Ask Lafeber

How can i know my cockatiel age

How can i know my cocktail age i got him November1 2022

Hi Yousaif,

All cockatiels have female markings until they have their first adult molt between 6 months to a year old. By two years old, they either have complete male markings, meaning they are male or they still have female markings, which of course means they are female. After that age, there is no way to know how old a bird is. This applies to most color mutations, but some look the same whether male or female. So depending on what mutation your bird is, if the colors are still female, and do not change soon, then you have a female, and you really can’t know the age. If the bird was already marked like a male, then it was over 6 months old, but it could be 6 years old. If the colors have changed after you got it, then your bird was less than 6 months old when you got it. You can send photos to Brenda@lafeber.com and I will let you know if I can tell what sex the bird is or tell you how to check.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda