Males vs Female Cockatiels: Any help etc. welcome!

[RainbowFlo]

Hey everyone! I'm bringing home a cockatiel in the the next few months and the breeder is DNA-sexing the babies. How do cockatiels differ in personality and hormones in terms of gender?

I know all birds have different personalities but I'd love to know what the common themes are when it comes to gender.

Some things I've heard, are they true? :

1. Males are better with guests/strangers than females
2. Females are "cuddlier", sweeter but also shyer
3. Males have worse hormonal periods that females
4. Males are louder
5. Males are easier to train as they like to show off
   

I like the the potential mimicking ability of males (not a must for me though) and the trainability of males (still not sure if this is true). I wouldn't mind a female either, I'm slightly worried about chronic egg laying. I would love a bird that was ok with guests, I'm assuming that depends on the bird and socialisation- does gender play a role?

What do you think? Are there any notable differences between your male and female tiels? Which do you prefer? Are males ear piercing loud?


I know birds are going to be loud in general, some may not want to sit on your shoulder, some may not like strangers, some may never be trained or be aggressive etc. and I'm ok with that. I'm just wondering what your experiences are.

Any suggestions, comments, advice or stories about your tiels or experience with tiels are welcome!

~ Estella

 

[noodles123]

well, no bird should be cuddled, really...I know people like to say that, but they are really sexual little beings and it's not their fault lol. So..."cuddles" aren't necessarily a perk, as head and neck petting should be pretty much the extent of it (even though you see people breaking this rule often on social media etc..it's "sweet" until it isn't). Touching them on their backs, cupping them in your hadns/lap, allowing them to nest in your hair or access huts/tents/dark spaces (even your lap) is not the best idea. I am not saying you can NEVER touch your bird somewhere other than the head or neck--- but it should be like 1-2 seconds, and reserved for vet check-ups or touch training..or a very short pet, but you know what I mean.

Females, if hormonally stimulated (by certain touches, prolonged petting, light cycles, shadowy spaces, other birds etc etc ...it just depends) can lay eggs and egg-laying can be a health issue....egg-binding, prolapse etc. They all can get hormonal for related reasons, but the females can have health problems because of it, whereas the males will never lay eggs. They might get moody etc etc (as will females) but the physical risk is lower. If you remove triggers etc, the odds of your bird laying eggs is lower, but if I knew what I know now, I'd probably get a male just because of that factor alone...it's an added worry for me personally.

I have never heard that males are better with guests or strangers. In my experience, that is bird-by-bird...for the most part...unless you are talking about a pair of birds etc.

I am not sure about the rest.

 

[RainbowFlo]

Thanks for the reply! Sorry, cuddling wasn't really the right word to use, maybe petting? I'll defintely refrain from that, so thank you!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

My BB is a male,never had a female. He was 4.5 months old when he came home with me. He is very bonded to me,sometimes to the point of aggrevation! I can't leave the room without him yelling for me. He is vocal...whistles The Addams Family and Andy Griffith themes,mixing them up in his own way.He says a few things...Hello..Beebers..BB good boy..little boy little boy. He loves to have his head skritched,I can pick him up and kiss him all over,however he is in love with my handand constantly tries to "pleasure" himself on it!!!
He has a love/hate relation with my brother. He will readily go to David's shoulder then as David tries to skritch him,BB will growl and bite his fingers then twittle at him then lower his head for skritches. I think its a "game" BB likes to play with him :52: But as soon as BB see's me he flies to me.
He is an awesome little guy though.


Jim

 

[itzjbean]

I have 2 females and 2 males. Only one was hand-fed and that is one of my males, and he readily steps up every single time I ask him to. He is a whistler, a charmer and a big sweetie too when eh wants to be. He loves sitting on shoulders and when the mood strikes him, bending his head over to allow scratches behind his head. He loves those when he's in the right mood, but remember almost all birds don't necessarily like being cuddled too much. Make sure to get a hand fed bird so it is tame. The best thing you can do for any bird you get is to handle it, every single day. Interact and really form a bond and this bird , either gender, will be sweet and bond with you. A male will serenade you more, a female will be content to sit with you quietly but happily. Either way, you can't go wrong!