FINCHforum

Wasn't sure where I should put this but, here goes.

I have two Gouldian chicks from my pair (normal Redhead male and normal Blackhead female) that have just finished their molt and are ready to head to their new homes. However, I'm starting to fear I've mis-gendered them.

I told my buyer they were both females (which she wants). One of them I have absolutely no doubt is a hen. The other one...I'm 99 percent sure is a hen. It's the remaining 1% that's driving me crazy.

You see, both are redheads. Both have the same chest, stomach, and body color as their mother. The one I'm sure is a hen has the normal dilluted red mask you would expect from a hen.

The other one, however, has a very vivid and intense red face...more vivid, in fact, than my male has. It's a mask I never would expect to see on a female.

I'm going to try and get shots of the whole family together so you guys can see, but do you think I'm really looking at a hen...or do you think I got a one in a million shot of having a dillute male with a strong mask? I don't want to give it to my buyer with her expecting a hen and ending up with a cockbird.

A photo or two would definitely help. Can't wait to see them!

I have some hens with exceptionally nice red heads. It happens and this is what I try and breed for But I know what you mean when they are colored so nicely. Once I really thought it was a male until The beak developed no red tip....it started turning dark
What does the beak look like? If it is lighter with a colored tip it would be a boy. Also the tail wires...the long feathers in the tail, the males will be much longer than the females. Does it sing? Hope this helps
Check out the head on this female, she is now on eggs of her own

Cando, that photo looks exactly like her. That's precisely how she's colored. No singing (that I've caught), and her beak color looks just like that right now as well (and is identical to the beak color of her sister).

I'll still try and get photos but this puts my mind more at ease that this is, in fact, a hen.

Well, the odd thing is, looking closer at her, her tail wires are also longer than my male's. But she makes female sounds, hasn't sung, and everything else (except the wires and the mask) say she's female.

I so confuzzled! *ROFL*

Ok, pics:

This is her, her sister, and my male. She's the one in the middle(the male is finishing his molt so he looks a bit ragged)



The two sisters again, with their younger sister in the background. These shots don't show the intenseness of the color of her mask too well, but if you look close at hers and her sister's, you'll see that her sister's has more of an orangish, more faded cast to it. The bright hen is on the right, the normal hen to the left.



This pic shows it off best I think. From left to right is the juvie hen (with a society hiding behind her), the bright hen, the normal hen, the mother, and the father of the clutch (with his head molt). You can distinctly see how much darker and richer the bright hen's face is compared to the normal hen. I didn't get a pic of the tail but it is also very long.



I'm almost tempted, now that the juvvie is molting and is clearly a hen, to give her and the other sister to my buyer and keep the bright hen for myself (I was originally going to keep the juvvie).

Anyway, thoughts?

Looks like a hen with exceptionally nice color to me.The tail wires do not sound right though..... Maybe your males are just growing out after his molt? Females have shorter tails. Though I do not see the blue in the color that a male would have. I can understand the confusion, the female in the photo I posted had me stumped for a little while....but she is now on eggs....sooooo I even had a fellow come over to purchase a pair . I had 2 pairs for him to pick from, both were paired with a vivid RH PB GR hen...he told me he thought they were males because he had never seen females with a head that red. Oh well..... I love the bright hens...If I were you I would keep her.

I feel like sometimes the tail wires can be tricky too.
I have a Silver hen who has exceptionally long tail wires compared to my other girls. I'd say they are maybe only 1/2" shorter than some of my males'.
http://www.gouldiansgalore.net/my_birds ... o?i=18&s=1

That picture doesn't really show them that well; I think I have another one somewhere else; but I thought she was a boy for a long time. But - same story, she doesn't sing, etc.

I think like Candace said this is just a really well colored hen, and I'd keep her if I were you!
I think both of them are very nice, though

Thanks guys

I'll talk to my buyer. Hopefully she'll understand and be willing to wait
for my younger hen to finish molting. And hopefully I'll be able to find a
very nicely colored cockbird to pair up with this hen.