Gouldian Questions

[farmgirl]

I received this little one from a breeder in May of last year, I had to send my parents down to get it because I had a 3 month old baby and couldn't make the 4 hour drive to get it myself. So I had to completely trust the breeder, my parents know absolutely nothing about these guys. When I spoke with the breeder I specifically asked for a female to replace the one I had lost. She told me she had the perfect little girl for me but she hadn't quite finished her first moult.

It has now been over a year since I have owned it, there are still baby feathers on its head. Has anyone else ever come across this type of thing?

Secondly, is it male or female? To me the colors seem too bright to be female, also it sings. It and the one I know is male take turns singing and doing the mating dance back and forth to each other. However, it's purple is not near as dark as my confirmed male...I am so confused.





The 2 of them together

[lovemyfinch]

First off, He is a handsome little devil. Yes it is a boy A girl would have some black around the red of her head.

Second, I believe that he is stuck in his molt. This can happen quite often due to the stress that a move can cause before the molt is completed. He should however, have a complete molt shortly being as how it has been almost a year.

[farmgirl]

Rats, that's what I was afraid of. Oh well, he is pretty isn't he?

I did forget to mention that he has had a moult while with me, I forget how long ago it was. When he started that moult he had absolutely no red feathers on his head, when he finished he looked like that. So will it be a matter of just waiting out the moults until he finally colors up completely or is there something I can do to help the process along?

Does his lighter colored breast make him a lavender breasted or are there different tones of purple breasted?

Thank you so much!

[debbie276]

I would say definitely a male and possibly a lilac breast, hard to be positive with a picture.
good luck with him.