Is my "Holly" really a "Harry"?

[Glam]

Howdy All :)

I got a Peach-Faced Lovebird as a Christmas present in 2008, and "she" is now just over a year old. The store we got her from told us that she was a female, and seeing as she was for Christmas she landed up with the name "Holly".

"She" has recently started exhibiting some "mating behaviour" and I am now wondering if she is actually male! Holly will chirp around in her cage and flap out her wings, "holding" them up and flared out, all the while sticking out her butt and fanning her tail feathers.

She will completely rip her sand grit sheets and newspapers within hours of new ones being placed in her cage. She does attempt to stuff some strips under wings, sometimes they stick, other times they don't.

I've been scouring the net, but cannot find anything to tell me if this behaviour is indicative of a male or female lovebird.

Anyone here know?

Thanks!

[Glam]

P.S. Here are some pics of Holly, too cute :blush:

First one is the day I got her, bath time, and helping "mom" cut up her apple!

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc347/tarynmb/Image002.jpg

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc347/tarynmb/Photo018.jpg

http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/cc347/tarynmb/Photo011a.jpg

[linda040899]

Holly is most likely a female because the Lutino mutation is sex linked and only certain pairings will produce males. Behavior also suggests female......

Holly really is a cute lovie! One word of caution. If you allow her to "help" you when you cut up apples, do not allow her access to the seeds! Apple seeds contain cyanide which will build up in her system and eventually reach a toxic level that will kill her. Cyanide is stored in the body so how long it takes to reach toxic levels can vary by how much is ingested.

[Chickobee]

What are sand grit sheets? And, what is the purpose of those? I haven't seen them before.

Your little lutino is very cute and looks like a very contented lovie.

[Glam]

Sand Grit Sheets, are basically pieces of paper with sand and crushed up shells stuck on one side, you can use them to place at the bottom of the cage. They are supposed to help with the sharpening of the claws and beaks, because of the "roughness". But she just eats it, hehe!

[linda040899]

If the grit is the sand type, it should not be eaten by hookbills/parrots. The sand type grit is useful for birds that don't shell their seed, as the roughness helps removed seed hulls so the inner seed can be digested. Parrots don't need sand grit because they shell the seed before eating it. A much better choice for the bottom of the cage would be just plain newspaper.

Many parrots use the roughness of their perches to wear down nails and clean/sharpen beaks.

[Jetwest]

I love your tittle of your thread :D

[KenDRAGON]

in response to your comment linda about the sand grit, why do they even sell it anymore? i work in a pet store and we carry sand grit and the packaging always shows hookbills and i always recommend not to get it for the reasons you just mentioned. but why is the product marketed towards parrot owners if its junk?