Variations Of The White Faced Cockatiel
First appearing in 1964, the White Faced cockatiel has become a fairly common mutation. Cockatiels are one of the popular types of parrots that are kept as pets with their primary competition being the Budgerigar parakeet.
The White Faced cockatiel is an extremely hardy, adaptable bird that is also easy to breed. Additionally, they are ideal because they are not a noisy type of parrot that will be loud and uncomfortable when left alone for extended periods of time.
Distribution
This species is not a color that is found in the wild. The Grey cockatiel, which they are derived from, is found throughout most of Australia and Tasmania. They are recorded as being one of the fastest birds in Australia.
Description
The White Faced cockatiel has the trademark beak of any other type of parrot, strong and curved. They are closest related to the cockatoo family and portray the signature erectile crest that will stand up when the bird is excited and then lay down flat when it is feeling defensive, angry or submissive.
The face of the bird is a striking mutation. It displays no orange patches on the cheeks or any yellow coloring what so ever. The autosomal recessive gene is the gene that is responsible for the appearance of the White Faced cockatiel. It affects the lipochromes pigment which virtually stops yellow pigment production. The yellow and orange coloring is replaced with white.
White Faced Cockatiel Variations
There are other further combinations of mutations that are produced from this bird through thoughtful breeding practices.
- White Faced Pearl – Similar to the Pearl cockatiel, males will lose their pearl markings at six months old with their first molt, looking quite similar to the White Faced cockatiel however, the females retain their pearl markings.
- White Faced Grey – This species has the identical white stripe on the wings that the Grey cockatiel has. The females display a more gray head while the male's head is predominantly white. The females also offer barred markings visible under their tail feathers while the males have none.
- White Faced Pied – These birds have resemblances of the White Faced and the Grey cockatiel in random patterns. Taking after the Pied cockatiel, it is absolutely impossible to determine the sex of the bird by simple observation.
- Cinnamon White Faced – Similar to the Cinnamon, the traditional gray markings become replaced with a cinnamon or tannish gray coloring.
- Cinnamon White Faced Pied – This species has cinnamon markings instead of gray and offers a combination of cinnamon and white markings in random patterns that can be dominant or reverse.
- Cinnamon White Faced And Pearl – This variation of the White Faced cockatiel can be reverse and dominant with cinnamon replacing the gray patterns. The males lose any pearl markings during their first molt at six months old while the females retain theirs.
- Albino – These are not true albinos but rather a combination of a Lutino and the White Faced cockatiel. The White Face gene removes the orange and yellow that is usually present in a Lutino while the Lutino gene eliminates the black and gray.
Care
These birds love to play and climb and require exercise as well as plenty of toys. They really need a good amount of time spent outside of the cage. Many of them can even learn to whistle and talk, especially the males.
The require a nice roomy cage that should be a minimum of 18 inches high by 18 inches wide and 24 inches in length so that they can fully stretch out their wings without touching anything.
The White Faced cockatiel enjoys seeds, nuts, sprouts, vegetables, fruit and commercial bird food pellets. Cuttlebones are always recommended to keep in their cage as they provide calcium and help to keep their beaks trim. Always make sure that your bird has freshwater daily and wash the water bottle often to eliminate the chance for algae build up.