How to determine the sex of a cockatiel?

Determining the sex of a domestic cockatiel parrot is not so easy, but very important. This is especially necessary for those who plan to breed parrots of this breed. Without knowing what sex the birds are, it is impossible to predict whether they will give birth to offspring. And even if an egg is found in the cage, no one can guarantee that these are not two females. In addition, you can give a feathered pet a suitable nickname only if you know exactly its gender. There are several ways to determine the sex of a cockatiel.

Once the bird has reached the age of one, you can try to determine its sex by color. The color variety of cockatiels is quite extensive, but in nature, pale grayish individuals are mainly found. Boys with such plumage can be identified by a yellow head and a tuft; females are distinguished by a lead tint and the presence of pale specks on their cheeks. The tail of an adult male darkens to black, and painting is lost on the inner side of the wings. In females, decorations are preserved and look like narrow horizontal stripes of bright color and blotches.

In nature, determining the sex of a cockatiel is not so difficult, which cannot be said about poultry. So, the color of lutino, which is characterized by white color, does not determine the sex of the bird until the age of one year. In older individuals, you can take a closer look at the tail feathering.

Pearl barley is popular among breeders. Such birds have a pearl gray color. In males, the plumage gradually becomes monotonous, and the tail acquires a black tint, as in nature. In girls after the age of one and a half years, the plumage is painted in a yellowish tone. Females retain their mother-of-pearl ornament until the end of their lives.

White-faced cockatiels are white in color without pronounced spots on the cheekbones and with a complete absence of a yellowish tinge. Boys are completely white in color, and females are distinguished by a gray or brown crest. Albino cockatiels have a similar color. In this case, the females are distinguished by a slight yellowish tint and amber specks on the wings, and the males have snow-white plumage. Albino cubs are born with red eyes, which gradually acquire a juicy cherry hue.

These are black-winged, shekki, black, variegated or harlequin. Females of the Corella breed are usually larger than males, both in appearance and in weight, but the forehead of the boys seems wider due to a more voluminous crest at the very base.

By their behavior, cockatiels can be distinguished when they reach the age of three months. At this age, boys begin to demonstrate their vocal abilities, however, they only have a craving for singing for a couple of weeks. Further, before the age of six months, it will again be difficult to determine the sex of the birds. It is customary for breeders to mark those who have a tendency to sing at the age of three months in order to know in the future that these are males.

Next, you should pay attention to the sociability of the bird. Males are usually more active than females, they like to "talk" with the owner, check various surfaces with their beak, and play. The fact that Corella is a boy can be said by his strange jumps and the habit of folding his wings in the form of a heart. Girls are calm, they prefer sleep and rest to games.

When all individuals begin to sing, boys can be distinguished by the absence of harsh screaming roulades. It doesn't matter whether the male learns special sounds or not, his voice will still be softer, more pleasant, his singing is more sibilant, in contrast to the voice of females, who prefer to produce more quiet and squeaky sounds.

If the bird became interested in the reflection and began to spend a lot of time near the new toy, communicating with a new "acquaintance", then most likely it is a boy. An animal that quickly lost interest in its reflection is probably a female. If the cage contains two birds, and their gender is unknown, then the boy can be distinguished during his courtship. During this period, the "in love" guy will behave as follows:

• noisily clicks his beak to attract the attention of his beloved;
• walks back and forth, makes whistling sounds, continues to click with his beak, actively jumps, suddenly bends his head;
• shows the wings and folds them in such a way that a heart is formed at the back.

The behavior of females during the mating season can also indicate gender. While the male goes out of his way to attract the attention of his lady of the heart, his partner behaves like this:

• sits on a perch located as low as possible, raising its tail and whistling softly;
• can offer food to the male who has attracted attention.

Some pets can be distinguished by the way they masturbate. For example, during this process, males rub their belly against various objects, it can be a perch or even the owner's hand. In this case, the bird climbs onto the object itself or stands in front of it. Boys do this more often than females, sometimes up to several times a day. Ladies are less self-satisfied and usually stand in front of the object.

Females can also be identified by their tendency to bite. In the hands of a person, they break free, swear, shout, do not like to be touched.Boys are usually calmer, they normally relate to the fact that people show interest in them, try to pet them. This does not apply to every bird, because every animal has its own temperament. Often the difference between a lady is her manner of walking around the cage like a duck, waddling, while her friend jumps over obstacles. She practically does not know how to sing, she only screams invitingly. Young guys can sit on the backs of women, showing early sexual interest in a similar way.

Only females lay eggs, and don't be surprised if you see an egg in a cage with one pet. These eggs are not fertilized, and no chicks will emerge from them. But the owner now knows for sure that he contains a parrot-girl. But what if the egg appeared in a cage with several birds? You can put all the pets in separate cages or install a video camera near the cage, and then carefully study the records and understand who is laying the eggs.

In order not to be mistaken with the sex of the cockatiel, buy the bird from a trusted breeder, and not at the pet store. Breeders rarely make mistakes, and pet shop sellers usually do not have the skills to distinguish the sex of parrots. By the way, you can often buy healthier and more active individuals from breeders than in a pet store.

The best way to find out the sex of a pet is to do a DNA test, but this method will not cost the owner so cheap, about $ 15. The test is not possible in every city, but even if the laboratory itself is absent in the village, some veterinary clinics send the material to other cities, where it is examined. To get tested, you need to take feathers, blood or swabs from the cloaca of a parrot. Usually 5-6 feathers or fluffs from the belly of a bird are enough. It is necessary to store this material for examination no more than two days.

Your veterinarian can help determine the sex of the bird. He will not give a 100% answer to the question, but nevertheless he will somewhat clarify the situation. In addition, during the consultation, a specialist will examine the feathered pet for possible diseases, advise on additional supplements and vitamins for a particular individual.

Without a DNA test, it is impossible to know for certain the sex of a parrot. Some owners send photographs of birds to specialists, hoping for a guaranteed result, but in this way there is no way to determine the sex. Only by comparing all the signs and observing the behavior of cockatiels for a long time, one can assume which sex the birds belong to. In any case, it is recommended to purchase two birds. This will increase the likelihood of creating a bird pair, and it will be more fun for parrots.

You can learn more from the video.