Boy or girl?

[apatrimo94]

I've been thinking about it for a while. My keet, since she's albino, that would mean she would have no color pigment. But then, that makes me wonder about her cere, because it's pink also, but she could be a male because albinos have no color pigment. I mean it doesn't matter if she's a boy or girl, I'll love her the same anyway! I did read somewhere, but I'm not sure if it's true; with albino or cream colored mutations, if the cere is pink, it's a male but if it turns brown, it's a female. I know with your everyday parakeets, the male has a blue cere. Could anyone help me shed a little light on this if they can? Even if my keet is a boy, she will always be my baby girl.

 

[antoinette]

Sorry apatrimo I can't help you out on this one I am coloured blind LoL just joking.
I think what is worrying you is if you are the "father" or the "mother"
We are in the same "boat" haha

 

[Bobby34231]

Hey Ap, albino keets are a little bit tougher to sex by cere that other color mutations, a couple other things to look for might be, does your keet sing? not just chirp, but go into full song, if so its a male, males also have a tendency to be more active,standing tall and going about in a sort of struting manner,females tend to be a bit more reserved and walk around with a lower gate, not always the case, but more often than not......


Bob

 

[Birdamor]

What you read is correct. Female ceres will turn brown and crusty when in breeding season while males' will not. Not that it cannot happen! Males' ceres can turn brown, just like females' do but only when they are so sick their endocrine system is completely out of whack (I saw it happen to two males that had cancer).

But, although I am no expert, I believe that when you are talking about all-white budgies, they don't necessarily have to be albinos (as a matter of fact, you don't want a true albino because they are usually sickly birds that don't last). Breeders and petstores will call all white birds albinos because it's a good selling point but it's just marketing and not genetically correct. You can have a white-recessive bird which is not an albino. They are the white-based plumage version of the lutinos which are the yellow-based plumage birds of the variety. Lutinos and white-recessive have red eyes while true albinos have light blue/purple eyes, I understand (I've never seen one so I am going by what I've read). You can also have an 'all clear' which is a white bird that is, genetically, a double factor spangle (they have normal eyes).

If you have a white-recessive or an 'all clear', the male's cere will turn a pale shade of purplish blue when adult while the female's will be pink or flesh-colored.

 

[apatrimo94]

Thanks for the tips guys!
Antoinette, I will always be a dad/mom! LOL
Bob, Behavior-wise, she's a female. She's quite silent and she flirts with my aunt's parakeet who is definately a male.
Birdamor, thanks for that great info, her eyes are pink, so now I know she's a lutino. I got her in a rescue. She's just about 5 years old. I'm a little anxious about what piece of info you gave me regarding an albino's life-span. If she's not going to long like most parakeets, I'm going give her the most happiest and healthiest life any keet wishes for!
Thanks again guys!

 

[Ratzy]

Male.
Mature males: Blue, or in certain mutations, pink. ( Certain mutations including albino)
Mature females: Brown or blue with a white overcast. ( Blue and white comes in when they are out of breeding condition)
Imature male: Pink or purple. ( Purple at around 5 months, when cere is changing.)
Imature females ( All mutations.) Blue with a white overcast.
Yours is definately male. A pink cere is always male.
A budgie has two colour factors, white and yellow. Those are the base colour. A lutino is an albino, just with a yellow base colour. Yours is an ALBINO! The mutation does NOT matter about lifespan. They live to the same age! Birdamor, that is incorrect imformation. I am a budgie breeder and I'm sure my fellow breeders would agree with me. It is true that some birds can be sold as albinos but aren't actually. You can get dark eyed clears or double factor spangle. These both have black eyes.

 

[Birdamor]

Thanks for the tips guys!
Antoinette, I will always be a dad/mom! LOL
Bob, Behavior-wise, she's a female. She's quite silent and she flirts with my aunt's parakeet who is definately a male.
Birdamor, thanks for that great info, her eyes are pink, so now I know she's a lutino. I got her in a rescue. She's just about 5 years old. I'm a little anxious about what piece of info you gave me regarding an albino's life-span. If she's not going to long like most parakeets, I'm going give her the most happiest and healthiest life any keet wishes for!
Thanks again guys!

