cocktail [Document subtitle]

[Draw your reader in with an engaging abstract. It is typically a short

summary of the document. When you’re ready to add your content, just
click here and start typing.]
Originally described by Scottish writer and naturalist Robert Kerr in 1793 as Psittacus
hollandicus, the cockatiel (or cockateel) was moved to its own genus, Nymphicus, by Wagler in
1832.[9] Its genus name reflects the experience of one of the earliest groups of Europeans to see
the birds in their native habitat; the travellers thought the birds were so beautiful that they named
them after mythical nymphs. The specific name hollandicus refers to New Holland, a historic
name for Australia.
Its biological relationships were for a long time uncertain; it is now placed in
a monotypic subfamily Nymphicinae, but was sometimes in the past classified among
the Platycercinae, the broad-tailed parrots. This issue was settled with molecular studies. A 1984
study of protein allozymes signalled its closer relationship to cockatoos than to other parrots,
[10]
and mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequence data[11] places it among the Calyptorhynchinae (dark
cockatoos) subfamily. The unique, parakeet (meaning long-tailed parrot) morphological feature is
a consequence of the decrease in size and accompanying change of ecological niche.
Sequence analysis of intron 7 of the nuclear β-fibrinogen gene, on the other hand, indicates that
it may yet be distinct enough as to warrant recognition of the Nymphicinae rather than inclusion
of the genus in the Calyptorhynchinae.[12]
The cockatiel is now biologically classified as a genuine member of Cacatuidae on account of
sharing all of the cockatoo family's biological features, namely, the erectile crest,
a gallbladder, powder down, suppressed cloudy-layer (which precludes the display of blue and
green structural colours), and facial feathers covering the sides of the beak, all of which are
rarely found outside the family Cacatuidae. This biological relation to other cockatoos is further
supported by the existence of at least one documented case of a successful hybrid between a
cockatiel and a galah, another cockatoo species.[13]

Description[edit]

1927 Brehms Tierleben painting

The cockatiel's distinctive crest expresses the animal's emotional state. The crest is dramatically
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 crest is also held flat but
protrudes outward in the back when the cockatiel is trying to appear alluring or flirtatious. When
the cockatiel is tired, the crest is seen positioned halfway upwards, with the tip of the crest
usually curling upward.[14] In contrast to most cockatoos, the cockatiel has long tail feathers
roughly making up half of its total length. At 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 in), the cockatiel is the smallest
of the cockatoos, which are generally larger at between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in).
The "normal grey" or "wild-type" cockatiel's plumage is primarily grey with prominent white
flashes on the outer edges of each wing. The face of the male is yellow or white, while the face of
the female is primarily grey or light grey,[15] and both sexes feature a round orange area on both
ears, often referred to as "cheddar cheeks". This orange colouration is generally vibrant in adult
males, and often quite muted in females. Visual sexing is often possible with this variant of the
bird.
Cockatiels are relatively vocal birds, the calls of the male being more varied than that of the
female. Cockatiels can be taught to sing specific melodies, to the extent that some cockatiels
have been demonstrated synchronizing their melodies with the songs of humans,[16] and speak
many words and phrases. They have also learned to imitate certain human or environmental
sounds without being taught how to do so