Although cockatiels are among the small pet parrots, they are frequent eaters. Assuming that a cockatiel isn’t unwell, eats the right foods, and gets sufficient exercise, it should stay within a healthy weight range. But what is the average weight of a cockatiel?
What Is The Average Weight Of A Cockatiel? The average weight of a cockatiel varies from 80-125 grams. The larger cockatiels tend to be males, with a weight ranging from 100-120 grams. On the other hand, the average female cockatiel weighs between 80-100 grams. However, a cockatiel’s weight is dependent upon its gender and genetics.
Adult cockatiels should weigh around 80-125 grams. An overweight cockatiel’s chest will feel firm and look rounded (concave). In contrast, an underweight cockatiel will have a keel bone that sticks out.
There is always the risk of not feeding a cockatiel the proper diet, leading to underfeeding or overfeeding.
However, if you have a cockatiel or are thinking of getting one, you will surely want to have or choose a cockatiel with a healthy weight.
Therefore, if you are new to this particular bird, keep reading to find out the average and healthy weight of a cockatiel and what factors impact how large a cockatiel grows.
How Much Is Cockatiel Suppose To Weigh?
Adult cockatiels should weigh up to 80 grams, but the weight of captive and wild cockatiels varies considerably. Here is a short explanation for both.
Captive cockatiel weight
According to the Neotropical Ornithological Society
, captive cockatiels weigh more than wild cockatiels. This rise was larger than that of wild fledglings, despite variations in bulk.
Captive cockatiels get less variety in their diets and won’t have to do anything to obtain food. As a result, they also get far fewer exercises than their wild counterparts.
On average, you will find that pet cockatiels weigh 80-125 grams. Of course, how often you let them exercise outside of their cage and what kind of diet you give them will determine this.
Wild cockatiel weight
Wild cockatiels are far leaner because they have to expend more energy flying around all day searching for food and water.
Their parents will also stop feeding their fledglings at their final growth stages. Again, this can result in weight loss in fledglings that don’t venture out to find food for themselves.
Additionally, wild cockatiels that need to thermoregulate (maintain a warm body temperature) expend more energy. However, because captive cockatiels are often kept in climate-controlled homes or labs, they don’t have to think about regulating their body temperatures, so they expend less energy.
The average weight of a wild cockatiel is usually 80-90 grams.
Average Weight Of Male And Female Cockatiel
There seems to be a lot of debate across the internet regarding how much a cockatiel is supposed to weigh.
For those who are unfamiliar with the breed, this may be a little puzzling.
So to simplify the answer, I have created the table below, which shows the average cockatiel weight for male and female cockatiels:
| Male | Female |
| 100-120 grams | 80-100 grams |
If you look at the table above, you can see that the average weight of a cockatiel varies.
The male cockatiel will generally be larger than their female counterparts.
However, if you plan on buying a female cockatiel because you think it will grow smaller in size, don’t forget that an average figure is only a number expressing the central or typical value set of data.
This means that many cockatiels will fall below or above the average female cockatiel weight range.
Average Weight Of Cockatiel Chicks In Grams
My readers often ask me how heavy their cockatiel chicks should be.
The simple answer is that every cockatiel is different, so there is really no right or wrong answer to this question.
Instead, owners should ensure that their chick is fed a high-protein diet. In addition, only foods specifically formulated with the cockatiel chick’s dietary requirements in mind should be eaten.
Failure to feed a cockatiel chick the correct diet may result in a chick that is smaller in weight and size.
The table below details the approximate cockatiel chick weights in grams from a newborn chick to 7 weeks old chick:
| Cockatiel Chick Age | Average Weight |
| Newborn (1-3days old) | 3-5 grams |
| 3-6 days old | 5-12 grams |
| 1-2 weeks old | 12-45 grams |
| 2-3 weeks old | 45-72 grams |
| 4-5 weeks old | 75-80 grams |
| 5-6 weeks old | 80-90 grams |
| 6-7 weeks old | 85-100 grams |
| 7 weeks olds | 95-120 grams |
Cockatiel chicks are much smaller than an average adult cockatiel, so you can expect them to weigh less. A baby’s cockatiel weight varies based on its age and stage of development.
For instance, a newborn chick can weigh 3-5 grams, but it will soon gain weight.
However, the average baby cockatiel’s weight nearly quadruples in just days. Within a month and a half of hatching, a cockatiel should be broadly within the 80-125 gram weight range.
