Sexing Lovebirds

As I have mentioned in my previous post, you cannot determine whether the lovebird is a male or a female by just looking at it. And the surest way to know the lovebirds’ real gender is only through DNA or you may bring your lovebird to a Veterinarian and ask her to check if your lovebird is a male or a female. The veterinarian will basically put the bird into sleep; create a small incision in its left side. If it’s a female then its ovary should be visible.

According to many and with my own personal observation too, we may also determine the sex of a lovebird by observing the following, but remember that these are not absolutes:
- The female will sit on a perch with her legs spread further apart than the male (hard to tell)
- Nest building activity is stronger in the female (most likely)
- Females tend to be bigger in build than the male (not so conclusive)
- Males feed the female (most likely)
- Males sit outside the nesting box during the day while the female stays inside, most especially when eggs are laid. (most likely)
- Females are mostly dominant and very aggressive in protecting their territory (not so conclusive)
- You may also touch (gently) the bird’s pelvic bone. Open pelvic bone is for female and close pelvic one is for male. (most likely)

Knowing the real gender of your lovebirds may be hard, but with constant observation, especially when your breeders have laid their eggs already, you can easily determine who the male is and the female.

With young birds (at least 4 months old), or even matured lovebirds, start by touching gently its pelvic bone. Use your first finger and gently touch the base of the tail. You should feel 2 bones and if the bones are spaced apart so that your finger can go between the bones then there’s a big chance that it’s a female. But if you can feel both bones very close together then there’s a big chance that it is a male. Once you’ve done this, observe, observe and observe its character.

Hope this could help.