Wildlife Guide · Australia (wild); kept worldwide

Cockatiel

Nymphicus hollandicus (Kerr, 1792) — the smallest member of the cockatoo family

Australia's pocket cockatoo — a gentle, whistling parrot bred into many colour mutations.

Least Concern (IUCN) — wild cockatiel; abundant across Australia

A grey cockatiel with an orange cheek patch and raised crest perched on a branch against a plain background.

Image: Photo: Jana und Thomas Kömpel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

In brief

The cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is a small Australian parrot — the smallest cockatoo, Least Concern in the wild — kept worldwide as a gentle pet; its colour 'varieties' are captive-bred mutations of one species.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is a small, crested parrot from the Australian outback and the smallest member of the cockatoo family. Wild cockatiels are grey with white wing flashes, orange cheek patches and an expressive crest, and roam the interior in nomadic flocks. As pets they are second in popularity only to the budgerigar, prized for their gentle nature and whistled tunes. Captive breeding has produced colour mutations — lutino, pied, pearl, cinnamon, whiteface and more — that are all the same species. Wild cockatiels are Least Concern, but every pet bird needs company, space and a varied diet. WARN publishes this guide as free, honest bird-care education.

30–33 cm

Length including the long tail

IUCN status of the wild cockatiel

15–25 yr

Lifespan with good care

Second most popular pet bird after the budgie

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Nymphicus hollandicus, Lafeber — cockatiel care, VCA Hospitals — cockatiels .

Cockatiel: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Cockatiel
Wild range	Inland Australia
Family	Cacatuidae — smallest cockatoo
IUCN status	Least Concern (wild)
Length	30–33 cm including tail
Lifespan	15–25 years with good care
Varieties	Captive-bred colour mutations of one species

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Cockatiel
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Family	Cacatuidae
Species	Nymphicus hollandicus

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern in the wild. Captive colour mutations are not separate species; pet birds are captive-bred.
Population: Widespread and common across inland Australia
Trend: Stable
Assessed: 2018
CITES: Not listed

Key Facts: Cockatiel

Cockatiels are the smallest members of the cockatoo family, native to Australia.
Wild birds are grey; lutino, pied, pearl and whiteface are captive-bred mutations.
They are gentle, social parrots that need daily interaction and out-of-cage time.
Males tend to whistle and mimic more; females are usually quieter.
An all-seed diet causes disease — they need pellets and vegetables too.
With good care they commonly live 15–25 years.

Wild cockatiels of the outback

Nymphicus hollandicus ranges across inland Australia, favouring open country near water. Flocks are nomadic, following rain and seeding grasses, and can gather in large numbers at waterholes. Their grey camouflage, white wing flash and jaunty crest are unmistakable, and the crest itself signals mood — raised when alert or excited, flattened when frightened or content. Wild cockatiels are seed-eaters that nest in tree hollows. The species is Least Concern with a vast range, though like all hollow-nesters it depends on old trees that are slow to replace.

From wild parrot to gentle companion

Cockatiels entered aviculture in the 19th century and became one of the world's favourite pet birds. Selective breeding produced colour mutations unknown in the wild — the yellow lutino, patchy pied, lacy pearl, warm cinnamon and orange-free whiteface — that can be combined in countless ways. They remain one species with one set of needs. Cockatiels are gentle and sociable, often bonding closely with their keepers, and many males learn whistled tunes. They are not 'easy' throwaway pets, however: they need company, space and decades of care.

Care, diet and welfare

A cockatiel needs a cage wide enough for flight, daily time out of the cage, and either a bird companion or plenty of human interaction, because isolation causes stress and feather-plucking. Diet is a major welfare issue: an all-seed diet causes obesity, fatty liver disease and vitamin A deficiency, so a formulated pellet base with vegetables is recommended. Hens are prone to chronic egg-laying and egg binding if over-stimulated to breed, and all cockatiels are prone to night frights — thrashing in the dark — so a dim night light and a calm sleeping spot help.

Cockatiels in the parrot family

As cockatoos, cockatiels share the order Psittaciformes with budgerigars, macaws and the large crested cockatoos — see WARN's parrot and cockatoo guides for the wider family. The welfare lesson is shared across the order: parrots are intelligent, long-lived, social animals, not ornaments. Prospective owners should adopt where possible, buy only from responsible breeders, and plan for a bird that may live into its twenties and needs daily attention.

Explore cockatiel varieties on WARN

WARN's cockatiel variety library at /wildlife-guides/cockatiel covers selectively bred colour mutations — starting with the wild-type Normal Grey and the Pied, with more (lutino, pearl, cinnamon, whiteface and others) added as suitable human-free photos are sourced — each with how the colour arises, how to sex the bird, common health issues and care. The library helps owners see past colour to the bird's real needs, and choose responsibly.

Cockatiel Colour Mutations Guide

From the wild-type Normal Grey to the Lutino, Pearl, Pied, Whiteface, Albino and Fallow — explore cockatiel colour varieties, how each mutation arises, how to tell the sexes apart, common health issues and responsible care.