The smallest member of the cockatoo family: a grey Australian parrot with a long tail and an expressive crest. Wild birds wander dry inland country in pairs or small flocks, always near water. It is one of the most commonly kept pet birds in the world.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Bred in captivity long enough for breeders to keep many colour mutations, such as cinnamon, silver and whiteface.
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
One of the five most popular pet birds; an estimated 4.8 million US households keep them, though many are given up within about 1.5 years.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAustralia
HabitatWetland, Scrub
ColoursGrey, Yellow, Orange
SizeSmall
Length30–33 cm, about half of it tail
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives inflocks
Lives for15–25 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mainland Australia, mostly in arid or semi-arid country but always near water. It is largely nomadic, moving to wherever food and water are.
- What it eats
- Seeds, especially acacia, wheat, sunflower and sorghum. To many farmers' dismay, it often eats their crops.
Did you know
Its crest is a mood indicator: straight up means startled, flat means angry.
Pet cockatiels learn words and copy household sounds, including alarm clocks and phones.
The average life is 12–15 years, but a well-kept pet can live 16–25, and one reached 36.
Often confused with
- Cockatoo
The cockatiel is the smallest cockatoo, 30–33 cm long, and unlike most cockatoos its tail makes up about half its length.
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