Birds are meant to fly free in the wild but some of them adore human company along with their freedom. Among the friendly birds, two popular ones are Cockatiel and Conure.
While Cockatiel is a species of the cockatoo family, Conures are a group of parrots. Here, I’m going to point out everything you would want to know about these two birds.
In this head-to-head Cockatiel vs Conure comparison, you will be able to delve into the fascinating world of these feathered companions.
Since Conure is a large group of parrots and not an individual one, I’ll hold Green-cheeked Parakeet as the representative of this group for an even comparison against Conure.
This species has been picked because it’s the most common and well known species of Conures, standing as the most ideal bird to represent its group.
On that note, whether you’re an avian enthusiast looking to add a new friend to your flock or simply curious about these delightful creatures, get ready for a feathered face-off like no other!
Contents
Cockatiel vs Green Cheeked Conure: Descriptions
To make the Cockatiel vs Conure debate a bit optimal, let us first get a basic idea about these two vibrant birds!
Cockatiel
Source: @odin.the.cockatiel
- Scientific Name: Nymphicus hollandicus
- Size: 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 in)
- Locality: Australia
- Status: Least concern
- Breeding Season: Any time of the year
One interesting fact about Cockatiels is their unique crest-feathering behavior. This crest display serves as a form of communication, allowing them to express their emotions and intentions. A raised crest may indicate excitement or attention, while a flattened crest can signal fear or aggression.
Not just that, Cockatiels can also manipulate the position of their crest feathers independently, allowing for a range of expressive possibilities. This fascinating feature not only adds to their visual appeal but also gives insights into their mood and demeanor. So, observing a Cockatiel’s crest can be a captivating way to understand and connect with these charismatic birds.
Green Cheeked Conure
Source: @alligatorwildlife
- Scientific Name: Pyrrhura molinae
- Size: 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches)
- Locality: South America
- Status: Least concern
- Breeding Season: February
Green-cheeked Parakeets are the most known for their playful and mischievous nature. They have a reputation for being energetic and adventurous, often engaging in amusing antics that entertain their human friends. They also are known to be curious climbers, and their acrobatic abilities make them adept at hanging upside down from perches or toys.
While they may not possess the extensive mimicry capabilities of some other parrot species, they have a varied repertoire of sounds. They have a habit to form strong bonds with their humans and thrive on interaction and attention.
Cockatiel vs Conure: How to Identify?
Both Cockatiel and Conure might have similarities like being small and friendly but they are very easy to distinguish. You simply have to look for some visual differences and will easily be able to differentiate between them. Here are some features you can look for in a Cockatiel and a Conure to identify them!
- Size: While both birds are small in size, Conures tend to be slightly smaller than Cockatiels. A Cockatiel can be roughly 2 to 3 inches bigger than a Green-cheeked Conure even though it is the smallest of the cockatoos. Sometimes both the birds might be very similar in their sizes to distinguish based on that. But their other features are more interestingly distinct and easy to notice.
- Shape: In terms of shape, Cockatiels have a long tail that covers almost half of their length. This feature resembles the Green-cheeked Conure more than the cockatoos that usually have small-feathered tails. Green-cheeked Conures also have an elongated tail. Both of them have rounded heads with short and hooked beaks, but Cockatiels have a significantly distinguishable crest on its head.
- Color: Cockatiels and Conures are the most different in their colors. Cockatiels have a predominantly gray coloration across their body. The head and crest of a Cockatiel are typically lighter gray and yellow, with a vibrant yellow or orange face patch.
They often display bright white wing patches on their primary flight feathers. Some Cockatiels have additional markings, such as bright yellow faces and prominent cheek patches like bright red blushes.
Green-cheeked Conures are more vibrant and colorful than Cockatiels. They have predominantly green plumage, hence their name. They often have a grayish or brownish chest and belly, which may turn into a reddish hue on the lower belly and undertail coverts.
Their wings usually have darker green feathers, and their flight feathers can have a blue hue. The tail of a Green-cheeked Conure is typically maroon or dark red, with some variations depending on the specific subspecies or color mutations.
- Eyes: Both Cockatiels and Green-cheeked Conures have round dark brown or black eyes that are positioned on the sides of their head. But Green-cheeked Conures have a very defined almond-shaped white outline of bare skin around their eyes that makes their eyes appear slightly larger than they actually are.
While there can be some variations in the features within each species, these descriptions provide a general idea of the typical differences between Cockatiels and Green-cheeked Conures. Now, you can easily identify whether the bird before you is a Cockatiel or a Conure!
In-depth differences: Cockatiel vs Conure
Even though some of their visual features may have similarities, along with some of their behavioral patterns, Cockatiels and Conures can be very different when it comes to their core nature. Now, let’s check how Cockatiels and Conures can be different in their manners.
Source: @bird_kingdom
Habitat
Cockatiels are native to Australia and are found primarily in arid or semi-arid regions but they always move to where water bodies are nearby. In their natural habitat, they inhabit open woodland areas, scrublands, and savannahs. They are well-adapted to various environments, including coastal regions and inland areas.
On the other hand, Green-cheeked Parakeets are native to the forests and woodlands of South America, specifically in regions including Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay. They naturally inhabit tropical and subtropical forests, as well as savannahs and woodland edges sometimes. They are found the most in areas with dense vegetation, including areas with tall trees and shrubs.
Behavior
Cockatiels are highly social birds and thrive on interaction with their human companions or other birds. They enjoy being part of the family and can form strong bonds with their humans. They may seek physical contact by snuggling or preening their hair or clothing. They adore gentle head scratches and enjoy investigating toys and engaging in interactive play with their human friends.
Compared to Cockatiels, Green-cheeked Parakeets are significantly more energetic and loud. They are highly active and playful birds. They enjoy exploring their environment, climbing, swinging, and engaging in interactive play with toys and their human companions.
