Chestnut breasted mannikins

[Jamesdefqon]

Good day everyone,
I hope this post finds you all well, anyways, I recently purchased a pair of chestnut breasted mannikins, one had a pink band and the guy at the bird place looked at her and said it was definaly a female...

Well after a day or so the male started singing and a week or so later everytime the male sang the female would fly over to him and put her face right up against his...
And not only do they still do that, but they preen each other... But now the female has started singing also...

Does this mean they're gay haha or by some wired chance females sing...

Any advice or tho I think I know I have 2 males.. Haha

James

[finchbreeder]

It's a few years since I last had these great birds myself. But I never ever saw a female sing.
With all the Munias I have had I have found they will sing and be besties if only males present.

[BrettB]

Hi James,
My advice with difficult to sex birds, like Chestnuts, is to get them DNA sexed.
It is not that expensive and saves a lot of wondering and wasted time trying to get two birds of the same sex to breed.

Cheers
Brett

[Alf63]

I have purchased a few in recent times from breeders who claim they can sex them

DNA sexed them, first six all cocks. Fortunately 3 out of four hens from a batch of unsexed from another breeder

If they sing then they are most probably both cocks

If you have a definite sexed pair then the differences between the two birds become a little more obvious but they are hard