But, they may communicate with you through whistles. Cockatiel VocalizationsĬockatiels don’t typically mimic human speech like some other parrots. If you plan on only getting one Cockatiel, then you’ll want to take extra care to provide your bird with the social interaction it craves. Often regardless of whether or not there are other birds in the house.īecause of their need for companionship, you should at least consider adopting two cockatiels rather than one. This may be why they bond so well with humans. They are very social birds that live in large groups in the wild. White Cockatiel TemperamentĬockatiels are often described as charming, affectionate, and cuddly. As well as two recessive white-faced genes to appear as a white bird. So, a “white” cockatiel would need to have two recessive lutino genes (one for females). Which means that they will not be expressed if the dominant grey color is present in their genotype. So, females will only receive one copy of a sex-linked color gene. In Cockatiels, sex-linked color mutations are always passed on via the X chromosome rather than the Y. Female Cockatiels’ sex chromosomes are XY, whereas males are XX. Sex-linked colors are passed along on the chromosomes that determine whether the bird is male or female. Lutino, which is responsible for the white Cockatiel, is a sex-linked color. The white-faced trait that we mentioned is one of these simple recessive mutations. It will only appear if there are two copies of the gene for said color.īasically, these birds cannot be mated with a normal-colored Cockatiel (unless that Cockatiel is a split) if you want to produce something other than grey Cockatiels. Simple recessive means that the color is a recessive trait. This means they carry the genes for both normal coloring and a mutation coloring. Thus, if you were to mate a normal colored Cockatiel with any other color, all of the babies would be normal in color.īut, the babies would be referred to as “split”. And all other colors are considered mutations. This color is genetically dominant to all other colors. The normal color of a Cockatiel is gray with a yellow face and orange spots on the cheeks. These terms include normal, simple recessive, and sex-linked. Since their domestication, many different mutations that alter Cockatiel color have been discovered.Īs such, there are a few different terms that are used to describe colors at the genetic level. Instead their faces are completely white. As the wording suggests, white-faced cockatiels do not have this. Most cockatiels have orange spots on each side of their face which is reminiscent of blush. Especially when paired with a white face. But this can be light enough to appear white. Lutino often describes pastel yellow shades. The “white” Cockatiel is actually a lutino colored Cockatiel with a white face. This is because their coloring often does look white.īut, albino and white are misnomers.

Light colored Cockatiels are often referred to as white, or even albino. As well as how it compares to other Cockatiels in terms of behavior, health, and care. In this article, we’ll explain what a white Cockatiel is. This is because the white color comes from one of the shades above. Yet you have probably seen white Cockatiels before. These include cinnamon, pied, pearl, lutino, as well as combinations of these colors. Since their domestication, Cockatiels have been bred in a number of colors. And of course, who can forget the majestic crest atop their head? These birds are naturally grey in color with a yellow face that has two orange spots resembling blush. With Parakeets being their main competition for the top spot. Pet CockatielsĬockatiels are one of the most popular pet birds in the U.S. Let’s take a closer look to find out if the white Cockatiel is the right new pet for you. But the care and attention they need are the same as any other cockatiel. White cockatiels are the result of a very specific combination of genes. Even their usually yellow crest and orange cheeks are white. A white cockatiel has white plumage over their whole body.

White tailed cockatoo