Hi I've got two budgies and I'm not sure about the sex of one of them. (I haven't uploaded any photos because by looking at the photo you'll probably think he's a cock as the colour will change with photos and the cere is blue) however! he's about two years old, a spangled blue colour and his cere is not extremely blue but still not pale enough to definitely be a female.

 

I have another bird with him who's over a year old and his cere is a brilliant blue colour at the moment, however the bird in question although older does not have a cere as blue as his. There is still quite a big difference and I thought if it is breeding season of which it is right now, his cere should be like the younger bird's if he was male. Basically, he's two years old, spangled, his cere is a medium shade of blue, not pale and quite lighter than my other bird's if you compare the two. Is there a possibility that my bird is a hen based on the facts? Or do spangled birds just have lighter ceres?? I don't think uploading a picture would help so if you could take a guess from the information about him =)

 

Also, I don't think my birds are showing much breeding behaviour. The bird with the very blue cere often preens the one with the lighter cere and the two kiss and pretend to feed each other very occassionally but it doesn't look like they're a pair, do males exhibit this kind of behaviour?

Edited November 14, 200915 yr by budgie_gal

Hi I've got two budgies and I'm not sure about the sex of one of them. (I haven't uploaded any photos because by looking at the photo you'll probably think he's a cock as the colour will change with photos and the cere is blue) however! he's about two years old, a spangled blue colour and his cere is not extremely blue but still not pale enough to definitely be a female.

 

I have another bird with him who's over a year old and his cere is a brilliant blue colour at the moment, however the bird in question although older does not have a cere as blue as his. There is still quite a big difference and I thought if it is breeding season of which it is right now, his cere should be like the younger bird's if he was male. Basically, he's two years old, spangled, his cere is a medium shade of blue, not pale and quite lighter than my other bird's if you compare the two. Is there a possibility that my bird is a hen based on the facts? Or do spangled birds just have lighter ceres?? I don't think uploading a picture would help so if you could take a guess from the information about him =)

 

Also, I don't think my birds are showing much breeding behaviour. The bird with the very blue cere often preens the one with the lighter cere and the two kiss and pretend to feed each other very occassionally but it doesn't look like they're a pair, do males exhibit this kind of behaviour?

 

Its hard to say but I'm thinking two cocks.

Are you sure it is 2 yrs old?

Edited November 14, 200915 yr by nitsuD

A hens cere will be a pale blue with white nasal rings and if it is older bird she would have had a cere change where it will go to a crusty brown look, I am going to assume if the bird in question is a very bright blue and never had a cere change that it most likely is a male.

Hens cere is blue with white...............I dont see the nasal rings thing others go on about. BUT a hen too young or out of contdition will have a whitish cere with blue. If your unsexed bird has any white on its cere it may well be female.

... or, post us a photo. It may help. Just don't use a flash as IT will effect the colours.

Edited November 14, 200915 yr by maesie

So some hens can start out with blue/white ceres but they always turn brown eventually?

 

My budgie does not have white rings around the nostrils, he has a medium blue coloured cere and has quite pale blue rings around the nostrils. So you can see why I'm having a problem because his cere colour doesn't fit the hen or cock description. I would have thought if he were male, it would have turned really and fully blue right now given that it is breeding season and he is a couple of years old.

So some hens can start out with blue/white ceres but they always turn brown eventually?

 

My budgie does not have white rings around the nostrils, he has a medium blue coloured cere and has quite pale blue rings around the nostrils. So you can see why I'm having a problem because his cere colour doesn't fit the hen or cock description. I would have thought if he were male, it would have turned really and fully blue right now given that it is breeding season and he is a couple of years old.

Post several pictures taken in natural light. Until we see pictures everything is purely guesswork.