Having decided to have a feathered pet, a person runs the risk of encountering several problems before buying it. The future owner, not having an idea of the age-related nuances of the animal, can purchase an old or sick bird. To protect yourself from possible disappointments, you should learn to distinguish young from adult individuals. The article will help you figure out how to determine the age and sex of the Corellus parrot.
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Choosing a corolla, or nymph (the second name of these parrots), it should be remembered that adult and young birds practically do not differ in size. For this reason, attention is paid to other parameters: the color of the eyes and plumage, the appearance of the paws and the behavior of the pet. At the same time, it is far from always possible to rely on the words of the merchant, because his main goal is to sell a parrot, no matter what the age of the latter.
Such attempts to sell elderly nymphs are not common, but knowledge about how to determine their age will not be superfluous. Experts advise buying birds that have reached the age of 10-14 weeks. It is believed that such instances are much easier and faster to get used to the new owner and master the habitat.
Features of plumage
The appearance of young individuals is somewhat unpresentable. The recently appeared plumage does not fit tightly to the body, which makes the bird look tousled. The tail is adorned with short feathers. Adult parrots boast longer and sleeker tail feathers.
At the age of 3–4 months, Corella has a very dull color of plumage. The first molt begins at 6 months and ends closer to a year, after which the pet acquires the color of a mature individual. In instances of mutational coloring, this process lasts longer and ends by two years.
Head
The head of these birds is decorated with a bizarre crest. How to determine the age of the cockatiel parrot with its help? In a young pet, the crest is not fully formed and consists of fairly short straight feathers. At the same time, a closer inspection will allow you to notice the tubes of new feathers that have not yet opened.
At the top of mature individuals, a fully decorated adornment consisting of long feathers flaunts. The crest of an adult parrot ends with a graceful bend. It is noteworthy that sometimes in aged birds, under the crest, there may be a small area of skin devoid of plumage.
Eye color
The eyes of the bird will also help to figure out how to determine the age of the corrella. The photo below shows a fairly young individual. Shiny bead eyes of almost black color are characteristic of such birds.
In older birds, a brown tint is visible in the iris, and the eyes themselves become dull. The iris of the eyes of a very old parrot becomes light brown.
Particularly noteworthy are the corella of non-standard mutational coloring, for example lutino. In young specimens, the eyes are red, while in more mature ones they become dark cherry.
Beak
Age-related changes affect the condition and color of the feathered pet's beak. In young Corelli, the horny layer of the beak is smooth, without any peeling and has a light gray color with a pink tint. Young animals differ in the proportions of the nostrils. In relation to the beak, they are noticeably larger than that of mature nymphs.
Over time, the cornea darkens and the beak acquires an almost black color with a gray tint. The older the bird, the more noticeable damage and defects on its beak. Sometimes growths can be noticeable.
Paw Condition
There are two schemes for determining the age of the core by the appearance of the paws: by the color and condition of the scales. In young individuals, the skin is a lighter pink hue and is covered with barely noticeable thin scales. The fingers of the bird end with even claws of a light color.
With age, the scales covering the legs are significantly coarser. The skin darkens, becoming a grayish-brown hue, and wrinkles are more noticeable. The claws coarsen and lengthen, gradually becoming almost black.
Parrot behavior
How to determine the age of Corella by behavior? Since young animals have not yet fully mastered the art of flight, they often prefer to be closer to the bottom of the cage. In addition, young individuals cope poorly with hygiene, which is why very often the tail and wings of young birds are soiled in the litter.
Unlike adults, some clumsiness is observed in the movements of young individuals. This is explained by a slight imbalance, which will soon pass, and the parrots will be more confident on their feet.
Sex determination
All of the above parameters allow you to figure out how to determine the age of the corella. Sex birds are distinguished by almost the same characteristics, which appear at different periods of the life of a bird.
At a very young age, a male can be distinguished from a female only by singing. This becomes possible by 3.5 months of life. The chirping of males is more melodic.
At the age of 6 months, molting begins in this species of parrots , during which the color of the males becomes somewhat brighter than in females. But this parameter is not always guaranteed to help determine the sex of the corrella, as the individuals are still too similar.
Closer to the year, the differences become more apparent. The pointed dark wings of males are decorated with a white oval, and a yellow crest shines on the head of young handsome men. The body acquires a pearl-steel tint, and bright red-orange spots are located on the cheeks. The cheeks of the females are not so saturated in color, and the plumage of the body is dusty gray.
To some extent, the behavior of individuals is also different. Males are most often characterized by talkativeness and increased activity. Often they make noise by beating on different surfaces with their beaks. Females are noticeably calmer.