Pearled Cockatiel

Scientific Name: Nymphicus hollandicus

Distribution:
   Grey cockatiels are found over most of Australia except the coastal areas and most of Tasmania. Pearl cockatiels are a strain developed by breeders and is not seen in the wild.

Description:
  Cockatiels are probably the most popular of the parrot family. Cockatiels are considered parrots, as can be seen by the shape of their beak. The Pearled cockatiel is less common than the gray and is somewhat more expensive. Many cockatiels can learn to talk and whistle, especially the males. The male will generally have a darker and more distinct orange spot on the cheek (but not always!). Loki looks like a male by this criteria.

Care and feeding:
  A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. The cage for a cockatiel should measure a minimum of 24" length by 18" high and 18" wide. This will leave enough room for several toys and still give the bird room to fully stretch his/her wings without hitting them. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of sprouts, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and commercial pellets.

See About Cockatiels: Housing and About Cockatiels: Care and Feeding for more information.

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

Social Behaviors:
   They 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. The Pearl is probably the hardest to tell until the male loses his "pearl" coloration afte a year or two of age. The female will not lose her coloration.

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

Availability:
   This bird is sometimes available and is somewhat more expensive than the normal gray or lutino.

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