GOULDIAN

[EmilyHurd]

Hey

I have a yellow back gouldian with a red head. When I bought him, the guy said he was a male. But he has a very light purple breast... doesn't that mean female?

[tammieb]

Could be he's a dilute??

Don't quote me though cause Gouldian genetics is like Greek to me. I can't make no sense of it.

[Crystal]

Cocks of the lilac breasted variety have breasts just as pale as a normal hen's. Do you have a photo?

[EmilyHurd]

This is the best picture I have of him. It looks like he has a white breast, but it is really light purple... so I don't know. I have two male gouldians and one female gouldian, and I would hate to get another female if he really is a female.

[Crystal]

Looks like a white breasted, yellow backed boy to me.

[tammieb]

Comparing the white around his face to his breast, I detect a faint lilac hue.

[Crystal]

*the males have the deep yellow color on the belly (deeper than the hen's yellow), and yellow males also tend to have a stronger yellow color to their back than yellow hens (in most cases).

Additionally, red and yellow-headed males often have fuller looking masks (head colors) than hens (since hens tend to have a lot of extra black feathering in their masks--the black appears white in the yellow bodied mutation, though). The occasional well-marked hen will have a very full mask, though, so don't rely on this alone.

[Crystal]

*The flash might be what's making his breast appear whiter than it really is.

*But he's definitely a boy.

[EmilyHurd]

Thank you so much for your input! Now I need one more gouldian hen

[Hilary]

Boy! And a double factor judging by the white ring around his face (if I'm seeing that right). Nice birds!

[dreamboat]

I would second the double factor yellow back. Have a look at his tail feathers too.... cockss generally have longer ones then hens.