Cockatiels are the second most popular bird in captivity right after its cousin the budgie.
It is endemic to Australia but is well-loved all over the globe for its highly intelligent, affectionate, and playful personality.
While the appearance of a usual cockatoo is in itself adorable, there is an even more curious cousin in the family called the Albino Cockatiel.
The species name is misleading since it is not really albino and is in fact a combination of two other mutated species – the White-Faced Cockatiel and the Lutino Cockatiel.
This interesting combination is what gives the bird its unique appearance. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
How Does An Albino Cockatiel Look?
With an almost completely white plumaged body, the albino cockatiel certainly has a most striking appearance.
It is a pure white bird all over, except for its red eyes. The reason for their red eyes is the lack of pigment in them which makes it exceedingly difficult for the birds in areas of harsh bright light.
Female albino cockatiels have a sort of marked underside of their tile that can show some color.
What Type Of Behavior And Personality Does Albino Cockatiel Show?
Just like all others in the cockatiel family, albino cockatiels are extremely social birds who love to have conversations and spend time with you.
They are extremely intelligent and playful and can be trained to learn a few tricks.
The cockatiel has been a popular pet for so long because of its calm yet inquisitive, fun but non-destructive nature.
Female cockatiels are sweeter and calmer than their male counterparts. Both males and females talk but their vocabulary is not so extensive.
Albino Cockatiel Sounds And Speech
Cockatiels are known to be great imitators, being able to imitate many indoor and outdoor noises like alarm clocks, phone rings, car horns, and so on.
They also make happy chirping noises and whistle when they feel happy or content, while they will scream if they feel neglected or lonely.
They can also scream if they sense some danger or if they are startled or caught off guard.
They will also hiss at other birds or you as a warning, which is often followed by a bite. As for speech though, they can “talk” but their vocabulary is not as extensive as others in the parrot family.
What Are Albino Cockatiels Dietary Needs?
When caring for a cockatiel, it is important to have a diverse variety of foods including seeds, fruits, legumes, pulses, grains, and vegetables.
Seeds are, of course, a more common option but seeds that are too high in fat content can have a negative impact on their health and lead to obesity.
As a general rule of thumb, it is best to avoid any foods made for humans.
Pellets are another safe and standard choice to give your cockatiel all the nutrients it needs.
Once you have your bird hooked on pellets, it should make up for about 75 percent of your bird’s diet with the other 25 filled with fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, and so on.
What Are Albino Cockatiel Social Needs?
As mentioned before, they love spending their time with you.
They are extremely social and affectionate birds and can get very nippy if not properly socialized or attended to.
If you are someone with a busy lifestyle and want this pet, a good way to go about it is to get another bird of the same sex to keep your buddy company when you cannot.
If you are a homebody though, a single bird is fine, as long as you spend lots of attention on it.
How Long Does Albino Cockatiel Live?
Just like other cockatiels, the albino cockatiel has an average lifespan of about 15 years.
How Can I Tell If My Albino Cockatiel Is Male Or Female? Which Of The Two Is Friendlier?
Though generally believed that it is not possible to differentiate the male and female of the species as they are all-white, that is not quite true.
As we touched on before, females have a certain marking on the underside of their tail feathers that helps mark them as female.
These markings are often horizontal stripes that alternate between light gray and dark gray, white and gray, or yellow and gray.
Some females also have dotting or other irregular patterns instead.
If you cannot initially see it, hold the bird with its back down on your palm and shine a bright light on the underside and inspect for the markings. If they are still not there, then yours is a male.
As for friendliness, the birds are both generally very calm and docile. The male tends to be a bit chattier while the female is better known for her quiet and gentle nature.
Studies have also shown the male cockatiel to resort to aggression and destructive behavior more often than the female.
Are Albino Cockatiels Rare?
Amongst all the other color mutations present in the cockatiel family, true albino cockatiels are certainly a rare find.
Whiteface Cockatiels, which it sometimes gets confused as are a little more common but the true, all-white, red-eyes albino cockatiel is a very rare gem, almost never found in the wild. As a result, they are also much more expensive.
How Do You Get An Albino Cockatiel?
The term albino is a very misleading term for this species as they are not actually albino.
They are actually a result of crossing between two other mutated species the White-Faced and the Lutino.
This combination is what gives them their unique appearance. The White-Faced eliminates all the yellow and orange markings of the Lutino, while the Lutino removes the gray and black markings of the White-Faced.
This gives the bird its all-white look, as well as its red eyes- which is thanks to the Lutino.
Conclusion
So that was a deep deep dive into the wonderfully curious world of albino cockatiels, who really should be called Whitefaced Lutinos.
They are an incredibly curious species of birds and we hope we cleared all your questions on them, as well as taught you something new.
Thank you for reading!
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