Animal-World > Pet Birds > Cockatiels > White-faced Cockatiel

White-faced Cockatiel

Family: Cacatuidae

• Puzzles
• Postcards

"L.A." Nymphicus hollandicus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

  The white-faced cockatiels lack the yellow coloration, and have no cheek patches. The males will have a whiter head and the females will have more of a grayish head. The females will also have the barred markings underneath their tail feathers.

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. The white-faced cockatiels are a color variety that is not found in the wild.

Description:
   The white-faced cockatiel has a white or grayish face as shown above. They come in different color varieties like gray, pearl, fawn, pied, and albino.   "L.A." looks like a gray or maybe a pied whiteface cockatiel.

Care and feeding:
   A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Size - Weight:
   These birds get up to 30 cm (12 inches).

Social Behaviors:
   Cockatiels travel in flocks in the wild. They make a very loving and devoted pet if bonded properly.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   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 young chicks 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.

See About Cockatiels: Breeding/Reproduction for more information.

Sexual differences:
   There are a lot of opinions about how to sex these birds but usually they are just indicators and not sure ways to tell. For White-faced cockatiels, he males will have a whiter head and the females will have more of a grayish head. The females will also have the barred markings underneath their tail feathers while the males will have none.

Potential Problems:
   See About Cockatiels: Problems for more information.

Availability:
   This bird is sometimes available and can come in a lot of different varieties, grey, lutino, pearl, and white-faced varieties. The white-faced cockatiel is generally quite a bit more expensive than the regular grey cockatiel or lutino.

Activities:
   Likes to climb and play, provide toys and plenty of time outside the cage if possible.

Add your comment here!
Click to see All the comments!
Latest Comments
Hi, I have a beautiful white faced cockatiel who I have named Romeo. At just 5 months of age he can say Hello, pretty bird and Romeo Romeo. He is currently learning the "where art thou romeo" part of Romeo and Juliet. He also can whistle the entire theme song from the Andy Griffin show and at Christmas learned Jingle Bells in just one day. I really don't recommend Christmas carols because by Feb. it does get a little old. He has also learned to bark like our Chihuahua's and laugh like myself. I am Romeo's second owner as the first owner had to give him up just after he purchased him because of an irate landlord who hated birds. I can't imagine why because Romeo is a very polite bird and does not scream or try to annoy anyone. I put his cage right next to my 55 gal. fish tank and he spends hours watching those fish "fly" through the water. By far he is the best bird that I have ever had in my family. Janet Carpenter 2009-02-10
I once had a white-faced cockatiel named Cluedo. He was very adventurous and was always walking about the house. He loved climbing stairs and would often fall asleep while sitting on the stairs! Unfortunately he died at 11 weeks old and is greatly missed. On a more positive note these birds(as are all cockatiels) are a joy to keep and are not expensive to buy and keep. Kurt van Wyk 2008-07-02
Cockatiels are the most wonderful birds. Whiteface 'tiels are even better. If you are looking for a mutation cockatiel, be prepared to spend a little extra on the bird. john 2008-03-21
I have a pearl cockatiel who is 2 months old. He was pulled from the nesting box a little early but has become a very amazing bird. He just learned the wolf whistle and we think hes a male but it wouldnt matter anyway. His name is Spike. I have had a lot of different pets and he is by far one of my favorites! Very gentle natured and sometimes clingy, he takes showers with me and always sits on my shoulder. He is such a great pet that 3 of my neighbors went out and bought a cockatiel also after playing with spike! I definitely recommend this bird to anyone! I bet you will get attached very quick. Tara and Spike 2008-01-01
I have a gorgeous 2 year old white faced cockatiel called Mokey. Although nearly losing him to a stroke at the age of 1 (most likely due to his genetic make up) he has grown up to be a spunky boy who adores kisses and loves wolf whistling to whoever wants to listen! Soz 2006-12-13

Back to Cockatiels

Author: Clarice Brough, CAS