How Big Do Cockatiels Get?

The average lifespan of a cockatiel is around 20 years. Even so, this bird usually stops growing in size by the age of 12 months. Now you might wonder, how big do cockatiels get?

Cockatiels only get as big as up to 14 inches in length. Their wingspan is about 10 to 12 inches, while their average weight is between 3 and 3.5 ounces. However, some cockatiels can weigh up to 4.5 ounces. So, if you want to monitor your bird’s growth, you should track it using a cockatiel weight chart.

But what is a cockatiel’s healthy weight range? Here is everything you need to know about the size of your pet bird.

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Cockatiels belong to the cockatoo family. Generally, birds from this family are medium to large in size. However, cockatiels are medium-sized. This is because they only grow to about 12 to 14 inches in length at its maturity from head to tail.

In terms of body weight, these pet birds weigh approximately 3 to 4 ounces. Generally, these birds stop growing in size between 6 months and one year of age. This means a one-year-old cockatiel will remain the same in size even at 20 years of its age, which is its estimated lifespan.

On the other hand, female cockatiels don’t get as big compared to their male counterparts. Instead, the females have thinner bodies but relatively wider hips to pass eggs easily.

Meanwhile, these birds have a wingspan that measures approximately 10 to 12 inches across. Considering their average body size, the minimum cage size needed for these birds should have a dimension of 24 x 18 x 24 inches for a single cockatiel.

How Do You Determine the Size of Cockatiel?

To measure the length of your cockatiel, lay your bird on its back and gently flatten out its head and neck. Then, get a tape measure or a string and stretch from the tip of your bird’s beak to the end of the tail.

If you want to determine the wingspan of your cockatiel, spread the wings and measure from the tip of one wing. Then, stretch the ribbon or tape measure across the end of the other wing.

What Is The Average Weight Of A Cockatiel?

Since cockatiels are medium-sized birds, they are also not heavy. These birds weigh around 3 to 3.5 ounces or 90-100 grams on average. However, it is not unusual to find a cockatiel weighing up to 4.5 ounces or 130 grams. Generally, the weight of a cockatiel varies based on several factors, such as

For example, a 1- to 2-week-old cockatiel may weigh between 0.42 and 1.69 ounces. However, when the bird is between 4 to 5 weeks old, its weight will be approximately 2.5 to 2.8 ounces. We will see an age-wise weight chart below.

Cockatiel Weight Chart

As we have already mentioned, the weight of cockatiels varies depending on the age of your bird. Below, we will look at cockatiel weight by age, from one day old to 12 months of maturity.

This chart allows you to estimate your bird’s growth and development rate accurately. Unfortunately, the length of your bird does not provide an accurate estimation.

Cockatiel Age (1 Day to 12 Months+)	Average Weight (Ounces)
1 to 3 days	0.11 – 0.18 oz
3 to 6 days	0.18 – 0.42 oz
1 to 2 weeks	0.42 – 1.59 oz
2 to 3 weeks	1.59 – 2.54 oz
4 to 5 weeks	2.65 – 2.82 oz
5 to 6 weeks	2.82 – 3.17 oz
6 to 7 weeks	3 – 3.5 oz
7 to 12+ weeks	3.17 to 4.23 oz

Can Cockatiels Become Overweight?

Yes, besides problems like egg binding and feather plucking, cockatiels are also vulnerable to overweight issues. For this reason, you must constantly monitor your bird’s weight based on the cockatiel weight chart using a digital scale.

The primary reason your pet bird may become overweight is due to the reduction of daily exercises and improper diet. Your cockatiels need regular exercise to burn off excess calories.

On the other hand, feeding your cockatiel a high-fat diet comprising sunflower seeds will make it gain unhealthy weight. Also, too many seeds can make your cockatiel obese over time. Therefore, besides the seeds and pellets, your bird should also eat

Vegetables like broccoli and carrots
Fruits like kiwi, berries, and melon

Leafy greens
Legumes, nuts, and grains

What Is A Cockatiel Healthy Weight Range?

Since cockatiels are prone to obesity, what then is the healthy cockatiel weight range? A healthy adult cockatiel should weigh from 2.45 ounces to 4.5 ounces or 70 to 130 grams.

However, males are heavier than their female counterparts. Naturally, a healthy male cockatiel will weigh between 2.8 to 4.5 ounces. On the other hand, a female cockatiel may weigh between 2.45 and 3.5 ounces.

FAQs

Before we conclude, let’s go through some frequently asked questions about how big cockatiels grow based on the cockatiel growth chart.

Can you tell the age of a cockatiel based on its size?

No. This is because these birds usually reach adult size by 12 months. Therefore, a two year old cockatiel will be the same size as a 10-year old bird.

Are there other parrots that get as big as cockatiels?

Yes, the conures. These birds are small to medium in size like cockatiels with long tail feathers. Some conures like the green-cheeked are about 10-inches long while their sun counterparts are 12-inches long.

Key Takeaways

So now you probably know how big do cockatiels get. At the age of 6 to 12 months, a cockatiel is usually fully grown. During this time, this bird only gets up to 14 inches big and around 4.5 ounces heavy. Nonetheless, your bird could grow even smaller or bigger than this if you feed it the wrong diet. This is because cockatiels are highly prone to obesity. Therefore, you must regularly check your bird’s weight from the cockatiel weight chart. This way, you can be sure it has a healthy weight.