Another method that is often used, in GENDER IDENTIFICATION, is the VOCALITY
of the bird. Cockatiels that sing, chatter, and often 'wolf whistle' regularly are typically male. However,
this method is also capable of being very misleading. Young females may also be very vocal, and rarely but not at
all impossible, is the female who continues to be vocal into adulthood. It is in a birds innate nature to mimic.
Generally
speaking, the more vocal the bird, the more likely it is male. Often, females will quiet their vocal
behavior when they reach adulthood and, at that time, will develope a more quiet nature. However, you
may, from time to time, hear your cockatiel hiss. This is a characteristic primarily committed by females,
but may also be heard by baby, young adult, and sometimes male cockatiels. HISSING
is a clear signal that your cockatiel is frightened, angry or ultimately on the defensive, and when heard, it is an inappropriate time
to handle the bird. We hear this, sometimes in unison, late at night from all of our cockatiels that have "night frights".
And there is no gender barrier on the males or females vocalizing consecutive hissing when they are affraid.
A "NIGHT
FRIGHTS", for those who do not know, usually occurs at night (but can also occur during 'nap time'), when
your bird/s is/are sleeping. The phenomenon can be caused by bad dreams, strange noises, loud noises, being affraid
of the dark, etc. In lamens terms, it is comparable to a human having a bad dream or being awakened by strange
noises. Cockatiels feel similarly as helpless as we do in those situations.
Ex:
We have a bird that refuses to let us cover his cage at night. He is the "man's, man" of birds! He has
to know everything that is going on at all times, and will clearly vocalize his dissaproval of something. We have
a 6 foot cage that houses our cockatiels that aren't breeders, and he demands to sleep on top of every night (even though
it isnt his cage, but is the tallest cage) so that he can watch over everything while everyone sleeps (human or cockatiel).
A female
cockatiel will SCREECH, on a regular basis, if housed with or near other cockatiels. This is an
expression of her dissaproval of something, or some other cockatiel, and will also be expressed if she feels violated,
territorially or otherwise. A female will also screech if she is frustrated or annoyed!
VANITY is far more pronounced
in males than females. However, as with the other exceptions, baby and young adult cockatiel females may exhibit
vanity. Male cockatiels will stare into a MIRROR at theirself endlessly. They, often, will talk
to theirself and boast about their gorgeousness. Females are more prone to see theirself in the mirror, screech
and peck the mirror as if they have been completely violated. And they do so with as much frustration as would
clearly illustrate this immagined assault.
Another factor that can allude to the sex of your cockatiel is when it begins to come
of breeding age. Males will often, especially when in vicinity of a female, hunch down, LIGHTLY ARCH THEIR WINGS,
and sing/chirp in a flirtatious manner. You will, in your research find a number of people who say that cockatiel males match
a specific vocalization to this behaviour, but in reality and in our extensive experience, we have learned that there is no
specific flirtatious vocalization. The common thread of knowledge is that the male will arch his wings, but in reference
to what song comes out of him is as individual as a human males serenade for love.
We have also observed that, when set within a social community
comprised of other birds, cockatiels have a tendency to mimic distinctive behaviors, even of other species (ie.
budgies, macaws, cockatoos). Younger birds seem more prone to being influenced by their peers, in this respect.
As one could imagine, the result of this mimicking (especially over an extended period of time) can cause major
confusion, to the care-taker.
More often than not, after the first molt (which usually occurs at 6 months of age), one is
able to distinguish whether their pet is male or female through observation alone. It is highly recommended you maintain
patience. If however, it is necessary to determine the gender of your cockatiel/s as an irrefutable definitive, consulting
an avian vet for DNA testing, or ordering a home testing kit, would be the best way to approach this issue.
