How to distinguish a pigeon boy from a girl. What is the difference between dove and dove? Behavior during marriage

In order to carry out selection work and artificially create bird pairs, the breeder must be able to correctly determine the sex of an individual. By primary sexual characteristics, it is impossible to distinguish a dove from a dove, so you have to compare birds, analyzing them appearance, voice, body structure and even behavior. In addition to modern scientific methods, you can also use folk methods.

External differences

After analyzing the appearance of birds, the breeder can identify females and males in the flock. To do this, he needs to compare various parameters, which we will consider further.

Feather color

The feathers of birds can have a wide variety of colors - from light blue and lilac to cherry, blue and black. Shades depend on the specific breed, however, it is believed that the plumage of females is of two types:

• darker, closer to black;
• monotonous and inconspicuous, closer to gray.

This fact due to the fact that a soft color helps the female to be less noticeable in environment and is a kind of protection from predators, which is especially important during the period when she incubates eggs and raises chicks.

Males, on the contrary, have plumage of a lighter and more intense color. In addition, their feathers are often interspersed with complementary colors. As a rule, the color of their neck is more intense and gives off a metallic sheen, and there are beautiful patterns on the wings and tail. It is believed that this appearance helps males to attract the attention of females to create a pair.

These differences do not apply to female and male ornamental pigeons, since their plumage is often the same in intensity.

head and beak

Males have a high forehead, a more powerful and shorter neck, a large rounded head. Females are distinguished by an elegant and small head on a longer neck. It should be noted that doves have larger and more expressive eyes.

If we compare the beaks of individuals of different sexes, then it should be taken into account that in males it is rougher and thicker. The same can be said about the cere - a section of thickened skin at the base of the beak, on which external openings are located.

The structure of the pelvic bones

This is one of the most important parameters that the most experienced breeders pay attention to. To analyze the structure of the pelvic bones, the bird must be picked up and examined, stroking from the chest, along the stomach and to the cloaca. In the lower abdomen, you need to feel the pelvic bones:

• in the male, both bones are tightly located to each other and are almost invisible;
• in females that have already laid eggs, the bones are at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.

It should be borne in mind that the bones of the pelvis of doves diverge mainly from the moment when they begin to lay eggs. In chicks, up to sexually mature age, there are no differences in the structure of the pelvis, since both bones fit snugly against each other.

According to the observations of poultry farmers, when a person strokes his stomach, males immediately tighten their paws, but females do not change their body position.

Voice

Experienced breeders can determine the sex of a bird by its voice:

• Males coo much louder, clearer and more persistent. They have a rough voice that resembles a bass. This is due to the fact that males seek to attract the attention of females with their roulades. In addition, with their loud bass, they often scare away potential competitors.
• Doves coo more softly and softly. They have a deeper and guttural timbre, which is why their cooing is often referred to as "burr". The song of females sounds on one note with a soft voice, although there are individuals with a rougher sound, so they can be confused with males.

It is rather difficult to correctly determine the sex of a bird only by voice, since the factor of subjective human perception plays an important role.

Body dimensions

Males are always larger and heavier, and also have a massive body. Females, on the other hand, are distinguished by a more “graceful” figure and short legs. However, it should be borne in mind that in some species of decorative pigeons, females are larger. This fact must necessarily be spelled out in the exterior characteristics of the breed.

When comparing pigeons by body size, their age must be taken into account, since a young bird is always smaller and more graceful than an old one. In addition, it is necessary to compare pigeons within the same breed, since females large breeds there are always more males of small and medium breeds.

Differences in behavior

It is far from always possible to accurately determine the gender of a bird solely by external factors, since much depends on the characteristics of the breed, age and individual qualities. Given the differences in the behavior of representatives of different sexes, it is possible to more accurately determine the gender.

On what grounds a dove is distinguished from a dove, the poultry farmer tells in the video below:

Character

Males can show aggression even in a normal calm environment. As a rule, they begin to fight for territory or a female. It should be borne in mind that some pigeons can react quite calmly to the attacks of the enemy and even respond to him with a bow.

Females, on the other hand, are calmer individuals, but if they already have a couple, then they can quite aggressively rebuff the boyfriend. At this point, she may resemble a male.

mating season habits

Male and female individuals begin to change their character during the mating season:

• Males become more active and try by all means to attract the attention of females. During this period, the dove is characterized by the blooming of the tail and the protrusion of the goiter. Often he pursues the dove religiously and even shows some belligerence. If several males appear in the same territory during the mating season, they will certainly start a fight.
• Doves behave calmly and modestly, but at the same time they refuse to share territory with another female. However, if there are several females nearby, they do not fight, but communicate with each other with quiet cooing.

