Cockatiels originate from Australia and are unique in terms of their appearance, temperament, voice, and speech. These birds are cousins to other birds like the black and Galah cockatoo, which can lead to confusion. So, what do cockatiels look like?

Cockatiels are birds from the cockatoo family that have a unique pointed crest. Mostly, their plumage is gray and gets paler below. Cockatiels have a white patch on their wings and orange cheeks. However, their genders may have slightly distinctive colors. Similarly, young cockatiels may have slightly different colors from their parents due to molting occurring at six months to a year.

Male cockatiels have bright yellow foreheads and dark orange cheeks. They usually have more brilliant colors to attract female cockatiels, especially during their breeding phase. On the other hand, female cockatiels tend to have paler shades than males to protect them from predators since they cannot fight due to their delicate bodies.

The colors of cockatiels are usually determined by the pigments in their bodies. Melanin pigments are responsible for darker colors such as blue and grey. Similarly, these pigments make some cockatiel types have darker feet. Carotenoid pigments produce lighter colors in cockatiels, like orange, white, and yellow.

What Are the Types of Cockatiels and Their Colors?

Here are seven types of cockatiels and what they look like:

1. Ashenfallow Cockatiel

This cockatiel type is native to Australia and has currently spread to different continents. Ashenfallow cockatiels are identified by their red eyes, pink feet, and beaks.

They have a soft cinnamon color on their plumage with a higher concentration of yellow.

The female Ashenfallow cockatiels have a high concentration of yellow color on their chest and face compared to males, but it is somehow paler.

2. Blue Cockatiel

Just as the name suggests, blue cockatiels have blue plumage that is very attractive. The blue color of their plumage results from mutation. They are highly concentrated with melanin pigmentation, which results in their feathers’ blue and gray color.

They also breed with other types to get different color mutations, such as silver and gray. Males and females have almost the same color, but males tend to have darker colors.

3. Pied Cockatiel

This is the first color mutation in the genetics of cockatiels. These species of cockatiels have both melanin and carotenoid pigments. Melanin gives a darker grayish color to their plumage, especially on the wings.

They also have light yellow and white feathers with dark orange patches on their cheeks. The white flashes are seen on the outer edges of their wings.

3. White‐faced Cockatiel

This cockatiel species is unique and outstanding as they lack the yellow and orange color on their bodies. These birds have gray bodies with white faces and wings.

Both males and females share the same color, although males tend to have more white flashes than females. They have pink feet and beaks.

4. Normal Grey Cockatiel

These cockatiel types are the origin of all the color mutations in cockatiels since they contain a series of all colors, including gray, orange, yellow, white, pink, blue, black, etc.

Normal grey cockatiels have orange patches that are darker in males and paler in females. Their unique colored plumage makes them appealing, and they are affectionate birds you can have in your home.

5. Bronzefallow Cockatiel

This cockatiel has a color mutation that was first identified in the United States of America in the 1970s.

Bronzefallow cockatiels have light milk chocolate shades with deep yellow highlights on their face and chest. They also have white and yellow markings on their plumage.

The exciting part is that their eyes are usually pink when birds are young and change to dark immediately after their first molting. Furthermore, these birds can easily mimic the sounds of objects, chirp, and whistle.

6. Lutino Cockatiel

This is the most common cockatiel species, with its bright and colorful colors. These birds have white to yellow feathers that make them conspicuous. They have dark orange-to-red patches on their cheeks.

Their crests are usually light yellow to white and are very pointed. These birds have their melanin replaced with carotenoid pigments responsible for providing white, yellow, and orange bright colors.

7. Yellow Face Cockatiel

This type of cockatiel has a yellow face with an extended, pointed crest on its head. They also have gray color mutations on their bodies, just like normal grey cockatiels.

Furthermore, they have white flashes on their wings and sometimes on their heads. Orange patches are also visible on their cheeks.

8. Pearl Cockatiel

Pearl cockatiels have different colored spots on their bodies, known as pearls. The pearl spots are usually white and found on their backs and wings. Additionally, their bodies have a light yellow color with light orange patches on their cheeks.

These cockatiels are scarce and, hence, unavailable in large numbers compared to other cockatiel species.

9. Silver Cockatiel

Due to their color mutations, their gray feathers look silvery, hence their name. These bird species carry multiple pigments responsible for their colors, including silver, gray, white, orange, and yellow. Silver cockatiels are very beautiful and usually have pink beaks with somehow darker feet.

How Do You Tell If a Cockatiel Is Male or Female?

Identifying a cockatiel’s gender can be tricky, especially when you have not interacted with cockatiels. 

Below are three tips to help you know the gender of your cockatiel without straining:

1. Examine their tails. Usually, female cockatiels have irregular spot patterns on their tails, while males have regular ones.

2. Monitor Cockatiel’s plumage after undergoing their first molting. In most cases, male cockatiels tend to have darker colors, while females have pale colors on their faces and bodies.

3. Take the cockatiel to an avian vet, who will examine the pelvic bones in cockatiels, with a wider pelvic being a female cockatiel.

Related Articles

How to Know If a Cockatiel Is Male or Female | What Is the Difference?

Things to Know About Cockatiels | All About Cockatiels Explained!

How Loud Are Cockatiels? (Read This Before Getting a Cockatiel!)

Do Cockatiels Talk? All You Need to Know About Cockatiel Talking

How to Breed Rainbow Budgies | 4 Ways of Creating a Rainbow Budgie