Nymphicus hollandicus
The Cockatiel is endemic to inland Australia. It is the smallest species of the Cacatuidae family.
The Cockatiel’s erectile crest expresses the animal’s “emotional state”. The crest is vertical when the cockatiel is startled or excited, gently oblique in its neutral or relaxed state, and flattened close to the head when the animal is angry or defensive.
The wild-type cockatiel’s plumage is primarily grey, and the face of the male is yellow or white. Both sexes feature orange “cheek patches”. Our picture shows one of the most common color mutations, a Lutino Cockatiel.
The Cockatiel is one of the few species of parrots where both male and female share the incubation of eggs and feeding of chicks when they hatch.
The above picture was taken at the Attica Zoological Park, Athens, Greece, in July 2008.
Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae
Family Cacatuidae
Order Psittaciformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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