Answer

1. 

   205

   

   6-9-11

   Mr FF says:

   < What the finders found >

   Budgie gender bender

   …that’s the worst headline I’ve come up with yet…

   Congrats on your new addition! Birds make fantastic, loyal pets, they’re pretty to look at, and they make lots of cute little noises. (And some not so cute, like when you’re trying to sleep in. You’ll get there, trust me.)

   There are lots of reasons to try to tell the sex of your parakeet. It could be to find out what his or her personality will be like, if your budgie will be a talker, or if you should expect teeny-tiny eggs. Or maybe it’s just that you’re trying to think of a name for your little guy/girl, and — instead of going for something gender-neutral like “Pat” or “Bacon” or “Bird” — you’d like to find something a little more specific.

   No problem!

   Go find your parakeet. Take a look at the cere, which is the little bump on the beak where the nostrils are. If it’s purplish or blue, you have a male, like the little guy in the photo here. Females will have a brown cere. (Pink and leaning towards maroon or brown is also a female.)

   What we call parakeets are actully budgerigars (budgies), and are small seed-eating parrots originally from Australia that have been around for millions of years. (Actually way longer than that if you consider the theory that all birds evolved from the dinosaurs.)

   For more info, check out Wavian.com and Budgie Place, which include handy reference photos and lots more info about ‘keets — including shopping lists, feeding instructions, lifespan info, and other care instructions.

    

   Photo of Jibbie by amy halverson

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