upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Hi

I've had budgies for as far back as I can remember and have been breeding English budgies for about 7 years. I got a blue English from another breeder this past spring. I was told he was a male. He's about a year now, but his cere is not blue-blue. It's blue around the edges, but peach around the nostrils. In the past several months it has not gotten bluer. I'm assuming because there is blue (however little) that he is a boy. Am I right? Here's a picture of him. If anyone can shed some light, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

You have a female... and the breeder was wrong....

This is a near to complete guide to visually sexing budgies. In some budgies, it can be hard to tell for sure. In others they may be too young. It's best to wait until they are mature to visually sex them!

Male budgies, as adults have bright blue ceres, or even a vibrant purple cere. As young chicks, they normally have pink ceres. In some mutations, such as pieds, lutinos, and albinos, the males normally retain a pink cere, but it is not completely unknown for some to have a tan cere (rare, but it has happened... It's also rare for one a lutino or albino to have a blue cere, but it has happened!). Here are a few photos of male budgies!





Femle budgies, as adults, will have a crusty brown cere when in breeding condition, and a white cere with blue tints when out of breeding condition. Young females have white ceres with varient amount of blue in them, and possibly even tan or brown coloring. This is true for ALL mutations (even pieds, lutinos, and albinos). Here are some photos!






I hope this is a helpful guide for all of those looking to sex our budgies! This was done with 3 of my budgies, one of Kathy's budgies, and a few random budgies (I believe), which were prodived by Kathy!

Your picture shows a hen.

Unless you toatlly believe the perons who sold you this bird as a cock. The only way for the cere to change colors to mimic a hen's is if there is a tumor on his reproductive organs. I only know this is possible becaue my show partner had it happen in her aviary to a really good breeder of her's. She gave the bird away to a pet home with full disclosure of the problem. The lady did reported back when he died some months later.

I agree, your bird is definatly a hen.

My Petey looks almost exactly like that....same colors and all that. Anyway, if he is a girl (he was a rescue) which i have been told by the lovely poepel here, then why has she not laid eggs? She is over a year old.

Just because she is a hen does not mean she'll lay eggs. Parrots are, after all, not like chickens!

I have 4 female budgies, 5 female cockatiels, a female bourke, and a conure that is guessed to be female but unsure. I've only gotten eggs from two cockatiels and the bourke. Casey was one of the hens that had laid eggs. The other one I assume it to be Kiwi. Kiwi and Tomi Girl were both chronic egg layers when I got them. Tomi Girl has NEVER laid any eggs for me, and Kiwi laid one a day after I got her.

I don't encourage them to breed or lay, therefore, I normally don't get eggs.

This is my budgies "Pops" he and his female (very brown cere) have produced 10 babies for me in the past year. As you can see, his cere is VERY light blue. I have an older book on Budgies that states the male could have a lighter cere if they are of poor genetics.