2007-12-09 16:53:10 · 5 answers · asked by jessa_1969 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
"how can you detect a male lovebird from a female?"
The female lovebird owns more shoes.
2007-12-09 16:56:37 · answer #1 · answered by Rick A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's really difficult & you may want to take the bird to a vet or a breeder to determine the sex.
We used to have a peach-faced lovebird who lived to be more than 18 yrs. The breeder didn't know the sex & we gave the bird a pretty gender-neutral name. After about a year she started laying the occasional egg, which is the only way we knew she was female.
2007-12-10 01:21:58 · answer #2 · answered by Catkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless it lays eggs, or you get a DNA test, you can't. They are not sexually dimorphic (boys and girls don't look different), both can be brightly colored, both can exhibit different behaviors (I have a male that loves to shred and tuck paper), and while some people say you can pelvic sex them (feel the bones around the pelvic area) that's not 100%, I have seen more than one "male" sexed that way end up laying eggs, and vice versa. Even by breeders who have had birds for years.
A DNA test is easy and simple to do, you or your vet if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, can just clip a nail a little short for a few drops of blood on a test card, or pluck a few chest feathers and send the sample in. In a few days you have your answer. It's pretty cheap if you do it yourself, usually only $25.
2007-12-10 14:34:29 · answer #3 · answered by Chiappone 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic, which is the fancy way to say that you can't tell the boys from the girls by looking at them. =) You have to judge by their behavior when they reach sexual maturity (females seek nest spaces, males begin rubbing up against toys, things like that), or get a DNA test done by your veterinarian. Some people swear that you can tell by feeling the bones around the vent, but I talked to my avian vet about it, and he said that's not a reliable indicator.
2007-12-10 01:22:21 · answer #4 · answered by Cori 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most definite answer would be a DNA test. You can send in a sample of blood, and get a certificate stating it's species, name, and gender sent back to you for $20.
If you do not know how to draw a blood sample, please take it to your vet.
2007-12-10 01:24:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