If you have a budgie, it is crucial to know whether it is a boy or a girl in case you consider obtaining a companion. Since they have small reproductive organs covered by feathers, it may be challenging to determine their gender. Hence, one of the questions asked more frequently is, How do I know if my budgie is male or female?
You can use the following nine methods to determine your budgie’s gender:
1. The Color of the Cere
A male budgie in the breeding mood has bright or royal blue cere, which lightens when not in the mood. Mature females can have white, pink, or pale blue cere. As she prepares to produce eggs, the cere becomes darker, tan, or brownish. It also thickens and becomes crusty.
Genetic mutations show colors differently. Albino, Latino, and mottled birds are hard to tell by their sex. They have off-white, light pink, or bluish-pink ceres, which are female colors.
2. Budgie Vocalization
Male budgies are believed to be much noisier than female budgies. They sing and chirp a lot, whereas the female budgies make angry and less musical sounds.
3. Their Biting Tendency
Female budgies have more substantial and prolonged bites than males. So, if your budgie is fond of aggressive biting, then your budgie is probably female.
4. Budgie Behavior
Male budgies are playful and outgoing. They frequently bob their heads up and down and sometimes tap their beaks against the cage.
On the other hand, female budgies are more aggressive when in the mood to breed.
5. Baby Tints
For baby budgies, both males and females have a similar cere color when just hatched, and the color changes as they mature. Hence, to determine the budgie’s gender, look for nostril rings on its nose. All female chicks have white rings, while the male has pink or purple shades.
6. Egg Laying
You can tell your budgies’ gender when they start laying eggs. It takes longer to use this test, as you have to wait for your budgies to mature sexually before they lay eggs.
Only female budgies can lay eggs. Hence, if your budgie lays an egg, it is a girl. However, the test has setbacks, as a female budgie can fail to lay eggs due to hormonal issues.
7. Excessive Squawking
Female budgies tend to squawk and scream more than their male counterparts. This is due to their territorial nature and being overprotective.
8. Using DNA Test
This is the most accurate test to tell the gender of your budgies. The test looks at a pair of chromosomes that determine gender. The male has a ZZ pair, whereas the female has a ZW pair.
Blood or feather samples are obtained from the budgies and taken to the laboratory for testing. Only freshly plucked feathers are to be used, not fallen ones.
Eggshells from newly hatched babies can also be used to determine the gender of your budgie, as they contain some traces of DNA. The shells have to be used within a couple of hours of hatching.
9. Cheek Spots
Male budgies have dark purple cheek spots, while females have light purple freckles.
What Color Beak Does a Male Budgie Have?
Most budgie beaks are yellowish, regardless of gender. By checking the color of the swollen patch on top of the beak, you can tell the gender of your budgie.
Most males have a shiny blue or dark blue cere.
Can a Female Budgie Have a Blue Cere?
Yes, a female budgie can have a blue cere. The color can be light blue if the breeding hormone levels are low or sometimes when the bird is sick. The budgie can also have a blue cere due to its color variety.
Despite some female budgies having the same color as males, you can tell the difference by considering the intensity of the blue coloration.
Is a Pink Cere On a Budgie Male or Female?
If just hatched, a budgie with a pink cere can either be male or female. For some rare cases, like an albino or a pied budgie, it’s hard to tell its sex as all have pinkish ceres.
A male budgie can have a brown or brownish-pink cere when his breeding hormones dip or he is ill. Also, for an immature cock, its cere is a bluish pink or light purple.
What Color and Gender are Budgie Feet?
Male species have blue feet, while females have brown feet with a slight shade of pink.
Sex hormones that determine the cere color also determine the leg and skin colors. Hence, using the feet to determine the gender of your budgie should be applicable when your bird is one year old.
How to Tell a Budgies Gender at a Young Age
All newly hatched budgies have a pink cere, both male and female.
Budgies below four months old have immature colors. The female budgies have a light-blue cere, as do the males. The shade is a bit lighter for females, but it can be confusing if you are not keen.
As the budgies mature, the males will have more pinkish or purple cere and white or pale blue with white rings around the nostrils for the females.
Male vs. Female Budgie Personality
You can differentiate a male budgie from a female budgie based on how they behave.
The following are some of the male versus female budgie behaviors.
Male Budgies
1. They are calmer, more social, and good at creating bonds. This is the most prominent male budgie behavior.
2. They are likely to learn how to talk, and once they do, they talk a lot.
3. Male budgies are easier to tame than their female counterparts.
4. Males are more playful
5. More outgoing and easy to interact with.
Female Budgies
1. Female budgies are more aggressive and behave bossily.
2. They are very defensive of their territory and mates
3. They nibble more on things due to their nesting instincts.
4. They are less social
5. They squawk and scream a lot and are likely to fight from time to time.
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