How can you tell a peach-faced female lovebird from a male?

I just recently got a lovebird from a bird rescue shelter and they had no information on this bird. I have no idea how old it is or if it is a male or female. It is olive green with a black tail. The face is a lighter green. With peach on the top of the forehead. The colors are very dull. I am ausming it is female because I know males are very bright in color.

How can you tell a peach-faced female lovebird from a male?
I know that young Peach-faced lovebirds have a darker colouration under their nose on their beaks that fades as they get older. It is true that most lovebird species have no apparent differences between the sexes, not like budgies!





The old pelvic bone test only works if you are experienced in it or you have another bird of the other sex to compare it to. The females have a wider spaced pelvic bone so the eggs can come out easier. The female can be slightly larger or the legs a little more widely spaced than the male because of the larger hips. Again you need another bird of the opposite sex to compare.





I suggest that if you want a breeding pair to just get another one and check out their behaviour. Two males usually won't go into the next except maybe to sleep, some will make a small attempt at nest building. Don't expect any eggs, no eggs after a few weeks in the nest box and it it would be safe to say you have two males. Two females will be more likely to build a nest, but if they do, they will probably start laying eggs, but they won't hatch without a male to fertilise them. You'll probably get a lot more eggs faster than you would with only one female.





Having said this, you might have a dud bird that can't breed and maybe it needs to go see an IVF doctor :)





If you just want to keep it as a pet, I wouldn't worry about what sex it is - it doesn't make much difference in taming it. The age of the bird might though as it is always easier to train younger animals, birds, humans, etc. than older ones. Although it is possible to train an older one. It'll just take a bit longer and some patience.
Reply:The male one has a penis and the female one will be wearing lingerie
Reply:Hi there. I believe lovebirds are monomorphic in which the two sexes cannot be determined by visual differences.You can call 1-800-625-0874. This is the Veterinary Diagnostic Center and for around 20 dollars can run a DNA test. They will sell you a kit with instructions,are courteous, and fast. I got my results in 5 business days and they even e-mailed the results besides mailing a certificate. May you and your bird have a mutually beneficial relationship. Have a tweet year.
Reply:The females and males of lovebirds are visually the same. You can't tell by looking, and truthfully the birds can't always tell either. Often two females kept together will go through all the motions of breeding and nesting despite their same sex relationship. Sometimes you can guess the sex by feeling the pelvic bones, but this is not a guaranteed technique and you would have to know what you are looking for.





I used to raise handfed lovebirds, and I had a joke that you could tell adult handfed lovebird sexes this way: put your hand in the cage. If the bird lands on your hand it is a boy. If it lands on your hand and bites the you-know-what out of it, then it is a girl.





The reason for this joke was that the female lovebird, in my experience, always took a nasty bitey turn once their hormones kicked in and they started thinking about mating. In fact, if you try to have a breeding colony of lovebirds it is usually recommended that you have at least three true pairs. DO NOT allow more females than males in your group since often the females will kill each other over a breeding male.





If you don't have ideas of breeding your single lovebird, though, you should not worry if it is male or female. You won't be able to see a lot of difference between the sexes as far as pet bird behavior goes. Just spend a lot of time socializing the bird and it will be a good companion. Get it a "friend" and it will give 99.9% of its attention to the other lovebird and any attempts to get it to love you will be rebuffed.





Good luck and enjoy your new bird.



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