Sexual dimorphism is not a rule that can be applied to all parrot species, since most of them are not observed at first glance the differences between males and females, being only possible to distinguish them through an analysis or an expert sexer.
Only in some species of parrots and parakeets are differences in appearance between males and females palpable.
If you continue reading this article on our site, we will show you some species with clear differences between male and female parrots.
Nymphs
In some nymphs yes, there is sexual dimorphism. Specifically in the ancestral (blush), pearly and whiteface.
The difference between males and females is that the females have dark spots under the tail in the form of stripes, while the males have this area with a uniform color.
- In the ancestral nymphs there are also facial differences between males and females. Females have softer yellow and facial blush. Males show more intensity of color in these areas of the face.
- In the pearly nymphs if they keep the pearls on their wings after moulting, they are female. After moulting, males lose these characteristic drawings of the species.
- In the whiteface nymphs the males have a white facial mask, while in the females it is greyish, or white but less size than that of males.
Ecletus
In the ecletus species the difference between male and female is radical The males are of a very intense green color, and the beak of this parrot is a yellowish-orange hue. The females sport a beautiful combination of red and blue colors. Its beak is black.
Parakeets
Among parakeets, sexual dimorphism is seen in the waxy. The waxy is the nose, that is, the fleshy area from which the bird's beak emerges.
The cereus of common males is dark blue. If the male is ino, his waxy is pink or lilac. The waxy of females is light blue, turning brown when they come into heat. Young parakeets, both male and female, have a white waxy color.
Among the Australian parakeets there is the species: splendid parakeet that does have a clear sign of sexual dimorphism, since the females lack the scarlet stripe that the males wear on their chest.
Kramer's Parrots
There are two species of Kramer's Parrot: the Collared Parrot or the Alexandrine Parrot. In both the sexual dimorphism is clear since the male shows a kind of characteristic black collar and the female does not.
This species is known to need daily handling and constant enrichment of its environment and activities, otherwise they can suffer severe stress. They can understand up to 250 different words, perhaps for this reason the lack of stimulation is so detrimental to this species.
White-fronted Parrot
The white-fronted parrot or parakeet has an area on its wings where it shows differences between males and females. This alar area is called alula, and is located in the front part of the wing where the bony joint is found.
The male of the White-fronted Parrot is distinguished from his female because he has bright red feathers on the alula that the female does not have, or only hints at
Australian Parrots
In Australia there is a great variety of parrots, each more precious. In some species the differences between males and females are clear. Below we present some species with obvious sexual dimorphism.
- Superb Parrot: In this species the female lacks the red and yellow colors on her face and throat that the male has.
- Australian King Parrot: Females have a green face, head and throat, while males have green areas. They are red. Young specimens do not acquire their final colors until they are three years old.
Image of superb parrots:
Alternative Differentiation Methods
Most species of parrots do not present sexual dimorphism, unlike those shown above. Differentiating between them can be complicated if we are not used to the specific species, which is why many people turn to hobbyists to find out the sex of their bird.
By palpation we can identify the male by developing a lump in the pelvic area while the females have a flattened area. Another of the most common tests is the ADN, however it is somewhat expensive.
The laying of eggs clearly reveals that the bird is female and finally we recommend that you don't let yourself be guided by the character as it can be highly variable.
