# I’m convinced my female is actually a male



## Riley92 (Apr 1, 2014)

Hi, My tiel is a 6yo pearl pied. When I purchased her at 6months she was advertised as a boy but my local breeder always says it’s a she. I can understand why with how her markings are. My problem is she...or he... really acts like a male despite the markings. She struts around and displays making the heart shape with her wings, is a real talker and sings (makes up her own version of tunes now too) and looovvvvess anything with a shiny surface. She even talks and displays to her shadow on the wall! I used to have another tiel and have witnessed her/him canoodle with it and she the on top. Maybe she is just really confused. I’m not really keen on getting her blood taken to be sexed as but I was thinking recently I’d like to breed. What I want to know is has anyone had a male depite the markings saying otherwise? I’ll get some pics of her markings. Maybe people will have another opinion. Thanks ?


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## Riley92 (Apr 1, 2014)

These are of her. Wasn’t too happy about the wing shot ? don’t blame her


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Whoever told you that bird is a girl is wrong. PIED birds break all the rules in mutations. Usually male pearls look like normal grays after 6-12 months, but pied makes them hold on to the pearls for years and even lifetime! You cannot visually sex pied feathers (the solid yellow), and you can’t sex the barring (pied males can hold onto barrings too. But you CAN sex the solid gray feathers. He is a male.


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## Invictus406 (Feb 25, 2018)

Sure is beautiful!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Pieds do break all the rules and pieds can hold onto their pearls for a lot longer, but not THAT many pearls. I had a male (normal grey, bright yellow face) who played the female roll in a relationship with another male of mine. I'm going with girl just based solely on the fact that at 6 years old I don't think she would still have THAT many pearls if she was actually boy. You know, you don't have to take blood to do a DNA test. They have tests through avitech that require you just pluck a chest feather and send it in. I've done that one before, it's only 20 bucks, and pretty painless. For this bird, it might be worth it.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

From Just Cockatiels: https://www.justcockatiels.net/pied.html



> Pearl Pied cocks may retain some of the pearled feathers on their shoulders for several years or their entire life, but the pattern will appear diluted or washed out looking.





















As I stated earlier, this bird has no barrings on tail feathers or wing spots...which makes him a male.


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## Riley92 (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies and info! I do have to say the pearling has been fading but very slowly over time. I'm more confident is saying Ive got a boy from now on haha. Could still be open for debate Im sure. The feather testing is something I will look into but might be more expensive from Australia.


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