Is my bird a Pied or Split to Pied Cockatiel?

[TTMango]

I just got myself a 14 wks old cockatiel name Mango. I know nothing about birds. I’ve been googling online to learn more about cockatiels. I came a-crossed Pied and Split to Pied. What is the different between those two????
* Does “ Split to Pied “ after molting my bird’s face will turn yellow???
* Pied, colors will remain the same after molting???
I’m so confused ‍
* Mango have a solid white flight feathers on each side and one solid white tail feather.
* Nails is all pink except one thumb nail that looked dark grayish.
* He/She also have grey bar strips on its beak.
So is my cockatiel a Pied or Split to Pied.
What are the difference after molting between these two???
Also, my Mango is 14 wks old and is chirping like a girl. Is it too soon to sex them by their vocal at this age?
Here are a few pictures of Mango I attached below.

 

[Ulis_Beast]

I'll tag a few for you
@Monica
@Tiel Feathers

 

[BirdLady13]

Adult coloring in cockatiels does not appear until they are 6-9 months old (after their first molt), so without a DNA test you cannot tell the difference between males and females until then.
There are many cockatiel mutations, including but not limited to: albino, cinnamon, lutino, pearl, pied, and silver. For reference, wild cockatiels have a gray body, yellow face, yellow crest and orange cheek patches. Pied was the first documented variation. Light pied's display some yellow areas that are usually on the neck and head with a mainly gray body, whereas heavy pied's have a mostly yellow body with gray areas that are typically on the back and the wings.
Males tend to be more vocal, and have more vibrant facial coloring, but take this with a grain of salt because every bird is unique.

 

[finchly]

Your bird is pied. If it wasn't, and you know the parents' colorations and one is pied, then it could be "split to pied." Splits are genetic based and can't be seen visually in the bird, but if you breed it and the babies come out showing the trait, then you would know yours was a 'split.'

At 14 weeks if a boy you'd hear a wolf whistle (have you wolf whistled at it??) so if it's doing girl sounds, and given the cheek color I would say girl. However I bow to the expertise of @Monica and @Tiel Feathers

 

[TTMango]

I have a video of the bird chirping but I can’t seem to upload it on here. The chirping is confusing to me too.
Did it wolf whistle? Not Yet.
When I play a video of a cockatiel whistle on You Tube. My bird tries to copy but nothing comes out. I thought maybe it’s too young at this moment to hit that high pitch whistle. And there are times where I think it’s a girl. The bird shop, two bird experts that’s been in the business for 30+ yrs did tell me that it’s most likely a Male.
* First guy said ; Male because of its head shape or was it the feathers on its head looked like a Male cockatiel.
* Second guy said‍; heard the bird chirps a few time said Male too because the chirped pitched was high. Females vocal pitch is lower.
At this moment there are times my kids and I referred the bird as HE and sometime we say SHE.
So what I’m learning from Split to Pied mean nothing. It’s more for breeding reason?

 

[Destiny]

So what I’m learning from Split to Pied mean nothing. It’s more for breeding reason?

Actually, no. For most recessive genes, you can't tell the difference between a bird that has a single copy of the recessive gene (split) compared with a bird that has none. Both birds would be visually identical and not express the recessive trait.

However, cockatiels that are split to pied can sometimes show visual signs of being split. This is typically seen as a clear patch on the back of the head, a couple light toe nails when the nails should be dark colored, or a clear wing feather or tail feather. These are all signs that mean the bird could be split to pied.

Your bird looks like a lightly pied bird, but it might be split to pied. Heavily pied birds have more white/yellow (clear) areas. If you don't plan on breeding, it doesn't really matter if your bird is pied or split to pied. But if you intended to breed, a bird that is split to pied would only have one pied gene, so it would produce fewer pied offspring compared with a pied bird with two copies of the pied mutation.

 

[Ulis_Beast]

I have a video of the bird chirping but I can’t seem to upload it on here.

You can not upload directly. You need to provide a link to other social media; YT, FB, Twitter... etc

 

[finchly]

Your bird looks like a lightly pied bird, but it might be split to pied

The bird is pied. It doesn't need to be split to pied, it is already pied. (2 copies of pied genetic marker)

I feel sure that wasn't what you meant.

@TTMango I think what the guys in the store told you is.... rubbish. I mean, the head shape and the pitch of the sound are so subjective. Unless the guy had perfect pitch, which I doubt.

What I can tell you is this: I got Spirit at 10 weeks. Her clutch mate was already wolf whistling, and she was not. Therefore - breeder was pretty sure she was a girl, even at that age. When Tucker (M) was 10 weeks he already whistled and made a LOT of whistling 'tunes.'

 

[Monica]

I agree with @Destiny here! Your bird appears to be a "light pied" - that is, two pied genes, but not expressing the pied mutation that much at all.


There *IS* a chance that your bird is a heavily ticked split pied (aka one pied gene - lot of "tick" markings, aka the clear feathers), but not likely.


If your bird is a female, then her colors will remain the same. There will be no change.

If male, you might see some changes in the face, wings and tail - or you might not! Pied is an anti-dimorphic gene, where it blurs the lines between dimorphism (aka visually sexing an animal based on specific male/female characteristics).

 

[TTMango]

Your bird is pied. If it wasn't, and you know the parents' colorations and one is pied, then it could be "split to pied." Splits are genetic based and can't be seen visually in the bird, but if you breed it and the babies come out showing the trait, then you would know yours was a 'split.'

At 14 weeks if a boy you'd hear a wolf whistle (have you wolf whistled at it??) so if it's doing girl sounds, and given the cheek color I would say girl. However I bow to the expertise of @Monica and @Tiel Feathers

 

[TTMango]

Here is a link to the video of my bird chirping. Can you tell the sex from its chirping voice?

 

[sunnysmom]

You can't tell sex by a tiel's voice, but in general, boys are more vocal than girls. If he's really chirpy, and if he whistles, good chance he's a boy. But it's not full proof. He's definitely a cutie.

 

[finchly]

I *think* I'm hearing boy sounds? Not totally sure.

 

[Monica]

Mango was saying it was bath time!!!!


That's about all I can say for sure! If Mango is indeed young, those sounds would either point to a female *OR* an immature male that hasn't started singing!

 

[TTMango]

Monica, you are the bird expert. I caught my bird doing this. Is this a boy or girl behavior???

 

[TTMango]

By the way it’s looking at a mirror and I caught it rubbing his/her behind on the perch stick.
Boy or Girl?????

 

[Monica]

Leaning towards a male!

And uh.... you might want to move some things around!!! lol

 

[TTMango]

Omg! This whole time I seriously thought it was a girl. Today the humping thing just threw me off. I’m glad to hear that it’s more likely to be a Male. I should get his/her DNA result back in a week or two. The result better say MALE. Thank You Monica, you are so helpful...

 

[Monica]

Females can hump perches, dishes and toys, too! They're just not that.... VIGOROUS about doing it! I'd be shocked if you do in fact have a female at this point!

 

[TTMango]

OMG, I’m like dying for the DNA result right now... This bird is so confusing to me.
I still think it’s a girl because of its vocal.
All my daughters are routing for Female and I’m praying for a Male
I’ll keep you updated once I find out...