FINCHforum

My friend has this bird and I'm looking for a male gouldian to pair with a Silver hen of mine. He thinks it's a hen because it hasn't sang yet but the bird is just recently colored out, under a year old right now. I think it looks like a male but I've never owned a BH/WB/YB bird before so I'm not sure. Any ideas?

Also, does everyone give their gouldians charcoal and grit? We have never provided either to our birds and they have never had an issue. We have owned chickens so we used to use it for them. I'm curious if they need it all the time or at a specific time, like breeding or what? Thanks

It is a female if it hasn't sung yet. Most of my young male gouldians start to sing at age of 3 to 4 months (before molting).

If it's a single factor yellow, it would have a blue ring around its head if a male.

A double factor yellow male would not have the blue ring.

I'm looking at the tail & wondering if those are long wires which would be a male. Females CAN also have tail wires; but male wires are usually longer.

Have you tried whistling at him (at least a minute or more of shrill whistling). If a male, he should sing.

Otherwise you might have a female. Good luck. (I really like that blue one shown in the pic)

That is a male..... and a beautiful one at that.. If the picture is true to color you can tell by how bright the yellow is on it's front. I give my gouldians a mix with charcoal in it. They will gorge on it so you have to be careful not to let them have too much. They do not need grit.

From the pictures I see I'm thinking female.
1 the tail wires are not that long, to me anyway.
2 the color in the beak is smeared like a hen rather then just the tip like a male.
3 the yellow belly color looks paler then the males behind it in the pictures and the same as the hens in the picture with it.

Very pretty whichever it turns out to be

I agree with Debbie.

Female

there go ur answer, if debbie say so, ur chance r probably 90 percents , so gofor it...breed em

kyubi wrote: there go ur answer, if debbie say so, ur chance r probably 90 percents , so gofor it...breed em

I've been known to be wrong if it sings I'd be wrong again
That's why I put why I was leaning female so if in person you see differently you can take that into consideration.
good luck, pretty bird

ppg5tu wrote: My friend has this bird and I'm looking for a male gouldian to pair with a Silver hen of mine. He thinks it's a hen because it hasn't sang yet but the bird is just recently colored out, under a year old right now. I think it looks like a male but I've never owned a BH/WB/YB bird before so I'm not sure. Any ideas?

finchandlovebird wrote: Have you tried whistling at him (at least a minute or more of shrill whistling). If a male, he should sing.

I agree on finchandlovebird....

but if that's a hen... congratulations ... tough to find a hen like that...

I have two just like it, they are hens. The head color on bh/wb/yb hens is much whiter than males, and the belly yellow is darker than normal.

Meant to add, mine are sitting on eggs.

608duj wrote: Meant to add, mine are sitting on eggs.

nice...

here is mine, they have eggs so picture not great.

Female: I think (per Debbie's post) the full colored beak is the key. Notice on 608duj's pic, how the male's beak is just tipped with color (versus color all over the beak like the female)

Good luck; keep us all posted.