How do I know if my young cockatiel is a male or female bird?

Both sexes can sing but male are usually more vocal. Some of the breeds have distinguishing external characteristics like brighter cheek patches (males) or horizontal bars on tail and primary feathers (once sexually mature). A veterinary visit can take a small blood sample to determine sex. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Tweety and including a photo. You are correct that the males tend to have brighter yellow cheek patches. If a male, this could be masturbation, as they will often rub their cloaca (vent) on objects. If a female, could be getting ready to lay an egg. Monitor for appetite and comfort. Good luck.

Rough skin on the legs usually indicates dry skin or even possible issues such as mites (parasites) or vitamin deficiencies. Treating your bird for mites and making sure she's on a balanced diet should help. Nail length has no bearing on the condition of the legs, but if the nails are too long, trimming them can help with perching. Without seeing a photo of your bird, it would be hard to say if they are male or female. Birds do not change sex randomly, and it could be that your bird is now old enough to show mature colors, or has a mutation that may make it harder to sex.

Thanks for reaching out and including photos. With the bright cheek patches, most likely a male. If the tail feathers have been pulled out, new feathers should re-grow as long as nutrition is adequate. If the feathers are broken short, new feathers will not re-grow until the feather remainders are molted, probably next spring.

If they are at least 12 months of age, you can determine gender by looking at the color of the cere (nose). In males, the cere is a blue color. In females, it is tan/brown. If they are younger, you will need to wait or you can have them sexed by DNA using blood or feather samples.

There are ways to determine a cockatiel's gender. The link below outlines several. https://www.cockatiel.com/malefemale.html The definitive method to determine gender is to have them sexed via DNA testing. This is done using blood or feather samples. Male cockatiels do not lay eggs. Female cockatiels may lay eggs even in the absence of a male. If you have 2 females, the eggs will be infertile and will not hatch. Fertilized eggs hatch after about 3 weeks of incubation. She may lay one egg every 24-48 hours until she has a clutch of up to 8 eggs. Do not remove any of the eggs. This will cause her to continue laying which can be dangerous. If you have a confirmed pair, I would suggest getting in touch with an experienced avian veterinarian or breeder to guide you if you plan on keeping the chicks.

If the cage is large enough for two birds and they are introduced gradually, another female cockatiel could be added. Adding a male will likely lead to mating and egg laying. Also, the possibility exists that the birds will bond with one another and interact less with you.