How to Determine the Sex of Your New Bird

To some owners, knowing the sex of their bird is of no consequence because they are not planning to breed it. As a matter of fact, the sex of your bird is something you should be aware of. If you have a female, there are signs you should be watching for that can indicate she is getting ready to lay eggs as she matures. Some of the smaller species will nest, regardless of whether or not they have a mate. Knowing the sex of your bird is helpful if for no other reason than for naming purposes.

The sex of a bird can be detected in a number of different ways. There’s no substitute for doing it the old fashioned way, by having your vet look at the reproductive organs. This way you will know if the organs are normal and healthy, as well as indicate what sex your bird is. Many people shy away from this technique because even though it is a fairly simple and cheap procedure, they don’t want to risk the life of their bird by putting it through surgery.

DNA sexing is another technique used to determine, with a fair amount of accuracy, whether you have a male or female. Surprisingly, these results are not always as accurate as you would like. For example, it’s possible to get back three different results for the same bird tested three different times. The problem isn’t with the test itself, more often it is the way the sample is collected. This is because the bird’s owner will clip a toenail or pull a feather to obtain a blood sample.

Improper sample collection could lead to contamination, which may affect the results. Another reason for inconsistent results is that many samples must ship to overseas DNA labs. Human error and outdated equipment are also factors that contribute to inaccurate test results.

There is a way to tell, without a doubt, what the sex of some mature species of birds is. Many species are known as dimorphic, which simply means that males and females are colored differently. Indian ring necks, red belly parrots and most cockatiels are examples of this characteristic. With these types of birds all you have to do is know what these color distinctions are and you have your answer.

An example of this coloration difference between males and females is found in the grey cockatiel. Females have a grey face with pale orange patches on their cheeks as opposed to the males who have yellow faces and bright orange cheek patches. Most parakeets will have differences as well. If you observe the area directly above the beak, which is called the cere, females will display a pink or reddish brown cere, while that of males will be more of a blue color.

Finally, pelvic sexing is a technique used by many breeders to determine the sex of birds. Some breeders have had considerable success using this method, however, even experts have been proven wrong. Pelvic sexing should not be trusted as a one hundred percent accurate means of determining sex.

Pelvic sexing is performed by feeling the bones above the tail near the vent area while the bird is on it’s back. A female will have a larger gap between these bones than a male due to egg laying. This could be misleading, however, and a bird that you think is a male could be a female that has never laid eggs.

         

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