Hey, I have a question. i have a lovebird at the moment i don't know its gender. i would like to know its gender because i want to get a second lovebird. I don't really want to do a dna test because I don't want to take off any feathers. a little bit about the character of my bird: he is tame but doesn't like to cuddle, he's a bit terretorial about his cage but he doesn't bite me, he has a little too much fun with his perch if you know what i mean haha . I don't know if it is any indication that he is a man but he is 14 months old and has not yet laid an egg. what do you guys think which gender he is and would you recomment getting a second one?
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An experienced owner/breeder can make an educated guess by feeling the tailbone; if it's narrow, it's a male. But you need a frame of reference (i.e. to have 'felt' (!) many males and females, to understand the difference, as it's relative and hard to put into words.
Obviously not egg-laying is a simpler indicator. 9-12 months without a mate is the internet indicator. In experience it can be longer. Not laying an egg by 12 months is in itself not a reliable indicator.
I'd say it's probably likely it's a 'he', but not certain.
The 2nd lovebird dilemma has a lot of bad info online. Lovebirds bond with a soulmate; this can be human or avian. A solo lovebird bonded with it's owner can be perfectly happy if the owner returns the affection (i.e. it's out all the time, and gets to snuggle on a shoulder). A 2nd bird will mean the likelihood is the birds bond with one another, and will tolerate human contact but not crave it like a single bird would.
Really, the decision on a 2nd bird is best based on whether you want a single, snuggly, affectionate bird that you hang out with for extended periods daily, or want a pet that you let out for a few hours a day and is otherwise happy in the company of its mate. If you do introduce a 2nd bird you also need to be aware there's a chance they will not get on (this is not very gendered), and can kill one another. This is especially the case if the first bird has bonded a lot with you, and therefore sees the 2nd bird as a rival.
In short it's a myth 2 birds are happier than 1; it depends on the context.
Bear in mind also if you introduce a potential biological mate, you will have to understand breeding, which is very complex, and can be horrific (dead chicks) if you're naive.
Imo, I would keep the bird for another year or so before making any decisions. I would also do a DNA test, since if you're skeptical about doing that, your're probably not in a good place to deal with the complexity/cost that comes with potential breeding.
