Bourke's parakeets, including the rosy (Opaline) variety, are now endangered in Australia.
The rosy Bourke's parakeet is a bright pink variety of Australian grass parakeets popular among bird keepers. Male and female rosy Bourke's parakeets feature a splendid Opaline mutation that give their feathers a brilliant pink color, which leaves males and females looking so alike that DNA testing is the only sure way to determine the sex of this variety of bird. There are, however, several identifying characteristics present in adult birds that can help owners determine a rosy Bourke's sex.
Feather Color
Owners of rosy Bourke's parakeets won't be able to make judgments about a bird's sex based on feather color until after a bird's first molt, which happens around its fifth month of age, and their adult plumage comes in, which occurs at about nine months. The Opaline mutation causes feathers on adult male and female birds to be a variation of pink, colors which can range from pale pastels to a dark, rosy shade. Sometimes, however, distinguishing feather color features of Bourke's parakeets without the mutation reveal themselves in the rosy variety. These include a blue band of feathers over the nostrils of males whereas hens often have more gray feathers throughout their body and darker faces than males.
Size
As in most species of birds, there is typically a slight and consistent difference in size between the male and female rosy Bourke's parakeets. Males are generally larger overall than the females, reaching lengths up to 8 1/2 inches long while females typically only reach up to 7 1/2 inches in length.
Behavioral Differences
Observing behavioral traits is often a reliable way to determine the sex of any bird, including the rosy Bourke's parakeet. Reproductive actions are the most obvious of these differences, as males defend territories and feed their mates while hens tend to the nest. Females will also always lay eggs, whether males are present or not.
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