Ask Lafeber

Cockatiels

I picked up my female cockatiel and noticed that under her tail theirs a whole that open and closes what does that mean

Hi Mariana,

It sounds like you are seeing her cloaca, also called her vent, and this is where she poops from! 🙂 It is also where eggs will exit her body if she ever lays eggs. Dr. Stephanie Lamb explained how all of their “plumbing” works in a recent webinar, including a diagram:

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda