Things You'll Need
- DNA testing kit
- Plastic bags
Instructions
Sexing your birds
Look for differences in your birds' plumage or markings. Many birds have physical characteristics that vary by breed. Male budgerigars, for example, have a dark blue or lavender area surrounding their nostrils, while female budgerigars have a light blue, pink or tan area around the nostrils. In zebra finches, males have red bills, orange cheeks, black chests and chestnut-colored sides, while females have orange bills and solid-gray bodies. Mature male cockatoos have dark brown or black eyes, while females have reddish-brown eyes.
Listen for differences in songs. Male canaries tend to sing more than their female counterparts, and among zebra finches, females don't sing at all.
Observe behavioral differences in your birds. Male parakeets will exhibit more active social behaviors and more head-bobbing than female parakeets, for example.
Purchase a DNA-testing kit for birds from Avian Biotech, DNA Solutions or another DNA-testing company.
Read the DNA kit's instructions to extract samples from your bird. You will either need to prick a vein in the bird's foot or clip the bird's toenail to obtain a blood sample, which you will then place on the labeled blood card included in the kit and submit to the company for analysis. Some companies analyze DNA from feathers that you must pluck from the bird's body. Molted feathers do not work for this type of analysis. You will need two feathers from each bird, placed in a clean, labeled plastic bag from your kitchen and sent to the company for analysis. Results will come in about five business days.
Take your bird to your veterinarian if you're uncomfortable with drawing blood or pulling feathers for a DNA test. Your vet can perform a surgical inspection of your bird's sex organs through a small incision in the animal's side while it's under anesthesia. Your vet might also be able to tell your bird's gender by gently feeling for differences in its pelvic bone structure.