How to determine the sex of a budgerigar?
Of course, determining the sex of a budgerigar is not an easy task. However, this can play a significant role in the management of poultry. Males and females, as a rule, behave in completely different ways, which is very noticeable in adult birds. In addition, pet store sellers often do not themselves know about the sex of these birds. Either the female is deliberately passed off as a male, or vice versa. Even if this factor does not play a significant role for many, in order not to be deceived and to know for sure, it is worth studying this issue in more detail.
Appointment
Determining the sex of the budgerigar is important for several reasons. First of all, this affects the choice of the name of the pet, because birds most often remember their nickname and respond to it. Having learned a couple of years later that "Kesha" may turn out to be a girl, many may be very surprised or even upset.
In addition, the owner of the parrots may decide to breed chicks. In this case, you can also make a mistake with choosing a pair for your pet. After all, birds of the same sex can be great conflicts with each other. And in the future, a task of this kind requires the owner of the skills to determine the sex of the birds.
Based on the above words about the conflict of parrots, it is important to note that males can be great friends and live in the same cage without any problems. Unlike females, whose cohabitation in most cases leads to a complex conflict, up to the fact that one of them can easily die, for many this can be a heavy loss.
To a greater extent, the sex of the budgerigar affects the ability to repeat sounds. Most birds of this species are able to master speech to one degree or another.However, the speed and difficulty of learning to speak among birds of different sexes will differ - as a rule, it is much easier to teach males to pronounce words. But at the same time, although females require more attention and commitment in training, they master the conversation better than males, and can remember a little more words that they can pronounce more clearly.
An important criterion when choosing a pet is its character. It can play a significant role in the domestication of the parrot. So, females are more aggressive and shy. Therefore, some of them may never get used to their hands and each time rush around the cage at the sight of its door opening. In contrast to them, males are more positive, they are more willing to go to their hands, moreover, they like to spend time near people.
In addition, the character of females can vary greatly depending on the season. The changes are usually driven by bursts of hormones in the spring or fall. This can make even the calmest female hostile and aggressive.
This information is already enough to determine which gender you would like to purchase a bird. However, a parrot of any gender can deliver a lot of positive emotions, the only difference will be in the approach to education.
Let's look at how to determine the sex of a budgerigar. There are several ways that focus on some pronounced or not very specific features.
The ways
One of the main ways can be noted the determination of the sex of a parrot on wax.
The wax is located above the beak of the bird, it is easy to find it, since the nostrils of the parrot are located on it. The essence of this method is to determine by the color of the wax itself. Although it is complicated by the fact that first it is necessary to determine the age of the parrot, since over time the color of the beeswax changes.
Chicks
To begin with, let's highlight the features of sex determination in chicks.
At an early age, you can tell a boy from a girl from about 4 weeks of age. If the wax is predominantly pink or has tones of lilac or violet, this indicates that there is a male in front of you. As a rule, in boys, the color of this formation is uniform. The presence of bluish ovals around the nostrils also belongs to males.
Females are predominantly blue in color, or have a light purple hue. This factor can be confusing, but unlike males, the formation of females is uneven in color. In addition, girls tend to have white circles around their nostrils, which will definitely prevent confusion. The pink wax can belong to both males and females - here all attention is paid to the edging around the nostrils. In addition, it is important not to pay attention to the color of the beak, it can be confusing, but unfortunately, you will not be able to understand by the beak what gender the bird is.
This method helps to accurately recognize the sex of the chicks. However, with a lack of proper experience, it can be difficult to understand the colors and shades; here, when going to a pet store, it would be an excellent solution to take with you a guide with photographs and illustrations, or to review the examples on the Internet beforehand.
In addition, depending on the time of day, the shade of the wax can vary. Therefore, it is worth examining the parrot several times and taking a few photos to clearly see this effect.
Adult parrots
In chicks, the wax is not yet fully formed, this explains the color change depending on the time of day. However, adult birds from 4-5 months of age do not have this problem, so it becomes much easier to determine the sex of the parrot. Here the differences are pronounced, and it can be quite difficult to confuse them.
Females have a white edging around their nostrils, and the color of the waxes fluctuates between beige and brown. In addition, the wax can be rough, which is also a distinctive feature of females. Besides, during hormonal activity, females may develop a growth around the nostrils, which will fall off over time. But a parrot can also be an albino, but the same principle of sex determination works here.
Male budgies have a pronounced blue wax color. Moreover, its surface is smooth and not prone to build-up.
In both females and males, the beak can change color with age or with changes in hormonal levels. There is also the opportunity to often meet an albino bird. In this case, the principles of determining the sex remain approximately the same or are reduced to the presence of roughness. In addition, in albino males, bluish spots can be seen on the beak and the formation above it.
As mentioned above, the beak can be of completely different colors. For example, green or yellow, this should not be confusing; when choosing a parrot, you should pay attention only to wax.
There is another method for determining the sex of a bird - the so-called genetic method. It is less straightforward for inexperienced people. This method is widespread among poultry farmers. And most often it is used for very young chicks.
It is possible due to a mutation inherent in some parrots. At birth, chicks may show signs of characteristic mutations, which appear in the color of non-fledged parrots. Several of them can be distinguished:
- cinnamon;
- albino;
- lacing;
- lutino;
- opaline;
- apse;
- Texas celandine.
Based on the parameters of the parents and the mutation of the newborn bird, it is possible to determine the sex of the parrot and even what offspring to expect from it. This method requires certain knowledge, backed up by considerable practice.
In addition to all this, the sex of a parrot can be determined by a DNA test. This method is the least available of all, but, accordingly, the most effective. As a rule, the cost of such procedures is very high, so it is not particularly popular.
Helpful hints
Young individuals are more willing to get used to their hands and learn to speak, as mentioned above, it can be difficult to determine the sex of the chicks. If, after purchasing a parrot, doubts remain about its gender, it is important to observe the bird and identify features in its behavior. The approach to education and domestication will depend on this.
And also, depending on the season, the hormonal background of males and females changes differently, which can often be determined by a change in the color of the beak. Accordingly, during this period, parrots may need a variety of vitamins and minerals, which may differ depending on gender.
Rumor has it that the sex of a parrot can be determined by the shape of the head. In some cases, the differences are quite noticeable and it might work. It is believed that in males the crown is flatter, while in females it is rounded. But, as practice shows, this method is ineffective, and it is better not to pay attention to the shape of the head.
How to determine the sex of a parrot, see below.
