Cockatiel - Mutation Help

[kyva]

After a bit of a search, hubby and i came home today with our new cockatiel who we've named Rye (like marbled Rye bread because of his coloring).

I would love some help figuring out what he his in way o mutation and gender if possible. He's only three and a half months old right now, but because of how cuddly he is (begging for cuddles) I sort of think he male be a male. No vocalizations yet, but a healthy appetite.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[parrotlover1176]

You have a gorgeous pied baby. Very cute! Congrats!

 

[kyva]

Thank you It's amazing. We're home less than 2 hours and he's been begging for cuddles. Friendliest bird I've ever had from the get-go.

He does have his right eye closed a lot as it's a bit red in the corner. We think he may have scratched it, and I'll have the vet check when I take him in. No discharge or anything, which is good.

 

[KayJeanne518]

Definitely a beautiful pied. As of gender its too young to tell. If you notice the bars or lines underneath the tail feathers. If those remain after its first molt or two then you have a female, males will lose the barrings. It will have its first molt around six months old.

 

[kyva]

Thank you so much, Kay

 

[KayJeanne518]

You're welcome

 

[prsgirl77]

Beautiful baby tiel. I don't know much in terms of colour mutations but he is adorable

 

[RavensGryf]

KayJeanne, I seem to remember from another thread you're a Cockatiel breeder?

Do male pieds keep the gray on the face? I thought adult males only had 'clear' faces. Are pieds the only exception?

 

[KayJeanne518]

I'm not an expert on mutations but still learning. Pieds that have grey in the face usually keep it but some may lose some of the grey or all, atleast thats what I've seen with my pieds. My first pied many years ago had a completely yellow face but my current male and one of his babies has grey in the face. I'm unsure of the gender of his babies but I'm pretty sure they will keep the grey. I will attach some pics.

 

[KayJeanne518]

First pic is of my current breeding male Frankie. He is a normal pied split to cinnamon pearl. The second is also a male Dixie who I had from a different breeding pair over 3 years ago ands he's just a standard pied as was his father Elvis who is in the last photo on the left with his mate Sunshine the lutino on right. Elvis was a pied but no grey in his face. I also didnt know his background so he could have been split to something else. Both Elvis and Dixie are deceased.

 

[RavensGryf]

Frankie is adorable. I love the hairs on his face lol!

 

[MikeyTN]

Heavy pied baby! Too early to tell the sex yet unless you know the genes of the parents.

 

[kyva]

He does look heavy That's the first thing we noticed about him. They just stopped weaning him about 2 weeks ago, so he hasn't really gotten rid of the baby weight yet.

Kay, your pieds are adorable! I really hope Rye keeps the grey on his face. It makes him look so unique

 

[parrotlover1176]

He should keep the grey on his face. I think it is adorable too. The ones with the grey on their face are sometimes know as "dirty faced pieds" and I think it is very cute and it typically stays.

Also, he looks like he is a good, healthy weight. I am sure MikeyTN was referring to him being heavily pied (lots of grey) not a comment on his weight.

 

[kyva]

Either way, being heavy wasn't an insult At least not yet.

I just spent two hours on the birdsafe store buying all sorts of natural goodies. Now I have to wait for them to arrive so I can make Rye an activity mat.

 

[MikeyTN]

LoL....I would of call it plump instead of heavy in that case....

 

[kyva]

Hey now, no eating my plump little Rye bird.

 

[witchbaby]

Those are interesting markings. Very beautiful.

 

[parrotlover1176]

Sounds like he is going to be one happy spoiled birdie!!

 

[MonicaMc]

Ditto on the pied! I would say that Rye is a light pied! (not too many areas that are clear/yellow - Rye is more grey than yellow)


As mentioned, there is no way to visually sex pieds via their facial feathers. My two pied hens (pied and cinnamon pearl pied) both have clear faces, and both lay eggs! What you need to watch for is the bars on the tail and rump feathers (staying if female, disappearing if male) and spots in flight feathers (males will lose spots, females keep spots on the outer primaries). However, I've heard that even this isn't always accurate in pieds!