SEX

[jacin]

Dumb Question.....How do you K N O W what sex a "Tiel" is? How does one tell FOR SURE the differance between male & female......Also how does one tell the AGE of a bird? Thanks Ya'll

[jehnifertheory]

The sex of the bird is usually determined by coloration. The males are typically much brighter in color with the females having a much more muted coloration. (Especially in the cheek patches) Unofficially, I think their dispositons tend to be a telling sign. Males seem to be overall more talkative and/or social where females seem a bit more shy. Of course, there is always an exception to every rule. Google 'tiel images and compare your birds coloration to a general population...

And aging? ha, good luck with that one. Usuually the only way to know for sure is when the bird is a juvenile. In many species, such as doves, the primaries have white tipping on them. (Owls too!) But once they mature (1-2 yrs) I think it is very difficult to tell...

[cherylrowland]

The sex of cockatiels in my experience has been that males are able to speak and whistle sounds that they have heard. I have one male cockatiel, who is coming up on his sixth birthday and he can say "Here Kitty, Kitty", "Pretty, Pretty, Pretty", "Pretty Bird", a couple of different wolf whistles and finally he can do the opening bars of the Andy Griffith tune. Coloring will also help you in determining the sex.

[sarak]

In some mutations, color will not determine sex at all. Pieds and lutinos would be good examples as both sexes can and often do look the same.

There are several ways to determine the sex of your bird.

Definitively, there is a DNA test, cost is $16 and up. You can use blood, feathers, eggshells.

Sometimes sex linked traits will determine the sex of a bird. The breeder must know the genetics and the actual mutation of the birds to be accurate. For instance, a cinnamon cock bred to a normal hen will give you cinnamon hens and normal cocks. You would know the sex as soon as they feather out.

Vocalization is another way to "guess" sex. Males will whistle and strut and sit and "practice" their "big boy whistle". I have heard of hens doing some whistling and other noises, but mine are generally quiet except for the "call noise" they make and their normal chattering...much quieter than boys, IME.

My current newly weaned babies have yet to start vocalizing though I know, by genetics and some by DNA, that many are males. I'd say most, by 16 weeks would begin practicing vocalizations. I had one of my boys whistling the Andy Griffith tune by around 20 weeks. He was vocalizing and mimicking at 12 weeks when I bought him.

Very hard to determine age unless they are banded with a year code.

Sara K