This article was co-authored by Hayley Heartfield. Hayley Heartfield is a Bird Specialist and the Owner of About Birds, a Pet Bird Shop in Montgomery County, Texas. Hayley specializes in pet bird care, behavior, training, and breeding. Hayley studied Animal Science at Texas A&M. About Birds carries many species of birds and offers grooming and boarding services as well as bird care products.
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If you just got a budgie, you may want to determine its sex. Learn which colors signify a male or female budgie. You can also watch your budgie's behavior or listen to it to determine the sex. If you're still having trouble, remember you can always consult your veterinarian or the breeder that sold you the budgie.
Steps
Using Color to Identify Sex
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1Find the budgie's cere. The cere is a fleshy covering which is located directly above its beak.[1] The budgie's nostrils are found on the cere (they look like two in-depth holes) making the cere easy to find. While most budgie's beaks are a yellowish color, the cere is a certain color depending on the bird's sex.[2]
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2Identify a male budgie. Most male budgies in the breeding mood have a bright or royal blue cere.[3] Sometimes, the vibrant color can appear purple-blue.[4] This color will lighten when the budgie is not in the breeding mood.[5]
- If you've identified your budgie as male and notice his cere turn brown, he may have a medical condition.[6]
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4Consider the age of your budgie. If your budgie is less than 4 months old, it will have immature colors respective to their sex.[11] [12] Before this time, the colored area that shows sex will be pink or purple on a male and white or pale blue on a female. If your budgie hasn't had its first molt, has dark button eyes, and has bars coming from its head to cere, then it's less than four months old.[13]
- If your budgie is immature or less than 4 months old, the cere on males will slowly turn deep blue and females will keep white or pale blue before showing tan.[14]
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5Understand the challenges of using color to identify the sex. In addition to changes in color based on breeding mood, a budgie's cere may change for a number of other reasons. Female budgies may have hormonal imbalances that display a light blue cere for a long time or their environment may not be suitable for breeding. Some budgies have genetic mutations that show color differently in males. Recessive pieds and INO (albino, lutino and yellow face albino) variety males will have a pink cere as well as a few other mutations. [15]
- For example, male albino budgies will have a pink cere color.
Identifying the Sex Using Other Methods
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1Listen to your budgie. Males are known for being much noisier than female budgies. They will chirp or sing and the songs can be quite long. While female budgies make sounds too, they usually sound angry and less musical. However females can be just as cheerful just as males may be grouchy. [16]
- Keep in mind that behavior should not be solely taken into consideration when determining sex. Both sexes can display the same behavior.
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2Watch your budgie's behavior. Male budgies frequently bob their heads up and down or tap their beaks against their cage. They'll appear playful and outgoing. Female budgies may seem more aggressive if they're in the mood to breed, subdued, or if they're fertile.[17] [18]
- You may notice a male budgie tap against a female and regurgitate food to her. Don't worry. This is normal bonding behavior and will occur between same-sex pairs, too.
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3Ask someone knowledgeable. When you buy your budgie from the breeder or dealer, ask the budgie's sex, though be aware not all breeders are informed, especially if colony breeding. You can also purchase inexpensive DNA kits that also reveal the budgie's sex.
- Don't forget that you can ask your veterinarian to determine the sex of the budgie. This will be easier if the vet is familiar with treating birds.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you know if a female is pregnant?
Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianFemale birds lay eggs, but it can be difficult to know that she is carrying eggs. Often the first an owner knows is that there is an egg laying at the bottom of the cage. This can happen even if the female does not have a mate - although in this case the egg won't be fertile. -
QuestionWhat causes a budgie to change colors?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianCeres change color because of interest in mating, aging, or as a result of ill health. If the bird is otherwise bright and well, and the color changes happen rapidly, it could be that he or she is feeling amorous at times.
Warnings
- Even if you do not wish to breed your budgies it can be handy to know what their genders are. Some illnesses and diseases are specific to gender and having the same sexes can help if you wish to prevent breeding completely.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Remember that budgies are very fragile creatures and have very small, frail bones. Be gentle when handling, but make sure to hold them firmly.⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
- ↑ http://www.birds-online.de/allgemein/geschlecht_en.htm
- ↑ Hayley Heartfield. Bird Specialist. Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.
- ↑ Hayley Heartfield. Bird Specialist. Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
- ↑ http://www.birds-online.de/allgemein/geschlecht_en.htm
- ↑ http://www.birds-online.de/allgemein/geschlecht_en.htm
- ↑ Hayley Heartfield. Bird Specialist. Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.
- ↑ http://www.cutelittlebirdiesaviary.com/what-is-breeding-condition.html
- ↑ http://www.birds-online.de/allgemein/geschlecht_en.htm
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
- ↑ Hayley Heartfield. Bird Specialist. Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
- ↑ http://www.cutelittlebirdiesaviary.com/exceptions-to-the-rule-when-sexing-male-budgies.html
- ↑ http://pets.thenest.com/tell-budgie-male-female-6602.html
- ↑ http://pets.thenest.com/tell-budgie-male-female-6602.html
- ↑ http://budgieplace.com/mf.html
About This Article
If you want to easily identify your budgie's sex, look at their cere, which is located directly above its beak. If the bird's cere is royal blue during breeding season, it's most likely a male budgie. For female budgies, look for a white or pale blue cere, which can become dark tan or brow during breeding season. If your budgie is less than 4 months old, keep in mind that you can't use its colors to identify its sex since the bird is too immature to breed. Additionally, remember that there are some exceptions to these rules depending on the breed of your budgie. For tips from our veterinary reviewer on using other methods to identify your budgie's sex, read on!