Some smaller cockatiel species may weigh less, so don’t be alarmed if your cockatiel is under these ranges.
Usually, cockatiel parents will often feed smaller offspring more food as they perceive them as younger and in more need of food than their larger siblings.
What Is A Healthy Weight For A Cockatiel?
Please be aware that the weights listed in the above table are averages.
Therefore, do not start panicking if your cockatiel chick does not precisely follow the average chick’s weight.
There shouldn’t be a problem if their weight is rising month after month.
However, a cockatiel that is increasingly falling behind these average weight figures should be assessed by a vet professional to check for an underlying health issue.
In general, a healthy cockatiel should weigh between 90-100 grams. However, this figure may fluctuate monthly, depending on when the cockatiel’s growth spurts occur.
Therefore, don’t be surprised if your cockatiel’s weight gain isn’t a smooth line upwards on its weight chart.
Instead, expect to see weight leveling off over certain months and then increasing weight during other months.
How Big Do Cockatiels Grow?
To better understand how big your cockatiel grows, you should weigh it daily before the first feed in the morning.
Weight gain means that your cockatiel has healthy growth and development. A sturdy cockatiel will increase its weight daily.
However, if a cockatiel is not gaining or losing weight, it could indicate an issue, and you should get your cockatiel to a vet immediately.
An average length of a cockatiel should be 30-35 cm, depending on their age, gender, and variety.
What Helps In Cockatiels Growth?
Nutritional values play a vital role in the healthy development of a cockatiel. They can significantly affect a cockatiel’s size and its growth.
If you have a pet cockatiel, you must ensure that it gets proper food and treats for nourishment and body development.
Usually, cockatiels love fresh fruits like apples, guava, melon, etc. Owners can also feed them with fresh veggies.
However, you must be sure that the food you are giving the cockatiel must not contain too much sugar, like high fructose. Otherwise, your cockatiel may feel ill or sick from the diet.
It’s simple to spoil a pet by providing additional care and food consistently. But that can turn bad sometimes. You don’t want to lose your pet cockatiel, so you should be careful with its diet.
You must know what you are feeding your cockatiel, and it’s recommended that you keep it on a seed-based diet that is not harmful in any way for it.
However, you should know what your cockatiel likes and what it doesn’t. So, take proper care of it if you want your cockatiel to grow.
Is My Cockatiel Fat?
It’s hard for new owners to tell if a cockatiel has gained weight. Usually, you will need to feel your cockatiel’s chest to determine if it’s overweight or obese.
You can gently hold a cockatiel in one hand and feel its chest with the other. Of course, your cockatiel may not appreciate being handled in this way, but it’s essential to know if it’s fat or not.
According to the UK Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, the most effective way to do this is to wrap your cockatiel in a towel to ensure it does not flap around and hurt itself.
Additionally, you must hold the bird’s back neck with your thumb and forefinger. Be careful not to startle the cockatiel, especially if you know it doesn’t like being handled.
Once it’s situated, feel its keel, a bony ridge over the breast. The breast muscle should feel round. When exerting light pressure, the breast bones are faintly perceptible.
You will know that your cockatiel is fat if you can’t feel the breast bone quickly, if at all. An overweight cockatiel will have visible fat where the breast bone ends.
Is My Cockatiel Skinny?
You can tell if your cockatiel is skinny by using the same method.
You shouldn’t have any trouble locating the breast bone; it should feel sharp bone and almost fat-free. Also, the keel will stick out prominently since the rest of the body is much thinner in comparison.
If you find that your cockatiel is underweight, your first instinct might be to feed it more food. But, in reality, you need to discuss the matter with a vet if it has a health problem.
The sudden weight loss in cockatiels may be caused by a severe illness, such as:
- Beak and feather disease
- Psittacosis (bird fever)
- Respiratory infections
- Yeast infections
As a precaution, isolate the sick cockatiel from the others and disinfect the cage.
Weight loss shouldn’t always be supplemented by feeding your cockatiel extra food. Your cockatiel might not even digest this extra food properly if it has a severe health condition.
Conclusion
As you can see when answering the question: “what is the average weight of a cockatiel” there are various factors to consider.
In particular, the chick’s parents, gender, and genetics play a part in the size of your adorable cockatiel bird.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether your cockatiel grows into an extremely big cockatiel or only reaches the minimum average cockatiel’s weight.
This is because once you have experienced the cockatiel, you will not be able to imagine life without your feathered friend.
