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12

Cockatiel

(Nymphicus hollandicus)
Alternate name(s): "Quarrion", "Cockatoo Parrot"
Aboriginal name(s): "ooya", "wiyaarr" [yuwaalaraay]; "wooraling", "wira" (WA)

Size: 31-33 cm
Weight: 88-178 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Cockatiel at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Cockatiel
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Cockatiel
[Near Bellata, NSW, June 2014]

Near-lateral view of a male Cockatiel
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Lateral view of a male Cockatiel
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2010]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Cockatiel (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Lateral view of a male Cockatiel in flight
[Near Bellata, NSW, June 2014]

Ventral view of a male Cockatiel in flight
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]

FEMALE

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a female Cockatiel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai State Forest, near Warwick, QLD, September 2017]

Lateral view of a female Cockatiel feeding on budding grass flowers
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, April 2021]

Lateral view of a female Cockatiel in brilliant evening sunlight
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2010]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female Cockatiel (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Goorrandalng Campground, Keep River NP, NT, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a female Cockatiel
[Near Bellata, NSW, May 2015]

Dorsal view of a female Cockatiel
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2007]

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Cockatiels - female on the left, male on the right; note the finely barred pattern on the rump, uppertail, legs and forehead of the female
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, September 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a pair of snoozing Cockatiels - male on the left, female on the right
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, July 2017]

Frontal to lateral/ventral view of Cockatiels in a dead tree top; female with two males
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of Cockatiels in a dead tree top; male with two females
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Cockatiels, perfectly camouflaged for foraging on bitumen...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2007]

Pair of Cockatiels feeding
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2007]

Oi, mate, he's watching us! -- Aaah, never mind, he's harmless...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2007]

Lateral view of a pair of Cockatiels in flight
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]

Dorsal view of a pair of Cockatiels in flight
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]

Typical view of a small group of Cockatiels perched in a tree; the males have the prominent orange cheek patches
[Near Bellata, NSW, June 2014]

Part of a flock of Cockatiels gliding in to land in a dead tree
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Cockatiel
[Near Bellata, NSW, May 2015]

Juvenile Cockatiel high up in a dead tree
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Cockatiel high up in a dead tree
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]

Lateral view of a very young Cockatiel; note the short crest and the brownish plumage
[Near Gunndedah, NSW, January 2012]

Breeding information

Breeding season: All year Eggs: 4 - 6 Incubation period: 19 - 20 days Fledging age: ca. 35 days

The breeding season of Cockatiels depends on both geographical latitude and weather conditions (especially in the interior of the continent). They breed mostly from August to December in the southern half of the continent, and from April to August in the North. Inland their breeding patterns depend primarily on rainfall.

Below a series of photos showing a pair of Cockatiels mating.

Male Cockatiel, right, approaching his partner
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, September 2019]

Male Cockatiel mounting her
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, September 2019]

Find the right position...
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, September 2019]

... now then!
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, September 2019]

Nest building: ? Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Hollow Material: Unlined Height above ground: 1 - 10 m

Close-up view of a female Cockatiel at the entrance of its nest hollow
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, May 2023]

Female Cockatiel near the entrance of its nest hollow
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, May 2023]

Male Cockatiel at the entrance of its nest hollow
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2019]

Entrance of a Cockatiel nest hollow
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2019]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 27 x 19 mm Colour: White Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Flock

Like many other species of parrots and cockatoos, Cockatiels are very sociable birds, which are usually found in flocks, or at least small groups.

Flock of Cockatiels on the crown of a tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Quilpie, QLD, July 2021]

Small flock of Cockatiels resting in what shade there is to be found in the crown of a tree on a hot summer's day
[Near Walgett, NSW, April 2009]

Flock of Cockatiels perched in the top of a dead tree, from where they could easily reach a sorghum spill (photo below)
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2022]

Flock of Cockatiels feeding on a sorghum spill
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2022]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds Dependents: Regurgitated seeds Water intake: Daily

Like basically all cockatoos and many parrots, Cockatiels are seed-eaters; primarily they take grass seeds.

Frontal view of a male Cockatiel feeding by a roadside
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Lateral view of a male Cockatiel feeding by a roadside
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Flock of Cockatiels feeding by a roadside
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, June 2012]

While the rest of the flock was feeding by the roadside, this male Cockatiel was on "sentry duty"
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, June 2012]

When a flock of Cockatiels really gets stuck into it, one can see almost only grey
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, June 2012]

Sometimes Cockatiels can also be seen to find food on the bitumen of a sealed road
[Near Moree, NSW, June 2013]

Mixed flock of Galahs and Cockatiels rising in alarm caused by the observer's car; they were disturbed while cleaning up a roadside grain spill
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2018]

Galahs and Cockatiels cleaning up a grain spill
[Burren Junction, NSW, July 2021]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

cockatl_20211031.m4a (NW NSW) Contact calls (in-flight) © MD
cockatl_20230503_2.mp3 (NW NSW) Contact calls (in-flight) © MD
cockatl_20200229.m4a (NW NSW) Contact calls (in-flight) © MD
cockatl_20230503.mp3 (NW NSW) Contact calls? (2 pairs near nest hollow) © MD
cockatl_20171115.m4a (NW NSW) Adult male with juvenile © MD
cockatl_20171115_2.m4a (NW NSW) Adult male with juvenile © MD
cockatl_20150519_2.mp3 (NW NSW) Various (with begging calls) © MD
superb_20190722_2.m4a (NW NSW) Mixed group with Superb Parrots © MD
galah_20140627.mp3 (NW NSW) Mixed flock (with Galahs) © MD

More Cockatiel sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.