Sexing Indian Silverbills
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:19 pm
I visited the flea market yesterday and ended up buying another finch to replace the one that had died the week before. I ended up getting an Indian Silverbill, as I already had a single one. I know my single one is a male because he sings, albeit infrequently.
When I was about to buy the bird, the man selling them asked if I wanted a male or female. Since I knew the one I already had was a male, I said I wanted a female, if possible. The man claimed to be able to tell the difference visually between male and female silverbills by looking at some sort of pattern on their tail. I'd always heard that sexing them visually was very difficult and could only be done for sure by listening to wether the bird is singing. I was skeptical on wether he could really tell the difference visually, but accepted the "female" bird that he caught out of the cage.
S/he is doing very well since brining her home, but I've noticed she is making a noise. Its not singing, not the singing I heard from my male. Its a soft chirping noise that sounds like a highish pitched "chirp" or "cheap". Certainly not the song I've heard my male sing before, but s/he is making noise.
Will females call out with a "chirping" noise, or will they be completely mute?
They don't seem overly interested in each other right now, when I first put her in the cage he tried to mount her a few times, not sure if this was breeding behavior or a display of dominance, though the rest of my observance of them he would always peck at her and she would fly away whenever they were in close proximity.
When I was about to buy the bird, the man selling them asked if I wanted a male or female. Since I knew the one I already had was a male, I said I wanted a female, if possible. The man claimed to be able to tell the difference visually between male and female silverbills by looking at some sort of pattern on their tail. I'd always heard that sexing them visually was very difficult and could only be done for sure by listening to wether the bird is singing. I was skeptical on wether he could really tell the difference visually, but accepted the "female" bird that he caught out of the cage.
S/he is doing very well since brining her home, but I've noticed she is making a noise. Its not singing, not the singing I heard from my male. Its a soft chirping noise that sounds like a highish pitched "chirp" or "cheap". Certainly not the song I've heard my male sing before, but s/he is making noise.
Will females call out with a "chirping" noise, or will they be completely mute?
They don't seem overly interested in each other right now, when I first put her in the cage he tried to mount her a few times, not sure if this was breeding behavior or a display of dominance, though the rest of my observance of them he would always peck at her and she would fly away whenever they were in close proximity.
