Is my ringneck male of female?

[Jojoneck]

I'm confused about his gender and have tried all the things that can give away what they are before they reach their sexual maturity such as putting him in front of a mirror to see how he reacts and so far it's given me nothing. I'll attach a pic below.

 

[EllenD]

How old is your bird? If he's less than a year old, then the only way to tell is by having a DNA test done. If he's over a year old and has no ring around his neck, then he's a female, but if he develops a ring then he's a male...But if he's still a baby, then it's far too young to tell just by looking at him. Those other methods you mentioned are not at all accurate, but rather "myths". The only way to know for sure on a Ringneck that is under a year old is by having your Avian Vet do a DNA test, or you can actually order a DNA kit online from several labs, you pay them and they send you a testing kit, where you simply send them back a few of your bird's feathers, and then they do the DNA test for you, and you'll get the results in a couple of weeks...

 

[Terry57]

A DNA test is the only way to be sure at this point. Sometimes Ringnecks don't get their rings until after they are 2 years old, i have a friend whose male didn't get his ring until he was almost 3. Just because he doesn't have a ring at 1 year old does not mean he is a female. Depending on your birds age, a DNA test will be your best way to go.

 

[EllenD]

A DNA test is the only way to be sure at this point. Sometimes Ringnecks don't get their rings until after they are 2 years old, i have a friend whose male didn't get his ring until he was almost 3. Just because he doesn't have a ring at 1 year old does not mean he is a female. Depending on your birds age, a DNA test will be your best way to go.

Well I just learned something..it's 2-year's old then...judging by the looks of the bird, he is just a baby anyway, so yes, a DNA test is always the best way to be certain...

 

[SilverSage]

I’ve had birds not fully ring out until 3 years.

DNA tests take 5 minutes and cost $20 if you do them at home. Easy peasy lemon squeazy, as my husband would say.


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[EllenD]

I’ve had birds not fully ring out until 3 years.

DNA tests take 5 minutes and cost $20 if you do them at home. Easy peasy lemon squeazy, as my husband would say.


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Exactly. I never understood why people don't just jump online and order a kit for $20-$30. Especially when they have a species of bird where there's no other way to tell gender at all...I want to know simply for health/medical reasons, namely egg-laying...or more-so, egg-binding.

 

[Janet]

I have both a female and male ringneck. Our female (Rain) is just over a year old, and the male (Indy) was born this year. I thought (or hoped) my female would be a male, but after getting the DNA done I know for sure. Having one of each -- my male is definitely larger in structure through the chest and his head. Before I knew if Rain was a female I read about them raising their wings in a heart shape which she never did. Indy does this now, and he is quite the handsome fid! I would pop for getting the DNA done. There was no way I would have had the patience to wait for the ring to develop.