by Cari Hillard

Created on: October 08, 2009   Last Updated: October 09, 2009

Determining the gender or sex of your parakeet is not difficult to do. This article contains two different methods. When a parakeet is young it is nearly impossible to determine it's sex before 4 months of age. The most common way to determine it's gender is by the color of the cere. The cere is the fleshy area above the beak where you see the nares or nostrils. All parakeets have a pinkish colored cere when they are babies, although sometimes the cere can be a purplish-blue which can be misleading. As they mature their cere will change in color . A male's cere will become more of a vibrant blue shade where as a female's will fade out. Typically a female's cere will fade nearly to a cream color before it begins to turn a pink or tan color. This is not the most reliable way to determine your parakeet's sex. The color of the cere comes from the bird's hormones. That is why the cere darkens during breeding. That is also why sometimes you will see parakeets in the pet store with very dark ceres. These birds have reached sexual maturity. The problem with determining a parakeet's gender by the color of the cere is that there can be hormonal deficiencies and diseases that can cause the cere to be the wrong color.

The best way to determine your parakeet's sex without costly lab tests or trips to the vet is by the position of the pelvic bones. This is also a relatively easy method to use. If you put your finger under the parakeet's tail, you will find what is called the vent. This is where the bird releases gas and other excrement. Just above this area is where you will want to gently feel and you will find two points. These are the bird's pelvic bones. A female parakeet's pelvic bones will continue to separate as she matures into adulthood making room for the process of egg laying. You should be able to fit the tip of an average sized pinky finger between the bones. The male is much easier to determine. His bones get closer as he matures until they are nearly touching each other. As a parakeet breeder, I can honestly say that this is the best way to determine a parakeet's gender. As a breeder, it is very important to know the sex and this method has never failed me.

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