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Post by missy on Apr 25, 2005 1:45:57 GMT 10
 [/URL][/img]  [/URL][/img] Hi, I'm from Brisbane and relatively new to the world of birds. I have been reading the posts on this website for some time and I love your love of animals and care for the owners as well. I have the most lovely cockatiel, Aussie, who I have had since last June. I think it is a she, mainly owing to her characteristics from what I have read. S/he is the gentlest bird, adores her head scratches, is the biggest sook, and is pretty quiet unless I am out of the room and s/he thinks that I shouldn't be, or when I come home from work, when she usually hears the car door!!! Would someone please tell me what colour s/he is? Also, is it possible to visually tell what sex s/he is? I have no idea of how old s/he is, as I got it off an elderly lady who hand raises budgies and cockatiels after the baby I had bought was terribly sick and I had to take it back. I think that she tought that I was so pathetically distraught that she gave me her pet saying that she wanted it to go to a good home as she didn't have the time to put into it. I think that I have narrowed her colour down from different internet sources, but can never seem to find 'that' match, so I will be grateful for any information. Poor Aussie is definitely the bottom of the 'pecking' order with the baby (the blue budgie) being queen of our household. (I just had to include a picture of my other girls). I keep their wings clipped as I live in a small apartment and I keep the cages at the glass door where I can open the curtain so they can see out and get a bit of sunlight, as well they can see me in the kitchen and the TV. I just hate the thought of any of them disappearing out the door when it is open. Aussie is not too sure of the camera and also the neighbours were arguing, so she wasn' t too sure about that either  . |
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Post by fischer on Apr 25, 2005 2:27:20 GMT 10
Hi Missy, Welcome to the forum ;D, They are great pic's of your birds I'm not an expert on Cockateil colours so I will leave that to our member's that are, however I'm pretty sure Aussie is a male Tiel, he has the bright features of a male bird on his face It seems, too, that you may be out numbered by males in your flat ;D The blue budgie that you call the Queen of the household should perhaps be called the King, as he is a male bird as well ;D ;D You tell the sex of budgies by the colour of the Cere, it's the part of the head just above the beak, males have a blue cere and hens a brown cere so you have a pair of budgies not two girl's, and they are both beauties, I think budgies make great pets Cheers Tony ;D |
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Post by missy on Apr 25, 2005 3:45:04 GMT 10
Thanks for your reply.
Yeh, the blue budgie's cere looks pretty blue in this photo (taken about mid February just after I got her/him), but seems to gradually be going white. You are right, it is still quite blue, but should eventually go one colour or the other. I guess I am hoping it is a female as I think this would save some problems and I really just want them for company.
Same with Aussie, I would love to get a mate, but want it to be the same sex. The thing that makes me think Aussie is a female is the passive nature (however I really do not know how old s/he is) and the limited calls.
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Post by lovemytiels on Apr 25, 2005 6:01:22 GMT 10
Hi Missy, I am no expert on this mutation but looks to be what is called a platinum pearl. From the looks of the underwings I can still see what is called wing dots & if you have had Aussie since last june, the males would have usually molted these out, but Aussie still has them. Me I am guessing it is a female from the nature you described. Frank will be able to help you more on the colour, & perhaps might be able to clarify if it is a female or male from the pic. Great pics by the way, I love the colour of Aussie. Cheers Anna
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Post by hillcresttiels on Apr 25, 2005 8:15:20 GMT 10
Hi Missy Wow Anna your input there was spot on! I am very impressed!  Missy at this stage the sex is highly likely a Hen! as a male will have lost all its pearling but there have been cases where males have taken time to moult the pearlings out, the behaviour pattern woud be more useful here for eg does the bird sing a lot a repetive song and raise it's wings at the same time? or does it Bob down for you and start twittering like it's inviting another to jump on? All these factors will help us determine (her) sex! The Mutation is a Platinum Pearl and is my favourite especially in Pastelface varieties. Congratulations you must be doing something right as your Tiel looks in perfect order  ! cheers Frank |
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Post by missy on Apr 25, 2005 12:16:16 GMT 10
Oh I love this site . Thank you so much to all for your time and friendliness. Most of the people I have as friends really do not share my love for, or understand my attachment to my birds. Frank, here are some of my observations. I refer to Aussie as a she, as that is what I have been used to doing, so please forgive  . She tends to hiss at things if she is unsure or a head shake with a short cheep when feeling threatened or not happy (particularly at the budgies). She often hangs over upside down on her perch, or the side of her cage when out, with her wings spread out and her tail fanned (at least daily that I have seen and sometimes several times a day). I have heard her do a little quiet double cheep type noise to her reflection in a picture that she used to be near, but only on a few occasions. When I put her near a mirror, she has one look and runs away back up my arm. I occasionally hang grass runners for them to chew on (the budgies also) as