I was given a recessive pied budgie and I was told that it was a female because of the cere. I was a bit skeptical to its gender because it looked young. I put up the nest boxes for breeding and noticed that the recessive pied budgie was bonding and feeding one of my females. It looks like a female but it acts like a male. He regurgitates to the female, accompanies her to the nest box, and they both preen each other. Do I have a male budgie? Here are some pictures. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

It's a little tough to see in the pictures.. Seems like it could be a male.. Recessive pied males have a pink cere even in adulthood.. Females will turn brown. About how old is he/she? And the cere more pinkish or whitish in person?

Pretty bird. It is very hard to tell from the cere. I just got a pied yesterday and I'm still not sure about mine. Yesterday I thought female, but today in a different light I'm thinking male. I would guess male with yours but so hard to tell from those pics.

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. I really dont know the age of the budgie, all I know that when it was given to me it was a female and that it came from an owner that did not take good care of it. To me the cere looks pinkish with white around the nostrils. But my friend says it looks purple with white around the nostrils. Its attitude towards my female budgie tells me different. It looks like a female but acts as a male. I have breed budgies before and the females always when from having pink ceres to white ceres to dark brown ceres. I have never owned a recessive pied until now and that is why im confused. I think im going to wait and see if it changes color and im also going to try to get better pictures. My digital cam is not that good at taking photos. thanks for the help.

sounds like male but in the pictures the cere looks more brown to me than pink and the white ring around the nostrils points to female. But the colour in real life is better to judge than photos. Pink and Purple coloured cere means a young male, BUT recessive pied males do not get the normal blue cere when mature. So you will not be able to tell the correct age of this one.

The cere looks brown and flat to me. I would guess female.

female?i think

Yes I think female too with the pictures but if their are talking about pink and purple is it our sceen that make it seem brown?

I would say female, Pretty's cere never looked that tan when we got him it was always very pink and purplish and he did have slight nostril rings. Now his behavior was very female in the beginning because he was quiet and did more calling but now he is getting more boyish (Laughing out loud) and doing more head bobbing and warbling.

VERY FLIRTATIOUS, BEAUTIFUL FEMALE!!!!...(Laughing out loud)

 

Ive had females in the past who act like males, and seduce other hens, but deep down inside, they are females...(Laughing out loud)! To breed this beauty, id say put her in a breeding cage with an older male (she looks about 1-3 years, so id put her in with a 4-5 yr old male) and see what happens. Im almost guaranteing babies withing a yr!....cute ones too:)

 

Kirby

I would suggest the bird in question is a male.

My Junior Boss (Recessive Pied) has a brown/beige cere at various times of the year - he is 100% male!

Edited February 23, 200619 yr by karenfernvale