scremme
Moving in
- Joined
- 3/7/20
- Messages
- 10
- Real Name
- Ruth
Guys I have been stumped.
Long story made long:
I got my first cockatiel from a bird shop. They said he had been blood tested and that he was a boy. Yayy, so cute! We took him home and named him Jester. A little while later we decided to get him a friend. Having a good experience with the first shop, we decided to buy from them again. This time adopting a cute baby pearled boy named Smokey. The only difference was that Smokey came with a numbered band when Jester had not.
Some time went on and we started to notice some behavioral changes in Jester. Then one night he decided to let us know HE was a SHE! We came to the conclusion that the reason for the mix up was because she had not been banded as a baby and therefore they just mixed her up with one of her siblings at the shop.
Now, knowing we had a girl and a boy, we bought them separate cages and everything was ok! Unfortunately, Jester passed away recently due to natural complications... it was a very sad time for everyone, especially Smokey.
After a while, we decided he needed another companion. So we went to another bird shop and adopted Cricket (also blood tested a boy). While at the new bird shop, the owner commented that Smokey looked like a girl due to coloring. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but recently we took both Smokey and Cricket for a doctor checkup and the lady vet refused to call Smokey a boy!
I kindly explained that he had been blood tested as a baby and was a boy, and that he hadn’t really gone through his first molt. But due to coloring, she basically refused to believe me and stated confidently that she believed he was girl!
I got very frustrated with this because we have been mistaken before due to human error, but that was just because Jester had no arm band. I called the first shop again to confirm that Smokey’s band number was listed as a male, and it was.
However, now I’m nervous and anxious that I have a male and a female AGAIN by accident!
To me Smokey acts like a boy! He whistles and screms and copies is. He also does heart wings at Cricket all the time! He can be VERY loud at times. This was in stark contrast to how Jester acted when she was with us.
Coloring wise, yes, Smokey does look female... but I just figured he’d grow out of it when he molted.
I’m attaching a few pics of Smokey. One of when he was a baby baby! It’s clear he has lost some pearl as he’s grown. Please give me your opinions on his gender! Help put my mind at ease!
Long story made long:
I got my first cockatiel from a bird shop. They said he had been blood tested and that he was a boy. Yayy, so cute! We took him home and named him Jester. A little while later we decided to get him a friend. Having a good experience with the first shop, we decided to buy from them again. This time adopting a cute baby pearled boy named Smokey. The only difference was that Smokey came with a numbered band when Jester had not.
Some time went on and we started to notice some behavioral changes in Jester. Then one night he decided to let us know HE was a SHE! We came to the conclusion that the reason for the mix up was because she had not been banded as a baby and therefore they just mixed her up with one of her siblings at the shop.
Now, knowing we had a girl and a boy, we bought them separate cages and everything was ok! Unfortunately, Jester passed away recently due to natural complications... it was a very sad time for everyone, especially Smokey.
After a while, we decided he needed another companion. So we went to another bird shop and adopted Cricket (also blood tested a boy). While at the new bird shop, the owner commented that Smokey looked like a girl due to coloring. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but recently we took both Smokey and Cricket for a doctor checkup and the lady vet refused to call Smokey a boy!
I kindly explained that he had been blood tested as a baby and was a boy, and that he hadn’t really gone through his first molt. But due to coloring, she basically refused to believe me and stated confidently that she believed he was girl!
I got very frustrated with this because we have been mistaken before due to human error, but that was just because Jester had no arm band. I called the first shop again to confirm that Smokey’s band number was listed as a male, and it was.
However, now I’m nervous and anxious that I have a male and a female AGAIN by accident!
To me Smokey acts like a boy! He whistles and screms and copies is. He also does heart wings at Cricket all the time! He can be VERY loud at times. This was in stark contrast to how Jester acted when she was with us.
Coloring wise, yes, Smokey does look female... but I just figured he’d grow out of it when he molted.
I’m attaching a few pics of Smokey. One of when he was a baby baby! It’s clear he has lost some pearl as he’s grown. Please give me your opinions on his gender! Help put my mind at ease!
Then again, she might just think you swapped birds, too!
