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How to sex Your cockatiel

10K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  Duckie 
#1 ·
Not sure if I'm putting this info in the right category though

SEXING BY VISUAL CUES
In colors that are sexually dimorphic where we can see the visual
differences, such as in
Normal Grey, Cinnamon, Pearl, Recessive
Silver, Whiteface, Fallow, Dominant Silver, etc., males will begin
their baby and juvenile molts at 4 to 6 months of age, where they will
start to acquire their full yellow facemask (or white facemask in Whiteface
mutations). The facemask should be complete by their first adult molt at
12 months of age. Males will also lose the yellow or white under-wing
spots on flight feathers and under-tail barrings beneath the tail, which all
young and immature cockatiels carry. Additionally, young males
demonstrate more aggressive behavior (e.g., biting, nipping, hissing,
attacking, etc.) as they reach maturity where hormone levels rise. This is
usually a temporary period lasting some months or until they breed
and/or hormone levels return to normal.


SEXING BY BEHAVIORIAL CUES
In monomorphic color mutations where we typically cannot sex cockatiels
visually through their appearance - such as in
Lutinos, Pieds,
Whiteface Lutino (Albino), etc. - we must go by behavioral cues.

As a young male cockatiel matures, it begins to exhibit male behaviors
such as singling (warbling a series of notes) and courtship displays
including hopping, strutting, opening the shoulders at the wing joint while
bowing, and tapping objects rapidly with the beak. Females are more
sedate compared to males and voice a two-syllable call note (e.g., "eek-
eek"). As females mature, they become broody and may show interest in
nesting activities such as looking for a place (any place!) to lay a clutch
of eggs and tearing up paper at the bottom of their cage. They will also
solicit breeding by squatting on a perch or flat surface while trembling
their wings, pointing their tails up in the air and emitting a piteous
“crying” sound to invite a male (or bonded human partner) to breed with
them.



Gender Identification of Pieds

1. Does the bird have any dark flight or tail feathers in its plumage?


2. In lighter marked Pieds that still retain one or more dark feathers, the
dark feathers can be examined for any yellow tail-barrings on the
underside of the tail and yellow spottings under flight feathers.


3. All females, and immature young, carry yellow tail barring and round,
spots on the underside of their flights. However, once young birds begin
their juvenile, young adult, and complete adult molts (4-6 months, 1 year,
and 2 years, respectively), these markings are eventually lost as these
feathers turn a dark, solid color.


4. You may have been told that males are brighter in color, because in
many varieties, the male’s yellow face and crest color are a deep yellow,
and their orange cheek patches appear more vivid. However, a
lessening of color intensity in carotenoid (yellow and orange) pigment in
females usually applies to the Normal and standard varieties and does
not necessarily affect Pieds in the same manner. Therefore, both
genders of Pieds can be brightly colored, depending upon their
background bloodlines. For example, some aviculturists selectively breed
for very yellow birds in both genders.


5. Finally, if identification cannot be made visually, you may be able to
identify gender by the bird’s behavior. Males as young as four to six
months of age will start to whistle, warble, hop, bow, and strut about,
opening their shoulders at the wing joint and serenade living and
inanimate objects! Hens tend to be quieter with a two-syllable call, (e.g.,
"eek-eek") and demonstrate less adventurous behaviors, until nesting
urges begin


DESCRIPTION & GENDER IDENTIFICATION
OF CINNAMON'S


I do not advise performing DNA analysis to sex young cockatiels
(unless you are in a tremendous hurry to sell a youngster of a
particular gender), because in a few months you should be able to
determine the genders of youngsters from one another simply by
observing their behavior.


However, Cinnamons are also sexually dimorphic and you will see
physical differences after each of the initial molts they undertake. All
fledglings will always feather out to appear the same color as the hen,
however, as the chicks go through their baby and juvenile molts, the
male offspring will change in physical appearance.


After the baby molt, and as young as the juvenile molt, young males
begin to acquire their yellow facemask of maturity that will be seen as
increasing yellow pigment spreads throughout the face. Males as
young as four to six months of age will begin to whistle, warble, hop,
bow, and strut about, opening their shoulders at the wing joint, and
performing repetitive, rapid beak-tapping on nearby objects.


Over time, young males begin to lose the yellow or white under-wing
spots in their primary flight feathers as well as their white or yellow
barrings underneath their tail feathers. Upon the completion of their
full adult molt, these feathers will appear solid brown, matching the
rest of their plumage. The facemask will appear full yellow and their
ear covert feathers will display bright orange cheek patches.


Cinnamon hens will not change outwardly. Hens will retain the under-
wing spots and under-tail barrings, and any yellow on their face will
remain the same without change through the molt. A less obvious sign
is the retention of their duller-orange (or, as I prefer to say, “more
sedate orange”) cheek patches.


Hens are also quieter by nature and usually vocalize with a two-
syllable call note (e.g., “eek-eek”). They are less adventurous in
behavior than males with the exception of becoming broody and
seeking out nesting sites when they approach full maturity at 12 to 24
months of age.


Article came from :
http://www.cockatielsplusparrots.com/mutations-sexing-cockatiels-by-color-behavior.html

including the sub links at the bottom of that page
 
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#3 ·
:) I just like reading up on the birds, when i think it'll help some one I post it - also helps my memory problem, If I know I read it some where and posted it on here i'll eventually find the page again LOL

I have a tendency to forget to book mark pages i want to come back to later :p
 
#6 ·
Thank you :)

haha ya, me too...I think I've read this entire forum since I found it though. LOL
I think i have a few times over :) but i still can't find a particular thread when i go looking for it BUT i always find it when I'm not looking for it lol :rolleyes:
 
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