How can I tell if my new pet bird is a boy or a girl, and when?

If they are at least 12 months of age, you can determine gender by looking at the color of the cere (nose). In males, the cere is a blue color. In females, it is tan/brown. If they are younger, you will need to wait or you can have them sexed by DNA using blood or feather samples.

The color of the cere (the area just above the beak) is essential to understand the gender but unfortunately before 8months old is very difficult to visually distinguish males and females. Please repost your question in few months so we can help you assessing sex. Generally speaking I would recommend to have a look at this website for anything concerning your budgies. http://www.beautyofbirds.com/

Going by cere color, I would agree with your assessment of gender. If you want to know definitively, you can have them sexed by submitting DNA samples (feathers or blood) on each bird. Your veterinarian can do this for you. An experienced avian veterinarian can also sex the surgically.

Thanks for reaching out. Love birds are not sexually dimorphic (can't determine sex by appearances). Palpation of the ventral pubis can sometimes give a clue as sex. Blood sexing is available through most veterinarians who see birds. Sexually mature females during breeding mode, will often tear up paper and place in their wings, a quirky female lovebird thing. Good luck.

Your budgie is probably somewhere between 6 and 12 months of age. The head is free of "barring" which is present in younger birds. The eyes are not clearly seen in the images provided. Look for iris rings. Older birds have a well developed iris ring. Younger birds have none or very faint iris rings. If the rings are faint in Polie's eyes, she is likely closer the 6 month end of the estimate.

Visually, male and female Quaker parrots appear to be identical. Unless you buy a parrot with papers that state the bird's sex, you will have to use the services of a vet or DNA-testing laboratory to determine the gender of your parrot.

When mature (about 3 years old), Lesser Sulphur Crested males will have black eyes while the female will develop brown eyes. If Mattie is younger, then DNA sexing will be the easiest and least invasive method of determining sex. It typically involves collecting a blood sample. The behavior is common as birds will sometimes develop a bond with a certain person which sometimes can be someone other than the owner. You can limit the time Mattie spends with your partner and spend more time yourself with him/her. Your partner should not stroke Mattie on her back, tail or underneath, nor should he "beak wrestle" as these can all be construed as courtship behavior to a bird.