The sex of budgerigars can be easily determined as soon as they are fully grown. The nose wax skin (the skin above the beak) of the female budgerigar is brownish in colour, while the male is blue. A very young budgerigar does not yet show its sex so clearly. The colour of the nose wax skin can change at an age of less than eight months. Young female birds often have a bluish-coloured nose wax skin, the colour of which changes with sexual maturity. A male budgerigar will never have a brown coloured nose wax, if it is brown it is definitely a female.
When can you determine the sex of budgies?
Occasionally the nose wax skin of adult female budgerigars looks pale blue when they are not ready to mate. When they are ready to mate, the beak changes colour to brown.
Sex determination by behaviour
Budgerigars also show their sex through behavioural characteristics. Male birds nod their heads more frequently and walk back and forth on the perch while chirping. This behaviour is part of the mating ritual, the bird is "practising", so to speak.
Budgerigars can see ultraviolet colours. At the beginning of mating readiness, you can see under UV light that the male bird's plumage glows to attract the attention of the female.
Female birds have fewer different sounds. Instead of the song of a male bird, you are more likely to hear individual calls from the female. Female budgerigars defend their territory more aggressively.
How do you teach a budgie to talk?
How to recognise that budgies want to breed
The budgerigar, Germany's most popular bird
Chirping budgies - A great day