they just love them. The other day she would repeatedly lean into, and then hug down along the grass runner until she was upside down leaning into the grass runner and bring both her wings up to touch each other at the tops. She would also duck her head in under her wing. She would then pull herself back up and start the process again. I don't remember her making any sound while doing this. I have never seen her do this before and I now wish I had got my camera out, but I was intrigued just watching her. I have never heard her 'sing' but just the one note call, apart from that occasional chirp she would do into the picture and the 'going crook' noise (I have no idea how else to explain it) that she uses when she knows I am home and been out of the room too long. It's not really a call, probably more like a type of screech. She loves being where the action is, for eg when at the computer, she has to be on top of my hands when I am trying to type or hanging over the mouse. She has never bitten me, but will beak me if I haven't quite scratched in the right place or she doesn't want to be scratched at that moment. When sitting at the TV (without the budgies), she loves to find the dark gaps for exploring or will perch herself along the lower part of my leg or on my foot, coming up for the odd scratch depending on her mood. She was raised on seed and the occasional vegetable, so it is quite a road trying to convert. I have her down to one teaspoon of budgie mix, and 1/2 teaspoon of small parrot mix, pellets and I generally give her a section of corn cob, carrot and celery or broccoli on a skewer. She will eat the corn with the occasional nibble on the carrot but otherwise is not terribly interested, but will eat the pellets. The budgies are the opposite who get the same, but only one teaspoon of budgie mix each, but will not touch the pellets, but seem to enjoy the veges, although the carrot mostly gets shreded onto the bottom of the cage. There have been times that I have wondered if it is worth it as I know that they have been hungry and love the seed so much, but I think we have persevered through the worst of it now. |
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Post by hillcresttiels on Apr 25, 2005 13:12:52 GMT 10
Gees Missy that is one detailed report the first paragraph gave it away as now i'm 95% confident Aussie is a hen (a bit like our Aussie Bird Herel ;Dol)The hanging upside down bit fanning the tail is definately a trait displayed by hens the hens usually do this when a pair has found a nesting site and spreading the wings fanning the tail is like a warning to others that the nest is occupied and usually done outside the entrance to the nest box! :)Young hens also do this reguarly on perches and ropes so on! the only problem now is to make Aussie sound feminine!  Frank |
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Post by missy on Apr 25, 2005 15:04:04 GMT 10
Thanks Frank, I am sorry about the epic . You're a champion for just getting through it. Thought of everything I could and then somehow got onto food  and ended up an  . Glad to hear that she is a young bird too. The lady said that she was, but had no real idea of when she was born. I am also glad that she is a she and not a he, as there was no way that I would get another she is she was a he and spoil his beautiful nature ;D ;D ;D. So, now I can get another female and live in our female house, (except maybe the budgie !!!!!) and not have to feel so guilty about how lonely she gets. How about the feminine - Aussie girl  . |
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Post by AussieBirds on Apr 25, 2005 19:27:14 GMT 10
So there you go Missy that's the very reason I started this forum, so bird lovers liike you can get brilliant advice from such very knowlegable people. Welcome to AussieBirds and I hope we have a very long and happy association with you and your feathered friends.
John
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Post by leeroy on Apr 28, 2005 12:23:23 GMT 10
alo missy, the eye colour point towards platinium, eg, dark by mi old looking devices? do the eyes have a light coloured eye ring also? if the eyes showed amber colour possibly cinnamon. nice sized bird. missy you did not see your birds oldies by your queston? or see its nest mates. from a shop? leeroy
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! cheers
. She tends to hiss at things if she is unsure or a head shake with a short cheep when feeling threatened or not happy (particularly at the budgies). She often hangs over upside down on her perch, or the side of her cage when out, with her wings spread out and her tail fanned (at least daily that I have seen and sometimes several times a day). I have heard her do a little quiet double cheep type noise to her reflection in a picture that she used to be near, but only on a few occasions. When I put her near a mirror, she has one look and runs away back up my arm. I occasionally hang grass runners for them to chew on (the budgies also) as they just love them. The other day she would repeatedly lean into, and then hug down along the grass runner until she was upside down leaning into the grass runner and bring both her wings up to touch each other at the tops. She would also duck her head in under her wing. She would then pull herself back up and start the process again. I don't remember her making any sound while doing this. I have never seen her do this before and I now wish I had got my camera out, but I was intrigued just watching her. I have never heard her 'sing' but just the one note call, apart from that occasional chirp she would do into the picture and the 'going crook' noise (I have no idea how else to explain it) that she uses when she knows I am home and been out of the room too long. It's not really a call, probably more like a type of screech. 
and ended up an 
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