Identify gender of Gouldian fledgling

[Jessica]

I've put male weaned fledglings into one flight and female into another until they grow up but I have two weaned fledglings that I can't identify. In our watching all our Gouldians, none of us recalls seeing a female ever do the mating dance where they tuck and wobble their heads, chuckle, then jump up and down. Is this mating dance reliable to identify whether a male?

These two can't yet be identified because of their colors yet (one fledged June 24 and the other fledged July 17). First baby is still moulting and second one is all yellow and white. I'd like to get them moved if possible. I know I've seen two males dance for each other but haven't seen females dance - they bow and wiggle their tail feathers instead.

[finchbreeder]

With a normal, remove 1 feather from the breast and it will regrow coloured.
Dance should be reliable, but a poor male dancer will seem female and a good female dancer will seem male.

[Jessica]

Thank you so much, Finchbreeder! All our Gouldians are throwing fluffy white feathers everywhere - our first year seeing them moulting! I read somewhere their feathers are good for nesting material but trying to gather those little things is near impossible!

[Craig52]

Hi Jessica, gouldians don't use feathers for nesting material only fine dry grasses so don't worry about that. If you feed seeding grass heads to your birds they will use the stems left over for nesting material.

[finchbreeder]

What Craig said.
Some finches use feathers from larger birds. But I have never seen a Gouldian use anything but grasses.

[Jessica]

Thank you Craig and Finchbreeder for the info. We live in city - no access to 'seeding grass heads'. We DO sprout seed for them and we have plans to grow some grass seed next spring. And we buy various grasses, coco fiber, sisal and nesting wheels. They all have only pulled out the coco fiber to use. Good to know I don't have to try and gather those little white fluffy feathers! Thanks again for the help.

[finchbreeder]

Most of my seeding grass heads are either weed grasses from my garden or grasses I grow in my garden specifically for the birds. According to Hubby that is exactly the same thing.