No, no, not a lutino. Lutinos have yellow background plumage. You have a white-recessive which has white background plumage.

 

[apatrimo94]

ok, now I'm totally confused. LOL, sorry but could you both please explain just a little bit better?

 

[Ratzy]

There is no such thing as a white recessive. Recessive is a term to determine how a mutation is passed on. Albinos are sex-linked. Your is AN ALBINO MALE! Albinos have red eyes! I HAVE OWNED ALBINOS! I am NOT giving out incorrect imformation. Other white based mutations have BLACK eyes! I have spent 3 YEARS researching and asking experienced breeders about different mutations! Albinos live as long as any other budgie would with care and the right diet! Albinos can be weak, but so can ALL budgies! It happens through inbreeding! Join this site, it will help you get your imformation right!
http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/
Sorry about that but really, there is no such thing as the mutation 'white recssive.' Apatrimo94, you would do well to ask about the mutation and sex on there to confirm what I've been saying.

 

[Ratzy]

By the way.... NO budgie EVER had BLUE eyes. They are black, plum or red.

 

[apatrimo94]

Ok, thanks! So, even though my keet is boy, it'll always be a she to me because she's my baby girl

 

[Birdamor]

There is no such thing as a white recessive. Recessive is a term to determine how a mutation is passed on. Albinos are sex-linked. Your is AN ALBINO MALE! Albinos have red eyes! I HAVE OWNED ALBINOS! I am NOT giving out incorrect imformation. Other white based mutations have BLACK eyes! I have spent 3 YEARS researching and asking experienced breeders about different mutations! Albinos live as long as any other budgie would with care and the right diet! Albinos can be weak, but so can ALL budgies! It happens through inbreeding! Join this site, it will help you get your imformation right!
The Budgerigar Breeders Club Inc. Budgie Community Forums
Sorry about that but really, there is no such thing as the mutation 'white recssive.' Apatrimo94, you would do well to ask about the mutation and sex on there to confirm what I've been saying.

I don't believe in breeding birds and, although it's not rare to find baby keets in rescue (soooooo many people breed them), even when I have gotten them, I never really paid any attention to color mutations (I like them all) so I am no expert in the matter and I am just going by what I have read. I am not claiming the information is correct. But, if your bird is an albino and according to what I've read, it appears to be a female.

This is from the budgieplace:
Quote
The cere of the male lutino/albino budgie does not change normally. Adult male lutinos/albinos have purple ceres. Adult female lutinos/albinos have the normal white/tan/brown ceres.
Unquote

The problem, I think, it's that what they call 'purple' cere actually looks pink with a very faint lavender tinge to it -at least, it does to me.

Here it's a picture of a male:

Now, does that cere look 'purple' to anybody?!

And this is a picture of a female's tan cere (which I would also call pink or flesh colored and not 'tan').

And here it's a picture of a hen in breeding condition (see how dark and crusty it looks?)

So, I would say that, if your bird never gets the brown and crusty cere and never lays an egg, you will know for a fact that it's a male for sure -LOL- but if you want to continue calling it 'my little girl', what the heck, go right ahead! I am sure he/she won't care.

 

[apatrimo94]

Ratzy, not to make you mad, but look, her cere's the color of the second bird but it's sort of crusty, not as crusty as the third picture. So, wouldn't that make her a female? Thanks for those Birdamor.

 

[apatrimo94]

Sure, give me a few minutes.

 

[apatrimo94]

This was the best picture I can do, I have a really crappy camera. If you look closely you can see it's pink/little crusty.

 

[Ratzy]

Sorry, I was thinking you said it was pink. Looks female, but I'd need a clearer pic. Sorry, I was going by your desciption. Opps, sorry.

 

[apatrimo94]

It's ok, I'm not saying anynody's wrong. We all make mistakes.

 

[Ratzy]

Not necessarily white around the nostrils, it is the overal white that makes a difference. I got confused when Birdamor said females had pink ceres.

 

[Kiwi2010]

Hey, albino males have a pinkish cere, whilst the female have a more brown & crusty cere, also the nostrils will have white rings if its a female, if not it will be a pure pink cere