# Beak banging: is she a he?



## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

My "girl" Darla has been beak banging. Does it on my shoulder and on her perches in her cage, I've read this a male thing? Is that right? The breeder was adamant that she was female because of her genetics apparently but I'm wondering... She seems female otherwise but I had look at what I knew about her parents genetics and I'm not seeing how the breeder was so sure about her sex. Maybe she knew something I don't.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

That is usually male behavior.

With sex-linked mutations its possible to be sure a chick is a girl. If a father is either split or visual for a sex-linked mutation the hen is not visual for, all the birds with that sex-linked mutation will be girls.

However, if this breeder breeds in an aviary; there is a small chance the egg came from different pair that tried to nest in that box before these parents took over the nesting site. In that case, the chick will have been raised by parents that are not biological.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Girls can, and do, beak bang. Honey is a DNA sexed female (she's also laid eggs) and she beak bangs occasionally, but it's usually very soft and brief, and occurs when she's feeling playful or frustrated. It's not like the obnoxious woodpecker-like banging of her mate, Henry. Honey's beak banging is often accompanied with a playful chirp. So I think it depends on Darla's style of beak banging. Are you able to take a video? 

I still think Darla is a female, though... You did post a photo of Darla sitting in the hen mating position, and I'm pretty sure boys don't do that, even just for fun.


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