Before getting cockatiel, you must have no doubt considered whether you should get male or female. Both sexes have different characteristics, so it would be good to consider what traits and qualities you are looking for before deciding.
Should I Get A Male Or Female Cockatiel?
Should I Get A Male Or Female Cockatiel? Both sexes have different and personal characteristics. Female cockatiels are smaller and more affectionate, but they are also quieter with duller feathers. Unlike females, males have larger bodies and often have brighter and more colorful feathers than females. However, males are also more playful and outgoing and are more likely to talk and sing than females.
Some owners prefer males because of their vocal abilities and colorful feathers, while others prefer females because of their quieter nature and more petite stature. Let’s take a closer look at the behavior of male and female cockatiels to make it easier for you to decide.
Male Cockatiel
As we mentioned, male and female cockatiels are different in several ways. For example, male cockatiel has bigger bodies than females and, like a majority of bird species, often have brighter and more colorful feathers than girls.
The males act more aggressive than females, and the likelihood of being bitten is higher with a male cockatiel over a female one. There is also more exhibition of typical hormonal aggressive behavior from the boys, even when no female is in sight.
The good news about male cockatiels is they do sing and talk more. In addition, they’re surprisingly better at parenting than females. While the mommy cockatiels are in charge of hatching the eggs and caring for their newborns, the males don’t leave and abandon the babies. In fatherhood, male cockatiels become very protective of their young, especially in the wild, where predators hunt them.
The males also can be considered nurturing and warm towards their offspring. When the mother’s cockatiel is injured or killed, the father typically steps in and fulfills his role as a parent capably and willingly.
Female Cockatiel
If you consider getting a female cockatiel, consider the following personality and appearance traits before committing to ensure that the female cockatiel is right for you.
Female cockatiels are usually smaller than males. Their bodies are thinner, but their hips are wider to pass the eggs. Even if the cockatiels are not sexually dimorphic, they will have subtle differences in size, such as a smaller head. Females also have flat heads, which is one of the easiest ways to tell the sexes apart. Many owners prefer to have a female cockatiel because their more diminutive stature makes them easier to handle and takes up less space.
Female cockatiels have duller and less colorful feathers than males. This is because males rely on their brightly colored feathers to get a mate. Females love males with vibrant feathers, so they do not need to be as colorful as their male counterparts.
According to several studies, female cockatiels are less colorful because they need to be camouflaged when guarding their nests. Because they have duller feathers, that is helping them to blend into their environment, protecting them from predators. Males are more likely to forage for food during the day, so they get away with having brighter feathers.
Personality
Females are also known for being more cuddly and more affectionate than males. They are also quieter. However, when they bite, they do so in a much more aggressive way than males. This may be due to their need to protect their young.
Female cockatiels have hormonal surges during the breeding season as their bodies get ready for reproduction. So they sometimes become more affectionate towards their owners. While some homeowners enjoy extra attention during this time, it can cause big problems. This is because they see their owners as mates and start misbehaving towards them wildly while petting them.
Do Male or Female Cockatiels Talk More?
There is no exact answer as to whether male or female cockatiels are better talkers. However, males talk better and develop a more extensive vocabulary on average than females in most cases.
This partly comes from their natural instincts because male cockatiels tend to be louder in the wild. Males are also more social, so they mimic the sounds of their relatives as a way to communicate with their flock. In captivity, their owners become part of their flock over time because they imitate words.
Cockatiel’s personality and willingness to learn have a big part in this. It also depends on how often the owners talk to their birds. Cockatiels can not learn to talk if they are not trained, so above all, it takes time, patience, and perseverance from the owner to be able to develop this skill. If the cockatiel does not want to learn to talk, then it will not.
Are Male Cockatiels More Aggressive?
As we have already said, female cockatiels are commonly considered as gentler and calmer. This does not mean that males are aggressive, but it can be because of their energetic and playful temperament. They are also louder than females, which sometimes gives the impression of anger or aggression. Similarly, males must prove their dominance in the wild, especially when finding a mate. Because captive cockatiels are not so far removed from their wild companions, cockatiel pets have retained these instincts.
For this reason, male cockatiels become more aggressive when the breeding season comes. However, socialization and regular human interaction can help eliminate this behavior over time. When cockatiels become aggressive, they show the following behaviors:
- Crouching
- Standing still
- Swinging from side to side
- Raised crest
- Ruffled feathers
- Screaming
- Growling
Even if you deliberately choose female cockatiels to avoid these behaviors, they will still occur regardless of if your environment’s not suitable enough. But the good news is that cockatiels naturally do not belong in a group of aggressive birds. There is research showing that wild cockatiels do not bite when they are fighting. Instead, they usually attack when dealing with stress, and therefore aggression isn’t inherent in males or females.
Similarly, some owners confuse cockatiels aggression with playfulness. For example, if your cockatiel enjoys sneaking up on you and giving you a gentle nip in order to get your attention, your cockatiel is playing a game and not trying to harm you.
Do Male Cockatiels Prefer Female Owners?
There are several stories of how male cockatiels treat their female owners with love and sweetness but refuse to approach the men in the house. While there is no solid scientific evidence to support whether this is true or not, it certainly makes sense to consider that cockatiel:
- Lack of socialization. If the man in the house doesn’t spend time with the cockatiel, it won’t build a connection and become content.
- Fear levels. Even a man’s deep voice may be enough to trigger the fear response in cockatiel.
- Previous background. For example, the cockatiel may have been abused by a male in another environment.
However, even if it may seem that cockatiels display bias tendencies towards females, they are less likely that they can recognize gender, let alone develop a preference. This goes for female cockatiels just as much as males.
Socialization is the key to gaining the love and affection of your cockatiel, regardless of your gender. Owners who often handle their cockatiel, often play with it, and provide it with treats are more likely to notice that their cockatiel gravitates towards them. Cockatiels can develop deep bonds as long as their owners require effort and time in forging them.
