Cockatiel
The cockatiel (/ˌkɒkəˈtiːl/;[2] Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as
the weero/weiro[3][4] or quarrion,[5][6] is a medium-sized[7] parrot that is a member of its own
branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as
household pets and companion parrots throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed
compared to other parrots. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to
the budgerigar.[8]
The cockatiel is the only member of the genus Nymphicus. It was previously unclear whether
the cockatiel is a crested parakeet or small cockatoo; however, more recent molecular studies
have assigned it to its own subfamily, Nymphicinae. It is, therefore, now classified as the
smallest subfamily of the Cacatuidae (cockatoo family). Cockatiels are native to Australia,
favouring the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bushlands.
Taxonomy and etymology[edit]
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
historical 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]
