# Eye colour and age



## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

I heard from a friend of mine that you can gauge the age of a tiel around the time its eyes change? She said the eye changes from dark to lighter at around 8 to 10 months. Is this true?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I haven't heard of this with Tiels. I am not positive, but they might be getting confused with Budgies/Parakeets. The iris around the Budgie's eye gets lighter when they get to that age, perhaps a little closer to a year though. There is no difference in my Tiels eyes at all.


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

That's what I thought too. Frikkies eyes are dark. He has one barred tail feather left but does heart wings, whistles and talks, so must be male. He is in the middle of a HUGE moult right now so I am thinking he is between 7 and 10 months. Does this sound accurate?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I agree it does sound like you have a male.. and yes.. that age would be in sync with his first huge molt. What mutation is Frikkie? Is he a getting a pretty yellow mask in?


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

He is a pied. His face is yellow and his patches are white. It seems his face is getting brighter. Every pin is coming through bright yellow. I just have a feeling he is a young bird. I don't know why.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

If he's going through what you think is his first molt.. and getting lots more yellow on his face then you have a good estimate of his age. They can go through this first molt between 6 and 12 months I believe. It does sound like you have a little boy.  Can you post pics of him?


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

Here's my boy. He is a rescue. He walked in from the street, literally


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Wow.. he's really pied! I'm not sure the yellow face mask applies to him. Have you posted pics of him for others to guess on gender? I don't recall if you did or not. I'm horrible with telling gender on some mutations. And this may not be his first molt then if you just got him not too long ago. Wow.. not sure on age either. lol


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

I've posted pics before, just not asking gender or age. I'm pretty sure this is his first moult, just from the extent of it. He is REALLY moulting!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Pieds will keep their barred tails for longer than other males but if his other feathers are coming solid then he's most likely male. Combine that with the male behaviors he's exhibiting and I would definitely say he's a young male.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I'm not sure though, if a huge molt means first molt. My Hetty is going through a huge molt right now.. and she'll be 3 in February. I have yet to experience a true first molt, but I will soon as McGee and Nel are 3 months now. I can't wait to see the transformation in McGee.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Most tiels have one big molt a year (although some may have two or three little ones a year) and since this is a pied this is either his first or second molt since it takes more than one molt for them to lose their barred tail feathers.


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

How interesting! I learn so much from this forum. So we are looking at under 2.


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