Cockatiel

Nymphicus hollandicus

Least Concern

Length

32.0 cm

Wingspan

40.0 cm

Weight

90.0 g

Family

Cacatuidae

Order

Psittaciformes

About

The cockatiel is the smallest member of the cockatoo family and one of the most popular pet birds globally. These gentle, intelligent parrots can learn to whistle tunes and mimic sounds. Wild cockatiels are nomadic, traveling in flocks following food and water availability across the Australian outback.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Body Length	32.0 cm	12.6 in
Wingspan	40.0 cm	15.7 in
Weight	90.0 g	3.17 oz

Identification

Plumage

Wild-type males are grey with white wing patches, a yellow face, and bright orange cheek patches. Females are duller with barred tail undersides. Many captive color mutations exist.

Bill

Short, curved, grey bill

Habitat & Range

Open arid and semi-arid habitats including scrubland, farmland, and woodland near water in Australia.

🌲 Forest

Geographic Range

Interior of Australia, generally avoiding coastal areas. The second most popular pet bird worldwide.

Diet & Feeding

Seeds, grain, berries, and plant material. Forages on the ground in open areas. In captivity, benefits from a varied diet of pellets, seeds, and vegetables.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: CV. Incubation: 20 days.

Clutch Size

1-7

Sound

Song

A loud, whistled 'weet' or 'weeeet'. Males whistle a melodic series; contact call is a high nasal 'ny'. Capable of mimicry in captivity. Song is relatively simple but pleasant.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Cacatuidae (Cockatoos)
Genus	Nymphicus
Species	Nymphicus hollandicus

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name
Arabic	كوكاتيل
Chinese	雞尾鸚鵡
French	calopsitte élégante
German	Nymphensittich
Hindi	कॉकाटियल
Indonesian	Betet alap-alap
Japanese	オカメインコ
Korean	왕관앵무
Portuguese	caturra
Russian	Корелла
Spanish	Cacatúa ninfa
Thai	นกคอกคาทีล
Turkish	sultan papağanı

Distribution

Cockatiel has been recorded in 14 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Cockatiel eat?

Seeds, grain, berries, and plant material. Forages on the ground in open areas. In captivity, benefits from a varied diet of pellets, seeds, and vegetables.

Where does the Cockatiel live?

Open arid and semi-arid habitats including scrubland, farmland, and woodland near water in Australia.

Is the Cockatiel endangered?

The Cockatiel has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Cockatiel nest?

Nest type: CV. Incubation: 20 days.

What does the Cockatiel sound like?

A loud, whistled 'weet' or 'weeeet'. Males whistle a melodic series; contact call is a high nasal 'ny'. Capable of mimicry in captivity. Song is relatively simple but pleasant.

How big is the Cockatiel?

The Cockatiel has a body length of 32.0 cm, wingspan of 40.0 cm, weight of 90.0 g.

What order and family does the Cockatiel belong to?

The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) belongs to the order Psittaciformes and the family Cacatuidae.