Attitude towards a person

Birds of different sexes react differently to humans. If you reach out to a dove, he will try to peck at it, because he will perceive the actions of a person as aggressive. In a similar situation, the dove behaves more peacefully and rarely bites.

Experienced breeders note that if you reach for the beak of a male, he will sharply turn his head away. The female reacts more calmly and even allows you to touch herself.

Folk ways

Inexperienced breeders to determine the sex of a bird can use folk methods that have long been practiced by poultry farmers.

Planting birds in one cage

According to this method, it is necessary to put a pair of pigeons in one cage and monitor their behavior:

• Males begin to bully each other if they are alone in a confined space, as each wants to prove his superiority over the other. Doves, on the other hand, behave more calmly and peacefully even in the presence of the other sex.
• If pigeons of different sexes are in the cage, then the male behaves more confidently and even begins to study the “lady”, spin around her and arch his neck. If the female responds with indifference to such courtship, then the male does not lag behind her and continues to coo. When the female likes the boyfriend, she begins to puff up the feathers in the pelvis, drag her tail along the floor and bow low.

When resorting to this method, you need to understand that it is not very reliable, since the reaction of the bird often depends on its character. So, two temperamental females can easily start a fight in a cage. It should also be borne in mind that doves are monogamous individuals, therefore they can show aggression towards other males.

Use of the pendulum

This method has been used for quite a long time and, according to experienced pigeon breeders, it allows you to determine the sex of a bird with an accuracy of up to 98%. Assumes the use of pendulums made of copper, bronze or brass.

This method is implemented as follows:

1. Tie a piece of metal to the thread to get a kind of pendulum.
2. Take a bird in one hand, and a homemade pendulum in the other. It must be placed over the coccyx and genitals of the pigeon.
3. If the pendulum swings along the line of the spine, it means that there is a male in front of the breeder. If the pendulum makes a circular rotation, then this indicates a dove.

How to distinguish the sex of pigeons using a pendulum, the breeder shows in his video:

It should be noted that this method has no under scientific grounds, therefore causes skepticism among professional pigeon breeders, but is often used by beginners.

How to determine the sex of chicks?

It is much more difficult to distinguish the sex of young birds than adult birds, since the chicks do not yet have a large number of distinctive characteristics. They have the same pelvic structure, a similar voice and the same behavior. However, there are some signs by which you can still distinguish the sex of the chick:

• the head of small males is somewhat larger, and the beak is wider and more massive than that of females.
• the size of the chicks of both sexes is approximately the same, but the males are somewhat larger;
• in growing females of the Texan breed, the fluff is quite long, while in males, on the contrary, it is short.

In order to accurately determine the sex of the chicks, one should find out the structural features of the body and the behavior of the breed of pigeons to which they belong.

Table of distinctive characteristics

Experienced breeders analyze a set of parameters to accurately determine the sex of a pigeon. The final table of distinctive characteristics, which can be found below, will allow you not to make a mistake in this matter:

So, in order to find out the sex of a dove, it is necessary to take into account a number of parameters - the size of the head and beak, the color of the feathers, the structure of the pelvic bones, the character and behavior during the mating season. In addition, there are a number of folk methods that have proven their effectiveness in practice and are used by many breeders. All these methods can be used in combination to maximize the accuracy of determining the sex of a bird.

The issue of sex determination in pigeons is one of the most important, because when you acquire birds, you need to correctly determine their gender so as not to buy two males instead of a pair.
The difficulty here lies in the fact that pigeons do not have a clearly defined sexual dimorphism. That is, a dove differs little from a dove in appearance. Because of this, errors in sex determination are so frequent. Only an autopsy gives a 100% guarantee, but in our case this method is unacceptable. ;) You can guarantee the determination of the sex of a dove if she sits in a separate cage, and in the morning you find an egg in this cage. But this is when you already have a bird, and if you are only going to purchase it?
So how do you tell? Let's consider several options.

