# Predicting the gender based on the colouring of the parents.



## RedTess (Sep 8, 2015)

Hi,

I recently got three young cockatiels and would like to figure out their sex based on the colourings of their parents. I have read up some stuff on colourings, mutations and genetics. It's fascinating but complex. Of course, all will be revealed in time, but it will be fun to see if I am right. 

Here are the details:

Pearl bird. Father is lemon and white with a scattering of grey (pied). Mother is pearl. (My guess is the bird is male, as mothers pass to sons.)

Sibilings - a Grey bird and a Cinnamon bird with yellow tinges on chest. Father is a grey. Mother is a lemon and white lutino.

Any ideas? 

Cheers,

Tess


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## satamakaupunki (Aug 30, 2015)

For sex-linked mutations like pearl. The father HAS to be a pearl (or split to pearl) for any babies to be pearl and since you said the mother is also a pearl, then both parents have the pearl gene which will mean any pearled baby could be either sex. For the other birds, assuming the mother is just a lutino and isn't showing a brown wash on her feathers (meaning she isn't cinnamon lutino) then the cinnamon baby will have to be a female and the grey baby could be either sex. here's a short read-up on genetics: http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/genetics.htm


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

RedTess said:


> Hi,
> 
> Pearl bird. Father is lemon and white with a scattering of grey (pied). Mother is pearl. (My guess is the bird is male, as mothers pass to sons.)
> 
> Sibilings - a Grey bird and a Cinnamon bird with yellow tinges on chest. Father is a grey. Mother is a lemon and white lutino.


As said before, the pearl chick could be either sex, the father is definitely split pearl and maybe something else sex-linked. The grey bird is most likely a male because normal grey males outnumber females and pure Z chromosomes are somewhat rare in domesticated populations. The cinnamon bird is most likely a hen. The father in the second clutch is probably split to another mutation on the other "Z" gene but the possibility exists he could be a carrier of a pure Z chromosome (unlikely).


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## RedTess (Sep 8, 2015)

Thanks for the feedback. 
At what age do males start experimenting with their voices? That might help identify any potential boys.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Anywhere from three to six months they'll start showing male behavior if boys. It could be later though, I had one male who didn't start until he was eight months old.


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