# Determining age and sex of new young bird



## Rayinuya (May 10, 2013)

I just got a new handfed baby cockatiel from a local pet store, and I'm wondering if there is any way to get a rough estimate of it's age (so I can tell if it's too early to visually sex it).

The clerks said it is still a baby, they don't know how old exactly. It's wing feathers appear to be all uniform length; I remember reading somewhere that before their first molt, their wings are like that. But, I'm not sure if it's just been clipped that way, since it can't fly so well. It's weaned and seems to be eating seeds with no problem.

No pictures, so I'll describe as best as I can. Visually, it looks like a normal grey hen. Underside of tail is bright yellow, with barring; crest is dull yellow, fading to grey at the tips. Face is dull, with hints of yellow around the eyes and dull orange cheek patches. In addition, it seems pretty small for a cockatiel, maybe only 10 or 11 in. total. (Aren't cockatiels supposed to be around 12-14 in., Or is that just average?)

I feel so bad calling it 'it', and knowing its gender would make it easier to pick a name! x ) Thanks so much for any help you can give!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

it's pretty hard to sex by description  
one way to get a _very_ rough age estimate is to look at your cockatiel's crest.
a younger bird has a pretty short straight crest like this: (this bird is 4 months old)









an older cockatiel will have a longer crest, with a curve in it: (this tiel is 2 years old)









if your cockatiel has a small straight crest it's probably under a year old. 
pictures would be best though. until then it's hard. and cockatiels don't get their adult markings in til about 8 months old - so up till then it can be a guessing game.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Since its young you can try wing spot sexing: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=18307

Its not 100% accurate but its a start. All babies look female til they go through the first molt. How does the baby act? Any whistling?


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## Rayinuya (May 10, 2013)

Yup, I figured as much. : ( I'm planning on getting some pictures of it as soon as it's settled in. And going on the photos, it's definitely older than 4 months, but its crest isn't as long and full or curved as the older bird (though pretty close). 

It's been whistling, not a lot; it tends to chirp and purr (or coo? Pardon me, I don't know what it's actually called...) more. When I was watching some cockatiel videos, it'd whistle and chirp a bunch in reply. Otherwise, it's really quiet; though that's to be expected in a new environment. I'll try to look at it's wings as soon as it's comfortable around me.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

sounds good  you can snap some photos of it anytime - they don't need to be settled in, since cameras shouldn't scare them


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