Healthy adult cockatiels usually weigh 78 to 125 grams.
Birds should always be weighed in grams, which is a metric measurement. (There
are approximately 28 grams in an ounce.) It is important that a bird is weighed
on an accurate gram scale. Electronic scales are available for purchase from
bird-supply companies and office-supply retailers. These can be modified by
installing a lightweight perch to facilitate weighing birds. A basket may come
with some models for weighing baby birds and eggs. Another accurate scale is the
triple-beam balance. Serious aviculturists, hobby breeders and pet owners should
purchase a quality scale to periodically weigh eggs, babies and pet birds.
Monitoring your bird's weight is one of the easiest ways
to keep tabs on its health. Weight change is a very good indicator of a problem
with a bird. Weight gain (in an adult bird) may alert an owner and avian vet
about the possibility of a bird developing fatty liver syndrome (hepatic
lipidosis), fatty tumors (lipomas and xanthomas) or generalized lipornatosis (an
abnormal layer of fat deposited under the skin). Weight gain may also be caused
by metabolic problems, heart or liver problems resulting in a fluid build-up,
problems associated with egg binding, some tumors, lack of exercise or an
inappropriate diet.
Weight loss can be a sign of many infectious diseases
(including proventricular dilatation disease [PDD], aspergillosis and others),
infestation with parasites (including Giardia and roundworms), inappropriate
diet, competition for food with other birds, metabolic problems, some tumors and
beak problems.
So, weight change should always be brought to the
attention of your avian vet. If you have an accurate gram scale, I recommend
that you get into the habit of weighing your pet birds on a weekly basis. Weight
loss that is not discernable by handling your bird will be documented by the
scale long before a bird may become clinically ill and weight loss is obvious.
Just as there are variations in the weights of humans, the
same holds true for our birds. Some people are tall and model thin, and, in the
industry, Hollywood called some actresses and models "lollipops" because it
seems like their heads are too large for their stick-like bodies. This, of
course, represents an extreme in body type, but people come in all shapes and
sizes. If you have ever checked out the insurance company's weight charts,
you'll notice that they have a great weight range for each height on the chart,
based on a persons bone structure. While bone structure descriptions are not
available for birds, an experienced avian vet will decide if your bird's weight
is normal for its size. When I evaluate a bird, I take into account its total
length, body structure, pectoral muscling and amount of visible and palpable
body fat. I also factor into the equation information from the history regarding
the birds diet, cage size and activity level.
When I weigh a bird and give the owner the number, I am
invariably asked if this is a good weight for the bird. Because I usually weigh
the bird first, before I perform the hands-on physical exam, I cannot answer
that question immediately. Once I weigh the bird, then look at it and palpate
(carefully feel) the bones, pectoral (chest) muscles, skin and body fat, I can
make an assessment about the weight. Deciding if a bird is too thin or too fat
is quite a subjective matter, and cannot be simply based on a number on a scale.
Some cockatiels, especially some lutinos and other color
mutations bred for the pet trade, tend to be rather smallboned birds. For these
birds, a weight between 78 and 90 grams may be average. Cockatiel breeders that
are selectively breeding their birds for showing in competition will usually
have larger birds. They tend to be longer and more solid in appearance, and
often weigh between 110 and 125 grams. I have seen pet cockatiels; that weighed
in at a rotund 150 grams. One cinnamon hen comes to mind. She was so obese that
she had actual cleavage of the pectoral muscles and a large amount of body fat.
By evaluation of her length and bone structure, I estimated that she should have
weighed about 125 grams. In the bird world, hens tend to be smaller than males,
but, as with all things, there are exceptions.
You can see that you can have the cockatiel equivalents of
Laurel and Hardy. There are many different body types and weights, with some
that need to be monitored closely so that they do not gain too much weight. It
is very important that you establish what is a normal weight for your pet birds.
An accurate gram scale is an important piece of equipment for the serious bird
owner. As an alternative, many avian vets will weigh your birds for you at no
charge or for a minimal fee. You will just need to be diligent enough to bring
your bird into the clinic periodically for its weigh-in. Either way, monitoring
your birds' weights is easy and could save their lives by allowing early
diagnosis of many medical problems.
Black-headed caique - 145 to 170 grams
Blue-and-gold macaw 800 to 1292 grams
Blue-crowned conure - 84 to 100 grams
Blue-fronted Amazon - 275 to 510 grams (avg. 400 to 430
grams)
Blue-headed pionus - 230 to 260 grams (avg. 250 grams)
Budgerigar - 25 to 60 grams (average 25 to 36 grams)
Canary - 12 to 29 grams
Congo African grey - 380 to 554 grams
Double-yellow-headed Amazon - 450 to 650 grams
Goffin's cockatoo - 221 to 386 grams
Green-cheeked conure - 60 to 80 grams
Greenwinged macaw - 900 to 1529 grams
Lovebird - 45 to 70 grams
Moluccan cockatoo - 640 to 1025 grams (avg. 850 grams)
Pacific parrotlet - 31 to 34 grams
Quaker parakeet - 90 to 150 grams (avg. 110 to 120)
Rose-breasted cockatoo - 281 to 390 grams
Senegal parrot - 110 to 130 grams (avg. 125 grams)
Sun conure - 100 to 130 grams (avg. 120)
Timneh African grey - 300 to 360 grams
Umbrella cockatoo - 458 to 750 grams (avg. 600 to 700
grams)
Yellow-naped Amazon - 480 to 680 grams
Zebra finch - 10 to 16 grams
Some of these weight ranges are from published sources;
others come directly from weights derived in my own practice.
