How to identify male, or female parrots?!?!

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
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3,249
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
There is a video below. Iā€™m just curious if both males, and females behave this way?!?!? We thought Kiwi was a male for years as no eggs have ever been laid. Iā€™ve never had Kiwi DNA tested. Iā€™ve thought about it. Do you think Kiwi is a girl, or boy? My husband votes boy, and I say girl. Should I get her DNA tested? How accurate are these tests?
 

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hiriki

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2014
411
588
Chicago, IL
Parrots
(Birdie - Jenday Conure)
(Kiwi - Green Cheek Conure)
(Elby - Lovebird)
(Gorou & Liberty - Ringneck Doves)
I'm seconding chris-md above, honestly you won't be able to tell the sex of your conure for sure from behavior alone, especially such a short video.

He's very cute, though!
 
D

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Hi!!
Yeah, behavior alone is not accurate. And, weeeell, yes tests are accurate only if the samples donā€™t get mixed! Agree with above: it is good to know gender from an egg binding standpoint and avoiding egg cycles by not having cardboard boxes to play in for females. Angelo was supposed to have been a DNA sexed male from the original breeder, and we know how that went (I now have 4 suns instead of 2). Kevin and Hazel will be getting DNA sexed when they are a bit older, but Iā€™ll be sure to be getting the samples weeks apart to avoid any mix ups.
 
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kme3388

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
1,059
3,249
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
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It's tough because Kiwi has started to back into every single toy she has in her cage, and cluck. I am not sure if Kiwi has watched Nico act this way so she started doing it as well. In the 11-12 years I've had her she's never done this before. Nico on the other hand trys to mate with anything from his perches, to a pillow. No, there really isn't anything I can do to stop it. I try not to trigger the behavior if I can. I ignore it if he is on my person. I've tried to correct it, and put him back on his stand. It just makes it worse.
 
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It's tough because Kiwi has started to back into every single toy she has in her cage, and cluck. I am not sure if Kiwi has watched Nico act this way so she started doing it as well. In the 11-12 years I've had her she's never done this before. Nico on the other hand trys to mate with anything from his perches, to a pillow. No, there really isn't anything I can do to stop it. I try not to trigger the behavior if I can. I ignore it if he is on my person. I've tried to correct it, and put him back on his stand. It just makes it worse.
Angelo did do that backing up behavior too! (Right before you know what). šŸ˜ I suppose if I was a keener observer of behavior, I would have picked up on that and wouldnā€™t be in the predicament I am I now.

It does sound suspiciously female! However, there was a single instance of a strange behavior I witnessed of Angelo and Zazu after the babies had hatched and the two parents already separated. They were having shared time together and were on top of a large cage. They walked around each other in a circle then placed their ā€œbuttsā€ together with tails sticking straight up. The whole thing appeared to be very ritualistic. They sat like that for a moment until I came to my senses and interrupted this ā€œceremonyā€. It wasnā€™t mating but the cloacal proximity was too close for comfort. Iā€™m not sure what this was: courting ritual? Dare I say it and anthropomorphizeā€¦a sun conure wedding - commitment ritual? I felt guilty about interrupting this amazing scene, but I was very paranoid about having more babies.

To get to my point (and I think I do have one!) both the male and female did do this backing up behavior, so I couldnā€™t say if it is a predominantly female thing.
 

hiriki

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2014
411
588
Chicago, IL
Parrots
(Birdie - Jenday Conure)
(Kiwi - Green Cheek Conure)
(Elby - Lovebird)
(Gorou & Liberty - Ringneck Doves)
Both my male and female cockatiel will back up into objects and chatter... but admittedly my female is much more prolific about it. I've had to take away quite a few "favorite" toys...

Cockatiels are horndogs though, I remember my late cockatiel Kibble rubbing her butt on my vet's hand... it was so embarrassing...
 

Laurasea

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Aug 2, 2018
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Full house
Even breeders, or vets can't tell by behavior. DNA all the way!!!
I had DNA male and DNA female quaker, so when I took my rehome and he wanted my my female and acted exactly like my male I thought he is male! Ha ha No! DNA female!!! I even re sent to a second company, still DNA female! Lol so I learned my lesson @@@
 
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kme3388

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
1,059
3,249
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
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  • #9
I looked up DNA kits, and there are 2 options. Clip a nail a little short, and then clot it. That or pull out 5 chest feathers. It says they can't be down feathers. Has anyone attempted this? How did it go?
 

hiriki

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2014
411
588
Chicago, IL
Parrots
(Birdie - Jenday Conure)
(Kiwi - Green Cheek Conure)
(Elby - Lovebird)
(Gorou & Liberty - Ringneck Doves)
Personally, it's something I would just have done by my vet during a yearly exam. I'm fairly certain the last time they quoted me it was only $15-$20 or something.
 

Laurasea

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Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I have done the clipped nail DNA test 6 times, no issues.

I used a brand new small human fingernail clipper , that I cleaned with alcohol. Held them got them calm and happy and gentle rolled them in a hand towel, extracted one foot , and carefully, took a tiny teeny amount off the tip

I was careful to just barely over clip the nail, as just one drop is needed. Then I held flour on paper towel squeezed on nail . I felt very comfortable with this, burds did great
 
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kme3388

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
1,059
3,249
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Kiwi is aā€¦ girl!!! I had my vet DNA sex her at her checkup. Itā€™s odd in the 11 years Iā€™ve had her sheā€™s never laid an egg. Now Iā€™ll do some reading on egg binding, and more things on female parrots.
 

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