Red Whiskered Bulbul -help in visual sexing birds

[wagga]

Sydney bird shop has Bulbul's for sale. On inspection at the shop there is not a lot of difference visually, if they stay still long enough to get a good look. Apart from DNA testing or watching/listening to the birds in a very small over crowded noisy room, any tips for obvious visual indicators in sexing.
Owner advises that the birds are wild caught birds from the western Sydney suburbs. Any other potential problems, health or aggression, I should look for?

[Tintola]

Hi Wagga, I found this link somewhat helpful but not definitive. Let us know how you go.

http://www.pbase.com/cristianjensen/red ... red_bulbul

[Myzomela]

In my LIMITED experience the cocks tend to be slightly bigger and have cleaner white faces- just as Tintola's link suggests.

Just make sure that they area eating some pellets and not just live food. They seem to take the Prettybird Pellets or Vetafarm Nutriblend quite well. This will just mean that they have already adapted somewhat to captivity and should take the move to your place much better.
Luckily, they are quite varied in their diet preferences and also eat fruit quite well.

As with any bird don't buy anything that's thin or dirty around the vent or sitting still too long on the perch!!

[Tintola]

When I was kid I kept them on a bit of fruit and chicken pellets only and they nested but not successfully. They are mainly fruit eaters and will take live food, softbill mixes, Madeira cake almost anything. Only one pair to an aviary as the dominant pair will kill any others in with them when breeding season comes around. Can be very flighty, even hand raised ones revert to being quite wild once independent though somewhat better than wild caught ones. If you have the option buy uncoloured young as they adapt more quickly to captivity. Late Summer is most likely time to find these.

[TomDeGraaff]

The facial patterns tend to be less bright and distinct in the hen. The red markings are also duller.

[wagga]

Thanks guys for the advice. I am in Sydney for the next 2 weeks and intend having a good look around the place before making any purchases.

[arthur]

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora//Auk/v092n ... -p0057.pdf


Might not be quite the right spot for the above, but it does give insight into suitable diets . . and other interesting snippets

Also throws a little light onto its fruit eating, which supposedly is the reason that it is not kosher in the 'smart state'

Might even present a case to convince Qld authorities to reconsider their prohibition of these birds in the aviary situation, given that they are currently already quite well established already in many areas of suburbia up here

[Tintola]

This should be "Clickable" You left out the http:// bit.

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora//Auk/v092n ... -p0057.pdf

[arthur]

Thxx

As you know I am still coming to grips with the 'new money' . .

And I know these danged computers will take quite a bit longer