Newbie

[djknight1974]

Hi, I'm a newbie to website and will introduce myself...

 

I'm in Nottingham and have a few birds, most of which have been rescued or needed re-homing for various reasons. We currently have 12 Budgies (all have names), an Indian Ringneck and an African Grey. I am hoping to study for an Ornithology qualification in the near future - time permitting of course.

 

Our African Grey (Joey) we were told was a male following DNA testing, of which the previous owner didn't keep any record of. I am unsure of the sex now due to his size and other information I have read on the web, however he is only 14 months old and cannot be sure until he is fully grown. Joey doesn't like any human females, but will allow any man to touch him. I've had a complete male stranger walk directly up to him and stroke him without battering an eyelid. Now please forgive me if this is repeated... Humans secrete oil through their skin and like all oils is visible when on water (rainbow effect colours) - with African Greys and their abilities to see more colours and light, is it possible that women secrete different oil to men and therefore a parrot can instantly tell the difference between the sex of humans?

[Luvparrots]

Hi dj,welcome to the Grey Form. I have a male cag, Sterling Gris, who is 6 years old. He trusts me totally. Sterling Gris totally loves my next door young 6'5" male neighbor; hates my oldest daughter, but loves my youngest daughter. So poo poo believing that greys prefer one sex over the other. Personality/vibes of an individual is what attracts a grey. Sterling Gris loves to talk and repeats just about anything he hears. My tag, Ana Grey, 8 years old, just loves and trusts everyone. She loves to give cheek kisses and shake claw to hand.

Edited November 19, 2016 by luvparrots

[katana600]

Hi, welcome to the forum. You have quite a flock. How long has Joey been with you? Is he a Congo or a Timneh African grey? Even full grown, I don't believe there is a way to discern sex by looking from the outside. Some breeders, through years of experience with their own birds develop insight and make accurate guesses, and vets as well. Everything I have read, and I am really still a newbie with only a few years with one particular Timneh African grey, but I thought DNA or a scope inside is the benchmark. What I did was wait until we needed some blood work and had our vet send some in for DNA testing. It certainly wasn't repetition to me to read the interesting theory regarding their ability to discern human gender. I understand their vision is in the ultraviolet range and they can see things we can not. Now I want to know more. What a great research project. Also, I am not familiar with Ornithology qualification and would enjoy reading more about that. Thank you again for joining us, I look forward to learning from your experiences.

[Timbersmom]

Hello and welcome to you and your flock! As to how greys tell the difference in human gender, I really don't know. That's an interesting theory you mentioned.