Vocalization
Cockatiels and Green-cheeked Parakeets vocalize in very different manners. Cockatiels are known for their whistling abilities. They can produce a variety of whistles, including melodic tunes, and chirps, and even imitate household sounds like telephone rings or microwave beeps. They often produce soft and high-pitched chirping sounds.
While Cockatiels are not as renowned for mimicry as some other parrot species, they can still learn to mimic simple words, phrases, or common sounds in their environment with practice and training.
On the other hand, Green-cheeked Conures make loud and high-pitched screeching noises that sound like “kree kree kree.” Here are two specimens of their sounds that will clear out the Cockatiel vs Conure confusion for you.
Cockatiel Sound
Green Cheeked Parakeet Sound
Incubation
The incubation period of Cockatiels is typically 17 to 23 days. The female Cockatiel lays 4 to 7 eggs and it is often triggered by seasonal rainfall. Green-cheeked Conures, however, have an incubation period of 22 to 25 days which is slightly longer than Cockatiels.
Unlike the Cockatiels, not only does the female incubate the eggs, but also the male Conure incubates them. Their chicks take longer to fledge as well. Cockatiel chicks fledge after around 5 weeks, while green cheeked Conure may take seven weeks after the hatch.
Subspecies
Cockatiels have three main subspecies based on their habitat, color, and shape. Some types of Cockatiels can be gray Cockatiels, lutino Cockatiels, pied Cockatiels etc. Conures have many more species and subspecies than Cockatiels. There are at least 29 subspecies of Conure while 6 of them are of green cheeked Parakeets.
Source: @calopsitas.official
Flying pattern
Cockatiels are known for their maneuverability in flight. They can make quick turns, change direction abruptly, and navigate tight spaces with ease. On the other hand, Conures are known for their preference for low-level flight. They tend to fly closer to the ground rather than soaring at high altitudes.
They can fly in a straight line from one point to another with speed and efficiency. However, Cockatiels and Green-cheeked Parakeets fly shorter distances, often within their immediate environment, such as from perch to perch or between different areas of their enclosure.
Lifespan
Both species have a relatively long lifespan for parrots. Cockatiels can live for 10 to 15 years or more, while green cheeked Conures can live for 10 to 25 years or even longer with proper care. The oldest Cockatiel has been reported to have lived until 32 years.
Similarities between Cockatiel and Conure
Despite being different species Cockatiels and Green-cheeked Conures share some similarities. Especially, because of the fact that they belong to the same avian Order. Here are some similarities you may find between Cockatiels and Conures.
Diet
Cockatiels and green cheeked Parakeets have similar diet habits that include seeds, fruits, flowers, and nectars. But Cockatiels are infamous for the farmers’ distress. They are known to feed on cultivated crops such as wheat, sorghum and sunflower seeds. However, Conures love to feed on seeds and crops too, but they typically live in forests to ruin the farmers’ crops.
Nesting
Both Cockatiel and green cheeked Conure Cockatiels are known to be cavity nesters. They stay in roost and nest in tree hollows, particularly eucalyptus trees, which provide them with suitable shelter.
Migration
Both Cockatiels and green cheeked Conures are not known for long-distance migration. They are generally sedentary or have localized movements in response to food availability or seasonal changes. While they may move within their range, it is typically not for long distances. Green-cheeked Conures sometimes move from higher to lower altitudes in winter.
Order
Another similarity between these two birds is their scientific Order. Both of them belong to the Psittaciformes order which is known to include parrots, Cockatiels, and Conures. They share similar biological traits such as strong curved beaks, zygodactyl feet, meaning they have two toes facing forward and two toes facing backward, and plumage of vibrant colors.
Here’s a short and easy table for you to quickly understand and compare the traits of a Cockatiel and a Green-cheeked Conure.
| Category | Cockatiel | Green cheeked Conure |
| Size | 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 in) | 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) |
| Shape | Slightly elongated | Slightly puffy |
| Color | Gray, yellow, and white | Green, blue, brown, and red |
| Eyes | Round and black | Round and black with white outline |
| Habitat | Arid land with water bodies, and fields nearby | Forests |
| Social ability | Very social | Very social |
| Sound | Chirping sound | Screeching sound |
| Intelligence | Fairly intelligent | Very intelligent |
| Subspecies | 3 | 29 |
| Distribution | Australia | South America |
FAQ
It is understandable to have some questions after reading such an in-depth analysis of Cockatiel vs Conure. So here are the answers to some questions that might be poking your mind.
Q: Which one between Cockatiel and Conure is louder?
Ans: Most Conures can be louder than Cockatiels in general. Cockatiels make chirping sounds while Conures make screeching sounds. On top of that, Conures are more restless and playful than Cockatiels.
Q: Which one between Cockatiel and Conure is more intelligent?
Ans: Both Cockatiels and Conures are noticeably intelligent and quick to catch up to playful tricks, but Conures prove to be slightly faster and more willing to learn.
Thoughts
In short, the Cockatiel vs Conure debate can go for word after word but end up relying on your personal preference. Both of them are fascinating species of parrots that share some similarities but also have distinct characteristics.
Cockatiels are known for their iconic crest, gentle demeanor, and melodious whistling, while green cheeked Conures exhibit vibrant plumage, playful behavior, and a mischievous personality. Both species make wonderful companions due to their intelligence, social nature, and ability to bond closely with their human caretakers.
However, it’s important to note that each species has specific care requirements, including diet, habitat, and socialization needs. Whether you’re captivated by the smooth melodies of a Cockatiel or energized by the vibrant charisma of a Green-cheeked Conure, these parrot pals are sure to bring laughter, companionship, and feathered fun into your life.
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Audio Credits: xeno-canto
