I am taming this 4 week old chick for a friend of mine but wants to make sure she gets a male. Just by going his temperament I would say its a boy but I am hopeless at sexing young budgies, can someone out there help me??

You need to get a close up on the ceres(around nostrils) as that is the only way to tell. If I can see white rings around the nostrils then probably a girl... Girls cn talk really well though, my nanna has two budgies Snowy(girl) and Dickie(boy) Snowy screams at the top of her lungs "Dickies a bloody whoose!"

Looks like a hen to me...another photo please ?

I agree. my first thought was a hen too

that was my first thought too a hen..

Hate to disapoint but I agree with the rest she's a hen.

Edited April 22, 200817 yr by Ikon

Hen from me also, even from a far picture i can see the rings around the nostrils :S

l'm also leaning towards female. as others have suggested already, a close up of the cere would help.

I have taken some new pics - still think its a girl?? What colour ceres do the baby cock birds usually have??

would be helpfull if you could take the flash off!

thanks

 

♥Indz

I agree, the photo would be clearer without a flash, sorry.

 

I am still thinking hen though

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Sorry 'bout that! I cant work out how to turn the flash off, (it comes on automatically if needed). Will have to wait till tomorrow to take another photo when I figure this @#@#@** camera out!!!

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by jenene283

When using the menu/settings on your camera, look for a symbol that looks something like this

 

Then turn flash to 'off'.

 

If you cant find it in the settings, then you can always take a photo outside (not in full sun though)

If your camera has an automatic flash and it doesnt turn off, put some tape over the flash so it doesnt change colours of the budgie cere. BUT in saying that I still think the budgie is a hen.

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by KAZ

If your camera has an automatic flash and it doesnt turn off, put some tape over the flash so it doesnt change colours of the budgie cere. BUT in saying that I still think the budgie is a hen.

okay :budgiedance:

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by KAZ

Just a little add on to the thing about ceres. What throws people off and makes them think they have a boy when its a hen sometimes is those baby birds that have black beaks and or black ceres. When the colour starts to change but there is still some of the blackish colour there it can make a little hens cere look purply in colour making us assume it is a boy. those ones can be hard to pick. But its a case of looking under that blackish colour to see what its hiding. I have a little hen posted on my CERES topic...the little hen just before the little boy cere pictures start....she looks exactly like a boy....but it was a hen. Some of them are very ambiguous.

I dont feel so bad now Kaz! I feel like I should be able to tell their sex by now after having budgies all my life, but no - I cant! Not till they get older anyway!

Just a little add on to the thing about ceres. What throws people off and makes them think they have a boy when its a hen sometimes is those baby birds that have black beaks and or black ceres. When the colour starts to change but there is still some of the blackish colour there it can make a little hens cere look purply in colour making us assume it is a boy. those ones can be hard to pick. But its a case of looking under that blackish colour to see what its hiding. I have a little hen posted on my CERES topic...the little hen just before the little boy cere pictures start....she looks exactly like a boy....but it was a hen. Some of them are very ambiguous.

 

I can attest to that lol...Kaz sent me a baby hen cere looked totally male at first glance but she showed me later on this hen grown up and it was a hen when I looked back what I saw was though the cere was very pick and no nare rings it wasn't very smooth it was more grainy and flat vs a more smooth bulbeous like cere which is more like a male.

I hope these photos are better - I took them outside without the flash!!! They're still not the best but its very difficult holding the bird in one hand and camera in the other!!

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by jenene283

Great photos!

She still looks like a little girl to me , but lets see what the others say hehe

looks like a hen to me too.

Thanks everyone for your help