Variety and Genetics

The Cinnamon Cockatiel

In the Cinnamon the grey of a normal bird is replaced by a deep brown. The plumage colour can range from a tannish-grey to a chocolate brown but the exact shade is variable. The colour of the male is often darker than the hen's in the Cinnamon.

The Pearl Cockatiel

Pearls are a beautiful cockatiel with pearl markings over the back and wings. Pearled cockatiels first appeared in Germany in 1967 or 1968. The original coloration was a result of feather pattern change rather than a colour change. The male pearl will lose his markings and return to a normal grey coloration over a period of years. The female will not loose her markings.

The Lutino Cockatiel

Lutino`s are sometimes described as Albinos. This is not a good practice, for the true Albino is a different variety.

The pretty Lutino is the best known cockatiel mutation. The Lutino cockatiel is a white bird with variable yellow colouring. The yellow is here the same as the suffusion in the normal, but in the normal much of the yellow is hidden by the grey pigmentation. Lutino`s have red eyes. Though not as easy as in the Greys, the sex of the Lutino`s can be told through the colour. If you look closely, the bars can still be barely made out in the tails of the hens. The males also again have more yellow in the head.

The Pied Cockatiel

Pied are a beautiful cockatiel with large blotches of colour on their bodies. They can be any colour that occurs in a solid colour cockatiel. The difference between the male and the female is almost unnoticeable.

The Silver Cockatiel

The Silver mutation is a diluted version of the normal grey. The Silver has red eyes, a pink beak, and pink feet. Male Silver cockatiels often have a very deep yellow face and bright orange cheek patches at maturity. Female Silver cockatiels will retain their immature coloration and the barring of the underside of the tail.

The Fallow Cockatiel

A brownish (light cinnamon) appearance resembling the cinnamon, but with a more pronounced yellow suffusion and red eyes due to less melanin. The Fallow cockatiel has a very similar coloration to that of the Cinnamon cockatiel, but with a slightly diluted depth of colour. The fallow has red eyes, a pink beak, and pink feet.

The Whiteface Cockatiel

The white-faced cockatiels lack the yellow coloration, and have no cheek patches. The males will have a whiter head and the females will have more of a greyish head. The females will also have the barred markings underneath their tail feathers.