- Nymphicus hollandicus
Identification
29–33 cm (11½-13 in)
- Grey
- White flashes on outer edges of each wing
- Orange cheek patches
- Crest
Male: Yellow or white face
Female: grey or light grey face
Distribution
Irregularly abundant near water in interior of Australia.
A popular cage pet so escapes may be seen world-wide.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Dry, open bushland (scrub-desert), agricultural areas and parks.
Behaviour
Diet
They mostly forage on the ground for a wide variety of seeds, though they also cling to the stems of standing plants such as sorghum and sunflower.
Breeding
They nest in a tree hollow. The clutch consists of 4-7 eggs (a single egg being laid every two days). Both parents incubate the eggs for 18-22 days. The young fledge between 4-5 weeks.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Oct 2017)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Cockatiel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Cockatiel
