From: chris@unislc.uucp (Chris DelPrete)
Subject: Sexing tiels - a treatise :^)
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Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 19:12:22 GMT

Well, there seems to be an interest in sexing cockatiels, so I will share all I
know on the subject.  I invite others to share
anything I left out.  I am pretty sure my info is accurate.

First rule:   Immature cockatiels are defined as having never molted.  Immature
              tiels will always look like a female.  They usually molt after
	      one year.

Second rule:  You can sex any mature cockatiel on sight unless it is a pied or
	      albino.

Third rule:   Classic female markings are as follows:  
	      barring on the underside of the tail feathers and yellow dots 
	      on the underside of the primaries (wings).  Classic male markings
	      are the absence of classic female markings.

Given this, let's take each mutation one at a time:

Greys, Cinnamons, Whiteface, Silvers:

	      Mature females will have classic female markings.
	      The exception is the whiteface mutation, which has
	      no yellow pigmentation.  Their markings will be white instead of
	      yellow.

Pearls:

	       Mature female pearls retain their pearl markings.  Mature male
	       pearls lose all indication of their pearl markings and revert to
	       grey (or cinnamon, or whatever else they also show).

Lutinos:

	       In good lighting, mature females have classic female markings.
	       The are in yellow and must be looked for closely.
	       Males will have none of these markings.

Pieds:

	       These are very difficult to sex.  Usually, you have to look for
	       other indications of sex (starts to sing gregariously or drops
	       an egg).  I have had luck on immature pieds by finding a
	       classically female patterned feather, pulling it, and
	       watching what comes in.  From my experience, mature male pieds 
	       will never have a feather with classic female markings.  But, 
	       mature female pieds may be lacking classic female markings
	       altogether.  Remember:  if you have a "lutino with grey
	       markings" what you really have is a very white pied.

True albinos:

	       Good luck trying to sex one of these from feather variation.
	       Instead, rely on other indications.


Other indications:

	       Here are some other methods (many are not foolproof) to sex a
	       mature tiel:  Males tend towards gregarious whistling, females
	       are usually less vocal.  Males have very narrow pelvic
	       structures.  Mature females have a wider pelvis that feels
	       fairly flexible.  You have to feel around for this.  In immature
	       tiels, *I have heard* that females will have small yellow dots
	       in their "arm pit" (where the wing meets the body).  Immature
	       males will only have dots on their primaries.  So far, this has
	       proved true in my immatures.

I know that this really only scratches the surface and leads to a lot of other
questions (such as, "How can I tell if my male grey is really a pearl?")
I will be happy to entertain these as they come up.  And of course, I hope
others would jump into the discussion too!





  
-- 

  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  +  Christine DelPrete-Delaney                             The Rest   o  +
  +  chris@unislc.slc.unisys.com                               ____    0  +
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