WattaBird! SEXING in African LoveBirds

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It is very important to know your African LoverBird's sex specially if you are going to breed them. Most African Lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic, meaning you cannot tell which is the cock or the hen by just merely looking at them without knowing what to look for in. Cock or a Hen. 

There are several ways to know the sex of your African Lovebirds.

In this article, I will try to present three ways for determining your African LoveBirds SEX!

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“If You have any questions, suggestions, or topics to discuss, please leave a comment below.”

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VENT SEXING

VENT SEXING. One way to determine your Lovebird’s sex is through vent sexing. Kindly note that this is NOT 100% accurate, but this is the most common and practical method of determining an African LoveBird’s sex. African LoveBirds of over a year old is considered mature enough and can be checked through their pelvic bone structure Please also note that it is impossible to determine the sex of YOUNG LoveBirds other than via DNA Test. Here is a simple guide for Vent Sexing:

1. Hold your LoveBird firmly and securely, with its back against your palm.
2. Feel the area around the vent. You will feel the pelvic bones in this area.
3. Pay close attention to the gap between the pelvic bones.
4. FEMALE LoveBirds will have a significantly wider gap between the pelvic bones. This gap is where the eggs pass.
5. MALE LoveBirds will have shorter gap and the pelvic bone will be almost touching each other.

Photo Credits: queenslanderaviaries.com

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DNA TESTING

DNA SEXING. The best way to determine your Lovebird’s sex is through DNA testing. This process entails taking sample blood from your bird, and sending it through a laboratory for testing. But this can be very time consuming and expensive if you have a lot of LoveBirds in your aviary.

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

African LoveBird’s sex can also be identified by its physical appearance. Please bear in mind though that looks, in most cases can be deceiving. Again, most accurate way is through DNA Testing.

Here are some physical characteristics that may help differentiate a Male over a Female African LoveBird:

1. The HEAD. Male African LoveBirds have less rounded head than a Female
2. The BEAK. Female African LoveBirds have larger and wider beaks than Males. This I believe is because females by nature's design is responsible for feeding the chicks.
3. The SIZE. Males are perceived to be larger, but in reality, the Cock is usually smaller than the Hen.
4. The Cock tends to show off and has a wider stance when standing on a perch.

Here are sample photos showing a 

Cock and a Hen African LoveBirds 

Female: PeachHood Opaline Split-WhiteFace (Hen)

Male: White-Face Turquoise Split to WhiteHood Opaline (Cock)

Above is Male: White-Face Split-Opaline (Cock)
Below is Female: White-Face Ino Split to Fallow (Hen)

Male: Bulls Yellow (Cock)
Female: Bulls White (Hen)

Male: Green Fischer (Cock)
Female: Olive Fischer (Hen)

Violet Fischer (Back to Back)

Pastel Violet Fischer (Back to Back)

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“The main objective of wattabird.com is to promote African LoveBirds Breeding as a hobby, share breeding experiences, tips, techniques, best practices, and most importantly, to promote camaraderie among LoveBirds Breeders.”
WattaBird.com

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