What Makes Cockatiel and Cockatoo Different?

Hello, our outstanding and respectable readers. Are you animal lovers especially bird lovers? Then you have come to the right place. We have several kinds of guides and tips for any problems related to animal husbandry, ranging from pet such as dogs, cats, parrots, macaws, hamster and even some exotic animals. So, are you ready for more interesting facts and guides about animal care? Let’s started by talking about cockatiel and cockatoo, shall we?

You might already know about cockatiel and cockatoo. These two birds are really popular birds for a pet. Many bird lovers love these kinds of bird because they are smart birds, have a beautiful feather, will give you cute little pet, and if you train them well some of them could even speak a little bit. It is impressive to have a talking pet, even it is just a few words. Cockatiel and cockatoo are very similar, however, they are certainly not the same birds. In the eyes of amateur, they are quite hard to differentiate, especially if you don’t know what are differences between cockatiel and cockatoo. So, how we can differentiate between these two smart birds?

If you look closely, there are many differences you can see between cockatiel and cockatoo. First of all, you need to know that they come from the same order of birds, it is Psittaciformes order, an order of parrots, colourful birds that mainly eat seeds, insect and nuts that live mostly in the warm climate of the southern hemisphere. There are many kinds of Psittaciformes order like macaws, cockatiel cockatoo, and many more. Each of this bird might come from the same order but both of them are different birds. So, What Makes Cockatiel and Cockatoo Different?

What are the differences between cockatiel and cockatoo?

Some amateur might couldn’t differentiate between cockatiel and cockatoo. However, If you look closely, there are many signs that could easily be overlooked by an amateur but really easy to spot differences between cockatiel and cockatoo. First thing first, cockatiel and cockatoo are definitely a different bird. They might come from the same order and family, but they are different species that require different care, feeds and habitats. Before thinking about getting a cockatiel or cockatoo, you might want to know how to differentiate them so you won’t get a poor deal. So, here we are on a guide about how to tell differences between cockatiel and cockatoo.

1. Their size

The easiest way to tell which is cockatiel and which is cockatoo is by looking at their size. Cockatiels are smaller than cockatoos and generally, they are pretty small compared to any other parrots birds. Cockatoo can grow up to 26 inches tall, and in a conservative environment, they could grow usually just 13 to 14 inches tall. If you see a bird that is smaller than that, it is definitely a cockatiel. However, you shouldn’t judge whether it is cockatiel or cockatoo by their size alone, since size could be deceiving because some of the birds might not yet fully grown.

2. Their appearances are different

There are other ways to tell the difference between cockatiel and cockatoo. If you look closely by their appearances, you can see that they are actually very different. First of all, you can judge by the length of its tail. If it is generally longer then it is cockatiel, If it is short and plump it is cockatoo. The colour pattern of cockatiel and cockatoo are pretty much different too. Cockatoo colour varies differently by its species, however, the common colour base of cockatoo is either black or white with a spot on of different colour like yellow in certain feather. Cockatiel, however, they have a wider variety in colour from yellow, green, grey with white patches, red and many more.

3. Habits or behaviour

If you pay attention to your birds, you can actually recognize them by their behaviour. First of all, cockatiels are much more and generally calmer than cockatoos. A cockatiel is easy to pet and easy to keep rather than cockatoos. Cockatoos will need much more attention, larger cages and more playtime than a cockatiel. If cockatoos didn’t get much of social needs and attention they should get, cockatoos can be stressed. Cockatiel still needs social needs, attention and petting from their master, but cockatiel doesn’t need much of its like cockatoo. They can be alone for much longer than cockatoo and it is still fine for them.

4. Their lifespan can also be different

It might surprise you, that some cockatoo could live for a very long time, even outlive a human being. Cockatoo could generally live for up to 40 to 60 years, it can be longer than that. Some cockatoo could even live for more than 80 years and reach out until 100 years. Cockatiel though, they didn’t live for a long time. Their average lifespan is mostly 25 years in wild habitat while 14 years in captive. If you take care of your cockatiel with great care, they can reach up for more than 20 years.

5. Availability

Well, both of cockatiel and cockatoo are pretty much very popular bird to have as a pet. They are generally very good pet to have, although not recommended for the beginner pet owner. A cockatiel is generally proved to be more popular and more available since, they are easy to keep, bred in captivity so we can find them in a pet shop. Cockatoos, especially larger type like Moluccan, sulphur-crested, and umbrella cockatoos are much harder to get, more expensive and not available a lot in the market. Catching wild cockatoos and cockatiels are illegal as their population in the wild are diminished and the government have protected them from extinction.

So, generally, that is 5 things you could see to differentiate between cockatiel and cockatoos. They are fairly easy to differentiate if you know their differences well and pay close attention. So, did we answer you on What Makes Cockatiel and Cockatoo Different? If you have more question and opinion, feel free to pour it on our comment section below.