Generally lovebirds are sexually monomorphic, it means that the male and the female of the species look alike.
But to be specific, the sexing of lovebirds falls into three categories:
1. The first group are different in their outward appearance and can be classified as dimorphic. This first group consists of the Abyssinian Lovebird (Agapornis toranta), the Madagascar Lovebird (Agapornis cana), and the Red-faced Lovebird (Agapornis pullaria).
2. The second or intermediate group are harder to differentiate by appearance. This second group consists of the Peach-faced Lovebird (Agapornis reseicollis) and the Black-collared Lovebird (Agapornis swinderniana).
3. In the third group, the white eye-ring group, there are no definite differences that can be seen. In the white eye-ring group are the Nyasa Lovebird (Agapornis personata lilianae), the Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis personata nigrigenis), the Fischer’s Lovebird (Agapornis personata fisheri), and the Masked Lovebird (Agapornis personata personata). The sexing of the white eye-ring group must be determined by either a surgical probe, endoscopy, which can be done by many veterinarians or by a DNA testing, usually a blood sample or a few plucked feathers sent to be diagnosed in a lab.
link [animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/lovebirds/LovebirdProfile.htm#Description]
General rules for determining the sex of a lovebird( not as absolutes) :
* Hens tend to be sturdier and heavier in build.
* Males often have more intense coloring.
* The female will sit on a perch with her legs spread
further apart than the male.
* Females bite harder.
* Nest building activity is stronger in the female.
* Males feed the female.
* Tail feathers flare differently when birds meet. Females show
the tail feathers to be of the same length (straight across),
males hold the feathers slightly nipped (rounded).
* Males sit outside nest box during the day
* Females sit inside nest box during the day.
* Females more aggressive protecting their territory.
* Females are usually dominate.
* Males sometimes abuse chicks.
The most reliable way is: females lay eggs.
link [petcaretips.net/lovebird-sex.html]
An anal inspection can be done but takes experience in sexing these birds to make a fair determination. Basically there are two bones called the ossa pubes on the ventral side of the pelvis and the female will be spread wider apart than the male.
If you cannot tell for sure which lovebird is male or female,
a veterinarian can order a DNA or lab test.
Filed under Birds, Entirely Pets | Tags: Eye | 12 Comments
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December 19th, 2005 at 2:55 am
[...] Find out how to distinguish sex of lovebirds. [...]
March 1st, 2006 at 11:45 am
i have a love brid and i dont know what it is and these thing are not helping me
March 13th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
I have different species of birds
March 9th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
The Japanese man who sold me my lovebird [Lady Chang] first turned her on her back and then held a small porcelain ball on a chain over her. The ball started to circle and he pronounced it a female.
Its the same technique humans use with a wedding ring held over the tummy of a pregnant lady.
I know it sounds bizarre but it seems to work. Lady Chang took immediately to Fred a male who had just lost his mate. She did that little dance they do - spreading their wings and quivering. She began laying eggs within a few weeks of arrival.
June 8th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
i still don’t understan
August 31st, 2008 at 8:35 pm
hi, my name is Janna. I have a peachface lovebird i got for free at an Auction. When we got her or him he or her was terrible. I had to wear work gloves just to take him or her out of the his or her because he or her bit so hard and so much. He or her bits when i take him or her out of the cage. Could he or she be doing that because she’s being territory??
thanx for your time, Janna.
October 10th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Sir,
The information was not vast. Still some more physical information is required, but anyway I am satisfied with what is available.
Thanks
December 7th, 2008 at 9:55 am
i still need some more relevants ans on hw to tell if it’s a male or female. i will also like to know hw can i make my Agapornis Fisheri a nice pet to play n it won’t fly away from me. thnk u………
January 12th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Hi
I just last year started breeding love birds and to this day am so confused on how to tell male and females apart. I have been pairing them solely on letting them choose thier own mates. What I have found is once they do choose a mate it is very hard to get them to take on another. Unless thier mate is know longer availiable. I have several pairs but some keep laying eggs and they are never fertile. I am begiing to belllieve that they may be of the same sex? I have one pair that is definetly a couple and raisng thier clutches is just so awarding. I guess what I am trying to find out is … is there a good way of telling the nest building is unsucccesfull because i have found that both sexes will do this as well. The males yes will feed the females but so will the females feed the males.
Help ???
January 13th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Hi frisky,
The symptoms that we usually take into account or consider to judge the sex of a bird is not hundred percent authentic but in general practice we try to decide the differences using our experience by looking at the outward features of the bird.
Following are the symptoms that are widely used by experts:
1) Upon placing your fingure on the pelvic bones of a bird, if you find that they are very close and pointed then the assumption is that the bird is a MALE bird. On the contrary, if you find a gap between the pelvic bones and the same are not too pointed, then the possibility is that the bird is a FEMALE.
But often what happens, once you caught the bird, out of fear it may contracts its body or in other words it stiffens. In this kind of a situation the bird that you are examining will always seem to be a MALE. Therefore, you would need to hold the bird for sometime and allow it to adjust itself in your grip and then re-examine.
2) Another important thing is, the shape of the bird. In case of FISCHER’s & MASKED Lovebirds, the Males are slightly smaller in lenght & slimmer than the females. The females have a more fuller and broader chest in comparison to the males.
Finally it is all experience and nobody can give a 100% guarantee in determining the sex of a lovebird. As a matter of fact, all the African varieties are difficult to sex visually. The difficulties in determining the sex actually is the key part which attracts most, that’s why love bird breeding is so popular all over the world.
However, I am bit sorry, I could not make out much from the last few lines of your mail.
Thanks for visiting us
April 16th, 2009 at 2:57 am
I HAVE 2 LOVE BIRDS AND A QUAKER . THE QUAKER IS 2 AND HAS BONDED WITH A MALE LOVEBIRD WHO IM TRYING TO GET TO BOND WITH MY FEMALE OF SOME YEARS WHO GAVE ME LOTS OF SWEETIES UNTIL HER MATE DIED. IVE GOT BOO, THE MALE 2 TIMING BACK AND FORTH SO MY FEMALE WANT GET TOO LONELY AND SHE PUT HER WINGS UP FOR BOO WHILE AGO AND HE WAS IN COLOR BUT BIT HER. IM TRYING TO FIND A MALE QUAKER FOR BABY, AS SHE HAS LAID AN EGG ,SO I KNOW SHES A SHE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE HAS A FOR SURE MALE ITHAT MAY BOND WITH BABY IF I PUT THEM OFF IN A ROOM TOGETHER.THANKS
April 16th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Hi kalik jelani
I allways had birds growing up, And what my Mother use to do is crop there wings….. You have to be careful as not to take to much because you can go to deep and make them bleed, It’s almost like cutting your nails you just take enough so that they are short…Well It’s like that with a birds wing If take just enough they can’t fly… If you don’t want to this on your own your Veterinarian can do it for you…… I hope this helps you….
Linda