Confused about Javas

[erine]

Hello,
My name is Erin and I'm new to this forum and to Java finches. I know that Javas are super hard to sex. I've done the research and looked and looked and I was convinced that they are both males. But, one of them is singing, hopping and mounting the other, who doesn't seem to mind. Will a male try to mate another male? Or is it me that's confused and not the birds? I'm not really looking to breed and wasn't trying to get a breeding pair. I'm just glad they get along, but I am curious. Thanks for any input.

[Sally]

I don't know anything about Javas, but often when you have two male finches together, the dominant one will mount the submissive one. It doesn't hurt anything.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care. We'd love to see photos of your Javas!

[lovezebs]

erine

Welcome to the Forum Erin.

There are severa Members who keep and or breed Javas on the Forum, let's hope they come through with some advice and answers for you.

We'd love to see some pictures of the feathered kids, if you'd like to share them with us.

Best wishes and warm regards

[Sheather]

I was told by a few people, here and otherwise, that all four of the Javas I've owned were males. However, in reality, three were hens, including one of my current birds. In fact, the pair I have now were purchased on the assumption of the bigger beaked one with the larger eye ring would be the male and the smaller billed, small-ringed one the hen. Well I got them home and did have a pair - but the big-beaked bird was the hen.

So I find Javas are virtually unsexable in a lot of cases and you just have to go by behavior, and in your case, it sounds like you've got a pair.

[cindy]

I breed and raise a good size flock of javas... silvers and fawns and opals can be sexed by cap color once they have molted and matured (by 9 months) males typically have much darker caps than hens, hens are somewhat faded.

The normals and white pieds will have to be sexed by beak shape, eye position/alignment to the tip of the beak and eye ring color, underside of the lower beak.

this chart may help... if you are still stuck on the what sex please post a good clear up close profile shot and I will help you

[erine]

I hope this post works. I'm not great at this stuff. The one in the foreground 'should' be the female, as it has the softer beak colour and lighter eye rings. Yet that's the one that sings and hops and mounts. I've seen that chart and it was based on that I assumed they were both males. Thanks for all your help. I so much appreciate it.

[cindy]

how old are these? singing and hoping denotes male.

[cindy]

if both males often a submissive male will not sing if a dominant male is present.

Profile shots like in the chart are best to really get a closer look at.

[erine]

Less than a year for sure but the truth is, I don't know. I've inherited them, so to speak, and the original owner didn't know specifically. I will try to get better pics later. They hate being photographed more than i do, silly things. I still think it may be 2 males but the mounting threw me. Thanks for your help.

[wildbird]

Welcome to the forum. Be careful that the birds don't get their nails caught in the links of the chain that is next to the swing. Javas love flight space. Mine love the swing too. Javas are smart birds and become depressed if not kept active. Good luck with them.

[erine]

Okay, here is the best I can do. My poor, freaked out R2 (my javas are R2 and D2 because that's what hubby says they sound like). Taking pictures of freaked out birds isn't my strong suit. I only need to sex this one because I know D2 is a male, as he sings, hops and mounts. I'm pretty sure this one is a male, too, but would welcome any and input. I know thee cage they came in is insufficient and I'm going to replace it ASAP. I also took the chain thingy out. Thanks so much for all your help so far.

[cindy]

this does look to be a male

[erine]

Thank you, Cindy. I've them into a much larger cage today, so this is good news. The cage will be great for one pair of birds but no more and now I don't haven't worry about housing babies. And, they are happy together, which is all I care about. So grateful for this forum. I've been reading all kinds of old posts and I've learned so much!

[erine]

cindy

Holy crap, Cindy, do you remember this post? I found two eggs in the nest today. I only left it in there because I was convinced they were males, lol. This just makes me laugh. I was so sure they were boys!

[cindy]

ok... so you have a pair!!! The one in the first profile shot is definitively a boy... the normals can be more difficult to sex. Fawns and silvers are much easier since it is done by cap color also.

If the eggs are fertile then it is definitely a pair.