Hey! We are called Pied Cockatiels. We are the first ever mutation of normal Grey Cockatiels. Have a look at few interesting points about us:
- Our mutation is first established in aviaries of Mr. D. Putnam from Diego, California, United States in 1951.
- We along with our other mutations are the second most popular pet birds in the world after Budgerigars.
- We are well-known for our beautiful crest and orange cheeks.
- We are very vocal birds and we can be taught to sing specific sounds and also can be taught to speak words and sentences. We are better whistlers than talkers.
- We currently are available in 21 color mutations apart from us including lutino, cinnamon, etc.
- We are quite sleepy birds. We sleep for about 14 hours a day.
- Do you know? Our distinct crest is not only for looks but actually shows our emotions.
- The crest is vertical when we are excited or during mating. The crest is flat when we are in a relaxed state.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Nymphicus hollandicus.
Identification: Light-yellow to grey birds with yellow crest.
Our Habitat: Mostly in aviaries and zoos around the world.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Herbivorous; feed mainly seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
Breeding Period: April to December.
Number of eggs laid: 4-7 eggs.
Incubation period: 17-23 days.
Lifespan: about 25 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Appendix II.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Cacatuidae
Genus: Nymphicus
Species: N. hollandicus
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
Pied Cockatiels are one of the mutations of Grey Cockatiels. We are scientifically called as Nymphicus hollandicus.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are the same size of normal cockatiels i.e.; we have a body length of 30cm-33cm and weigh 85gms-142gms. We are mostly light-yellow color to grey in color with white colored feathers. Like normal cockatiels we have orange colored cheeks. We have a distinct crest on our head which gets erected as per our mood. Males and females of our species look alike while the young ones also look similar to adults.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We are mostly bred indoors. We can be found in many aviaries and zoos. We are kept as pets too. We are found in most parts of the world.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are herbivores and eat seeds, fruits, and vegetables in the wild. In captivity, we are fed various types of birdseed and other food.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are monogamous birds and we pair with our opposite genders very early in life. Breeding is all around the year. Both males and females perform various rituals before mating. The female lays 4-7 eggs at a time takes care of the eggs alone. The incubation period is 17-23 days.
The young chicks attain sexual maturity after 13 months if it is a male and 18 months if it is a female. Lifespan is up to 25 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are intelligent, playful and active birds, making us second most popular parrot after budgerigars.
We are vocal birds and can mimic human voices, sing melodies and also speak many words and phrases.
We have a distinctive crest through which we express our various emotions like if the crest is vertical, we are excited, if the crest in gentle we are in the relaxed state, if crest in flat we are angry, etc.
We have 21 other mutations.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are pets of many humans all around the world. We are abundantly available and are classified as “least concern” in the red list of IUCN. We are also listed in CITES Appendix II and also protected in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule IV.
