Too sex and eye color

[Lobby]

I have heard it said that you can tell a 'toos sex by the color of its eyes. For those of you that have had your 'toos DNA sexed has this proven true? Light colored eyes for females, dark colored eyes for males. Is it species dependent? I've heard that all Moluccon toos have dark eyes no matter the sex. The former president of the NM bird club believed that she could tell the sex of 'toos by the eyes so now I'm wondering if the eyes are more than just the mirror to the soul.

 

[Quest]

 

[igors mum]

i know with the galahs you can tell by the eye colour not sure about the others though.

 

[GG.]

interesting question, hope some of our 'too folks stop by with an answer

 

[Bokkapooh]

I have basically only been around TONS of umbrella cockatoo, Mollucans, Goffins, and Sulfur crested. I have only been around 1 RB2 and 1 MM2. The RB2 was a male, black eyes, and the MM2 was a female and I believe her eyes were brown (she is 15+)

I have to say that the goffins did not have red eyes in the female sex, and no M2 I have ever seen has had red eyes and I have been around both sexes. For instance, Beeba our M2 is not DNA'd but thats not needed as she lays eggs bi-annually. and Beeba is 18

HOWEVER I have seen some of SC2 that have red/brown eyes(and they were female), and I know all the female U2s I have seen have red eyes. (And that female U2s are WAY DIFFERENT in everything about them, their stance, body language, vocalization and the mental connection I got). I'm sure other cockatoos are just like that, although I have to admit I typically just stick around the U2s and G2s.

About U2's and their red eyes. This is the only species I have seen to have RED EYES (In females) from the time they are being very young. By the time they are about 3-4 months of age, their eyes are like their siblings brothers(dark brown/black), and they stay that way until 3years of age and up to sexual maturity.

 

[love4birds]

Chewy has reddish-brown eyes and she is definitely a girl (egg)

Spike's are very dark and he hasn't been DNA'ed, but we are sure he's a boy.

 

[samccormack]

In toos if it has black eyes (ie black black no color at all) chances are it's a male. If you have red or brown eyes you probably have a female BUT this isn't 100% and I've had just as many experts tell me you can tell by the color as many who say you can't. For what it's worth both of my female toos have brown eyes.

 

[Greycloud]

My DNA'd male U2 has very dark, almost black eyes.

 

[JLcribber]

In toos if it has black eyes (ie black black no color at all) chances are it's a male. If you have red or brown eyes you probably have a female BUT this isn't 100% and I've had just as many experts tell me you can tell by the color as many who say you can't. For what it's worth both of my female toos have brown eyes.

Ditto. It's pretty common but not 100% accurate. DNA or an egg is the only positive way.

 

[pineview01]

My DNA sexed male U2 has black eyes. The new U2 was named Roxy as the breeder told the young man I got her from it was a female as it had brown eyes. The eyes did look brown and were lighter than my male. So I did do research, as I hadn't heard that. The research did say black was male and brown/reddish brown was female.

I don't understand it put while I had this bird for over a week her eyes seemed to look darker. By the time the vet saw her, she said it was for sure a male as the eyes were black. They did look black too. I told her what I had been told, that the breeder said it was female. She looked again and said yes they were a light black and she was right it turned out to be a male.

It is really strange that when I picked her up the eyes did look brownish and when I first got her home they are deffently lighter than Cody's. In the vet office they did look black. I wonder if it was the lighting. Anyway he is now a for sure he.

 

[jmfleish]

95% of the time, if the eye is black in any Cockatoo, you've got a male and if it's light, you've got a female. Reggie D2 has fairly dark eyes but in the right light you can see the color of his eyes. He's definitely a male though as I've seen Mr. Winkie when he gets too friendly with my hand due to the fact that he no longer has a tail and his right wing was tattooed when he was a baby meaning he was surgically sexed.

So, bottom line, there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, dark eyes mean boy.

 

[jmfleish]

BTW - the bird has to be mature for this little test to be more accurate! A year or more. Babies can be deceitful!