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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

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Cockatiels are medium-sized parrots with a cockatoo-like crest. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. The plumage is mostly scalloped grey, except for the face and white wing patches. Male Cockatiels have a conspicuous facial "mask", with bright orange cheek patches surrounded by a white ring that moulds into a yellowish frons and throat. The crest of male Cockatiels is also mostly yellow. Females have a less conspicuous orange cheek patch, just a bit of white surrounding the eyes and no yellow. Their frons is grey, the throat is whitish-grey and the crest is grey like the rest of the body plumage. Like many other species of parrots, Cockatiels have a conspicuously long tail. The bill, legs and feet are grey. Juveniles resemble female Cockatiels, but with more brownish tints.

Taxonomy, classification See Cockatiel at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Cockatiel is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. Cockatiels are endemic to Australia. They are well-adapted to life in semi-arid and arid environments and are therefore found across large parts of the Australian continent, including the interior. They are most common in southern and central QLD (including the coastline), inland NSW and VIC (excluding a narrow coastal strip) and the eastern half of SA. In addition, they are commonly found in the western half of WA, North of a line connecting Kalgoorlie with Beekeepers NR. Outside their breeding season they also populate large parts of the NT (except the Top End) and SA (except the Nullarbor towards WA). They are not found in the most arid part of the continent, i.e. the major sandy deserts from about the Nullarbor to South of the Kimberley. Occasionally, after substantial rainfall, they can cross the arid interior and the North-West of WA and can occasionally also populate the Top End of the NT, but they are not found either on Cape York peninsula in the far North or Tasmania in the far South. Cockatiels are usually found in open grassland or lightly wooded scrub with grassy patches or undergrowth, often near water. They can also be found around crops, in particular sorghum. Where to look? How to find this species? Cockatiels often feed near roadsides, where they are flushed by passing cars. This is the easiest way to find them, but they are also conspicuous while in the air. If you find a small flock of greyish parrots in undulating flight, they are very likely to be Coackatiels.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Cockatiels are a common sight on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, including inland NSW. They normally appear in flocks of 10-50 and we have encountered them regularly in the Narrabri area. Cockatiels have been found by us at various locations around Narrabri, Wee Waa, Burren Junction, Pilliga and Walgett, NSW. They were abundant in western NSW in April 2009, when flocks of hundreds were seen by us. Large numbers were again found West of Burren Junction, NSW, towards Walgett, in June 2012. C. Hayne reports that they are also abundant in the area of Moree, NSW. M. Eaton reports finding Cockatiels at Durikai State Forest, near Warwick, QLD, in September 2017. Cockatiels are found by us regularly in far-western NSW and in south-western QLD, where they are far-spread and numerous. P. Brown reports finding 6 Cockatiels at Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, in September 2019, and at the Goorrandalng Campground, Keep River NP, NT, in September 2020. These locations are near the northern end of the species' range. M. Mearns found Cockatiels in Diamantina NP, QLD, in August 2019.

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

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_20160727.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (male)	© MD
cockatl_20140328.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
cockatl_20211031.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
cockatl_20200229.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
cockatl_20140627_6.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
cockatl_20140424.mp3	(NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (in-flight)	© 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.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sun, 15 May 2022, 20:00 +00:00