Red Faced Parrot Finch experts please - behavioural sexing?

[Finchy]

Hi all

I have limited experience with RFPFs and need advice from those with more please. I have a small RFPF which was sold to me as a male. He was quite soon blinded in one eye by accident or aggression, so I have been assuming he will not be able to breed and might be happier in a quieter aviary because he looks a bit bullied. I was going to give him away and buy a replacement male. However...

- This finch looks more female to me. He could just be a rather unimpressive male, but I haven't had a chance to check under the hood.
- Just now, as I was watching them, another definite male was zooming around after this bird until he caught it and proceeded to mount it quite aggressively - twice. He was grabbing the scruff of its neck and apparently mating.

Does this mean...
- The first bird is definitely female after all?
- A dominance behaviour between possible males?
- Mistaken identity?

Ta

[Tiaris]

Hen I reckon. If its small as you say & less brightly coloured particularly behind the eye - hen. One eye won't reduce her breeding prospects at all.

[firetail555]

Is there other parrot finch hens in the aviary? If not, then it is still possible that it is a male with the more aggressive bird just dominating him. But if there other hens I would be surprised if a male mated another male, but not impossible. Can you post any photo's of the bird?

David

[Finchy]

Yes, there are two other females. One was sold to me as a partner for the 'mounting male' but he has not shown as much interest in her as another partner he chose, who subsequently died from egg binding so he is now single. The second known female is the mounting male's young daughter.

So that leaves this mystery bird. I will set my camera to 'sports' mode and see if I can get shots! Back in a tick...

[Finchy]

I had to resort to video. As you can see, s/he is also a light pied and has been plucked slightly around the back of the head. Not the most handsome bird I've ever had!

http://youtu.be/I-aAvpsJrCo

Verdict?

[Craig52]

Hi Finchy,that normal pied bird is a hen,the seagreen bird is a cock. Craig

[finches247]

Hi Finchy,that normal pied bird is a hen,the seagreen bird is a cock. Craig

I also agree with above.

[Finchy]

Thanks guys.

So it's official: Dodgy Cessnock sale vendor sold me two old hens as a young pair.

[Tiaris]

Going by the bare patch at the back of her head she's been getting a fair bit of action.

[Netsurfer]

At this age they can be sexed like Canaries, you'll have to catch them and blow the feathers on their rear end to see. You should only breed birds with the original colors, however, the other guys may be right.