What is a mutation?How are the mutations inherited?Important info about sex-linked inheritance,Cockatiel color mutations,Primary Colour Varieties,Some popular composite varieties and New or doubtful forms.

Cinnamon: This mutation is similar to the normal with grey areas replaced by tan to cinnamon brown color.The Cinnamon mutation gets it name from the cinnamon color, which has been described as a brownish-grey color.

The Fallow cockatiel has a very similar coloration to that of the Cinnamon cockatiel, but with a slightly diluted depth of color. The fallow has red eyes, a pink beak, and pink feet.

The Lutino Cockatiel can only be described as beautiful. The Lutino exhibits a striking deep buttercup yellow plumage. The color is consistent throughout; sometimes some wing feathers are seen in a lighter shade of yellow than the rest of the feathers.

The Normal or Native Cockatiel is the bird that started it all. The native Cockatiel or Nymphicus Hollandicus, as the scientists call it, is a true blue Aussie bird. Its range of habitat is over most of mainland Australia, excepting some coastal and subtropical areas, due to its preference for the drier plain lands of Australia's interior.

Pastelface cockatiels have a reduced amount of yellow and red in their plumage, giving their cheek patches a pastel appearance. The pastelface mutation is recessive, but with a twist: it acts as though it is dominant to whiteface (although the interaction between whiteface and pastelface is not truly one of dominance!).

The Pastel Silver mutation is becoming more common amongst Cockatiel breeders. It is a beautiful shade of silver with the yellow head and orange cheek patch.The reduction or dilution of grey melanin in the normal grey Cockatiel has always inspired a generic description of "Silver".

Pearl&Lacewing are different forms of the same variety in which there is a reduction in melanin, seen as clear areas of differing size at the centre of grey feathers. The Pearl mutation was first bred in West Germany in 1967 and was the third mutation to appear in the Cockatiel. Pearl is a sex linked mutation and can be combined with many other mutations.The pearl mutation, which is sex-linked, removes the melanin from the centers of all grey feathers, giving the affected plumage a "scalloped" appearance.

Pied is an Autosomal Recessive mutation. That means that both parents must carry Pied for a Pied baby to be produced. It is also thought to be partially dominant as some birds that are split to Pied will show a spot or some slight pied marking.

The Platinum Cockatiels mutation is a sex-linked recessive gene that gives solid body-coloured birds in the same manner as Cinnamon.The name Platinum was selected to describe a bird of extreme dilution. This mutation has a wonderful silvery, Smokey Grey colour to it.

The Silver mutation is a diluted version of the normal grey. The Silver has red eyes, a pink beak, and pink feet. There are two types of silver mutations: dominant (on the right) and recessive (left). Both types of birds have a silvery grey appearance, which is caused by a reduction of melanin (the material that produces greys and browns) in their feathers.

Silver Spangle Cockatiels or the Spangle Cockatiel or Edged Dilute Mutation is a colour that has been around for quite some time. It was first discovered in Australia over 20 years ago but its popularity has been minimal.

The West Coast Silver is an autosomal recessive mutation. This means that to produce a West Coast Silver, both parents must carry the gene, either as a split or visual.

The Whiteface mutation is an autosomal recessive mutation. That means to produce a Whiteface baby, both parents must carry the Whiteface gene.The Whiteface mutation prevents the deposition of lipochrome (yellow and red) pigmentation on the feathers, causing the dark melanin plumage and the white face.

The Yellowcheek mutation is one of the recent mutation to be established in Cockatiels. They were first bred in Europe during the late 1980's and were imported into USA by 1992. It is a typical sex-linked mutation, hens cannot be split Yellowface but cocks of course can be any colour and still be split Yellowface.

The blackhead is a very new and rare mutation, found only form a few breeders, for example in Netherlands. The dominant pastel was originally found in France by Thierry Duliere.