There is a large white patch on each shoulder, and white extending across the wing coverts. The undersides of the tail is dark gray almost black, and the legs are gray. The female is usually duller in facial markings and undersides of tail. Their feathers are irregularly barred with yellow and the forehead and face is brown. Juveniles resemble the female.
Cockatiels live in dry regions of open woodlands and wooded savannas.
This species is widely distributed throughout the interior of Australia, however, they also extend to the north and south coasts of Australia generally west of the Dividing Range. They are nomadic in the north responding to the availability of food and water, and migrate seasonally in the south due to temperature changes. Cockatiels travel in small flocks and sometimes as pairs. They are swift and erratic flyers. They are usually seen on the ground or outermost branches of a tree or shrub.