The Cinnamon Cockatiel was first seen in the bush near Kalgoorlie,
Western Australia. By 1984 Jeanette Hickford obtained a split from these
birds and had established the long awaited Cinnamon.
The Cinnamon Cockatiel is a sex linked mutation and therefore only
cocks can be split to this mutation. Hen cannot be split to Cinnamon so
any hen that contains Cinnamon must be visually Cinnamon.
Cinnamon is caused by the alteration of melanin in the birds
feathers. This in turn produces a light brown or tan colour. One must
remember hat there are varying tones of Cinnamon, some light and some
dark.
Newly hatched chicks can be easily identified in the nest. They have
the most obvious plum coloured eyes that seem to darken slightly by the
age of two weeks. A Cinnamon chicks feet and legs appear a pale beige
colour with light brown toenails.
Cocks and Hens are identical as youngsters, so the normal signs of
whistling and the normal 'carrying on' of young males will help to
determine the sex of the bird. When Cinnamons get a lot of sunshine,
they loose the smooth Cinnamon colouration, and get a 'motley affect'.
This motley affect will go away after the next moult.