He was a little shy at first with the hissing and biting. Now every morning and night I let him out of his cage and he follows me all over my apartment. It is sooo cute to watch him run as fast as his little feet will take him to chase after me when I'm getting ready in the mornings. He is right behind me the whole step of the way, he wont let me out of eye sight. He shows more loyalty than most dogs! Great companion! jme 2009-06-05
Great company and companionship! jme 2009-06-05
I have a soon to be 18 year old grey tiel named Sydney a/k/a Bootsy Sugarman. He has never been docile as described on this site although he was about 2 yrs old when I got him. He does not talk which is okay cos hey I don't fly. I love him dearly and enjoy his cranky ways. Tiels rule the parrot world ! SiberTiel 2009-05-31
Hi, Just to let you know we have a cockatiel named "Thomas". He is one of the family and talks to us everyday. Thomas is 21 yrs of age and still going strong. His favourite song is Whistling Dixie. He says things very clear..... Come to dad, theres a clever tom, come on then, want ya dinner, bit of biscuit, and he wolf whistles too. He is just great! and we love him. Gary Gary 2009-05-04
My dad saved a cockatiel from being eaten by an eagle. He brought it home, we healed him, and now he is back to normal. He is funny because I have him with a parakeet and he always does his mating call to it and the parakeet gets mad and pecks him. The bad thing is that the parakeet is a male. When I try to get my cockatiel he runs and starts breathing hard and starts hissing. I don't know if his first owner was mean to him. I can't tame him or hand feed him. I hope our friendship gets better. Anonymous 2008-12-27
Some of the coolest comments:
I have had Peter, a grey cockatiel, for 12 years now. He is a well-natured, very calm bird. However, fully taming him has been a challenge, partly because he had a partner up until 3 years ago. Peter has discovered a love lately. He loves sailing. We live on board our 30 ft. sailboat during the summer for approximately 10 weeks. Now I know why pirates carried parrots. My cockatiel is a hoot on board a boat. Peter flourished, he whistled contently, started imitating Terns. I was hoping he would mock a loon, but that did not happen. His plumage improved immensely due to the humidity and different weather. He was outdoors underneath the dodger all day, except for rainy periods and during our voyages. He slept inside the cabin at night. We would often be approached by other boaters on their dinghies wondering where the "unnatural" bird sounds were coming from. Peter has his way of complaining when we sail in rough weather he screams and screeches. When the conditions improved, he would start his happy whistle. He is going to be sailing with us every year. I could not stand to leave him home alone and only having someone to come in daily to care for him. Filomena Dupuis 2004-03-15
I have had many birds throughout the years - from Moluccans to Zebra Finches. Sassy, my 7-year old Pearl Cockatiel, is one of the best pets that has ever lived with me. I found her as a chick in a pet store. They did not know what to do with her. They said they could not sell her because she has badly deformed feet. When I first approached her, she hissed at me, and from that moment I knew her name should be SASSY. I talked the store into letting me take her, and I have never been sorry. Sassy lives in an indoor aviary with a love bird and two canaries. She flies happily around her space, she loves to climb all over me or play with my computer keys. Her only "out of the ordinary" requirement is a flat surface for when she sleeps, because she cannot hold a perch well. I used a short, 2" x 4" piece of pine, and carved a depression into which she squats to sleep. I have loved all of my birds but Sassy really gets deeply into my heart. Donn Coon 2003-12-21
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What a great site for finding information on grey cockatiels as well as other animals! As a writer, I was searching for some information to help me with a grey cockatiel character in my children's book. Your site has been quite helpful. Thanks! Jean 2008-10-11
In doing research to try and determine how long grey cockatiels live, I came across this webpage and it was very resourceful. My mom passed away last April leaving me with her grey, named "Birdy". She got Birdy when I went to college in the fall of 1979, so Birdy is at least 28 yrs old and still going strong, though he is losing feathers around his neck. I am however looking for a home for him, as I am going back to graduate school and won't be able to take him with me. We live in Clearwater, Florida and only will part with him if I can find a good home for him. I don't think my Mom ever expected him to live this long. Tina Hemme 2007-03-10
I'm an emerging avian veterinarian and now a days I was looking for some site where I could get more and more informations and pictures about avian world. I feel my self very lucky in finding this wonderful site in today's first attempt where I find every thing is available more than I need. Well done. Uzma Farid Durrani 2006-01-31

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