Budgies 101: Gender identification

   Budgies 101: Gender identification. – Resplendent Budgerigar Aviaries (RBA)

Introduction. The gender of budgies can be determined visually from a very early age. (No surgical sexing is required). This is done by looking at the colour of the bird’s Cere. What is a budgie’s Cere? The Cere is a soft, fleshy area at the base of the upper beak of some bird species, particularly birds of prey and parrots. The texture, size and colour of the Cere can vary depending on the species as well as the bird’s age and gender. Waxy and swollen characteristics are common. Male budgies. A male budgie’s cere turns blue in colour as soon as the bird reaches adolescence. The shade of blue differs depending on the breeding condition and maturity of the bird.

• Light Blue – Bird may either be immature, or out of breeding condition.

  

Bright Blue – Bird is in excellent breeding condition

• Dark Blue – Bird is reaching the end of his breeding condition cycle.

      

There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule. The cere of the Recessive Pied, Lutino, Albino, and Lacewing mutations turns to a shiny fleshy pink with a slight blue tinge colour in the male gender.

                  

Female budgies. A female budgie’s cere can turn to different shades of colour depending on her breeding condition and maturity. The shades of colour are as follows:

• Pale blue cere with distinct creamy brown or white tinge around the nostril – This means the hen is completely out of breeding condition.

         

• Creamy white with slight brown tinge round the nostril – Hen is still out of breeding condition but is getting ready to enter her cycle for breeding.

     

• Light brown – Hen has entered her breeding cycle and is ready to be paired up.

• Bright nutty brown – Hen is in prime breeding condition.

• Dark brown and flaky – Hen has reached the end of her breeding cycle and should not be paired up.

                   

Babies Gender identification in young budgies is a little more complicated than adult birds but becomes easier to the more experienced breeders. It’s normally the colour around the nostril of the budgie that would be the determining factor when identifying the gender of babies. Male babies will hardly ever develop a white or creamy edge or around the nostril and its .

Female babies, compared to male babies, have a whitish cream edge around the nostril of the cere. The cere may appear darker or blueish pink but if the nostril has got a distinctive white or creamy brown edge. The gender of the budgie will in cere will always be a solid, evenly coloured shiny and fleshy colorationsmost cases be that of female.

These rules apply to Wild-type as well as Exhibition budgies.