The old grandfather's way of "pulling the bird by the beak" causes nothing but a smile in me. It's funny to watch how serious guys pull pigeons by their beaks in the market. It is believed that the dove will behave calmly, and the dove will break out. In fact, only the temperament of a pigeon and the degree of its domestication can be approximately determined in this way. To some extent, this method works, since usually males are more temperamental. However, I would not trust this method.
Preparing to write this post, I decided to still experiment on my pigeons, what if I'm wrong and these are just my prejudices? I started with the Rostov swans. I grabbed the dove by the beak without any problems and pulled. I repeated the experiment several times. But I couldn’t take the dove by the beak, it got out like an eel. Given that Rostov's beak is not too long, I never managed to confidently capture it. Then I caught a stately Voronezh. Ardent pigeon, active. He wriggled out only when he hung on his beak. So, bullshit is everything.

You can distinguish a dove from a dove by behavior. If a dove is lonely and a dove is planted for him, he begins to yell at her: after a short cooing, there is a long “guuuu”, in which the dove stands upright, greatly inflating its goiter. At the same time, he widely spreads his tail and sweeps the ground with it. Sometimes after this, the dove makes a sharp jump towards the dove, as if jumping on it. If, however, a lonely dove is shown a dove that starts cooing, it “floats” under it - first it nods its head, then it lowers its wings a little, ruffles the feathers on its lower back and starts proudly mincing around, and sometimes crouches, swells its goiter, spreads its tail wide and, sweeping the ground with his tail, he rushes at the dove, in some cases “butting” it at the same time.
However, you can be wrong here. Once I watched my dove yell after her dove in the manner of a male. This is rare, but still.
Much more often you can mistake an inactive pigeon for a dove. In a market where some birds feel uncomfortable, such a mistake may well occur. The behavior of doves described above is so clearly manifested only in a calm environment, but in the market a dove can only slightly indicate that she likes a cooing dove by nodding to him. However, a dove can also nod to a furious dove, only its nods are sharper. Most often, at the same time, he still twitches a little with the tip of the wing. He seems to be saying, "leave me alone, otherwise I'll hit you in the forehead." Indeed, in fights, doves beat each other with their wings, and such a twitch of the wing is, as it were, a demonstration of such a possibility. But, if the dove does not like this dove, or if she is in a pair, she will also react negatively to him.

You can distinguish a dove from a dove by cooing - doves have a voice with a burr. However, this is an individual sign and this method does not always work. I have a dove of the Russian postal (Parrot) sitting now. Roars like a locomotive. At first I even thought that passport I made a mistake, and this is a dove, but she somehow laid an egg (see the title of the post)

It is possible to distinguish a dove from a dove “for a fight”, which some pigeon breeders use in the market, planting a dove with a male, whose sex must be determined. However, even here a lot depends on the temperament, and on the breed of the pigeon being determined. Some doves are so fighting that they themselves pounce on a stranger.
I somehow lost a dove torkut. I found it in the market. The seller was sure it was a pigeon. I perfectly understand why he decided so - all the pigeons clung to the walls of the cage, and she stood in the center with a gloomy look, and as soon as someone relaxed, the torkutikha pounced on him and "built" to the fullest. ;)

A good way to determine the sex of pigeons by the pelvic bones. If you take a pigeon in your hands, you can easily feel the keel on the chest, moving your hand further, you fall on your stomach, and even further, almost at the tail, you will feel two bones, as if “floating” from the depths. These are the pelvic bones. In males, they are located close, sometimes almost touching, and in doves, the distance between them is not less than the length of the finger phalanx. But even here there is a high probability of error. In young, never breeding doves, the pelvic bones can be brought together, and in pigeons of a loose constitution or who had a lack of calcium (rickets) in childhood, the pelvic bones can be very widely separated.

Most often, experienced pigeon breeders determine the sex of pigeons in appearance, looking at the bird's head in profile. Males are usually more lobed, they have a thicker and more massive beak, a larger cere and a rougher eyelid. In general, males are more masculine, and doves are more feminine. However, the breed of pigeons plays a huge role here. It is clear that the dove of the Chinese gull will look more feminine and tender than the dove of the Russian or German mail. Yes, and in some breeds there are subtleties that become visible only with prolonged communication with them. The age of the bird also leaves its mark on this matter - an old dove may have a rougher eyelid and wax than a young male.
However, if the pigeon being bought is too feminine, and the dove, on the contrary, is in the male type, it is better to refuse to buy such birds, in the future it may be difficult to get chicks from them. After all, the severity of the signs of an individual of the opposite sex may be associated with the hormonal problems of this bird.

So how do you tell a dove from a dove? ONLY THE SIXTH SENSE.
Having applied all the above methods, get a coin and throw it in the palm of your hand - an eagle will fall out, which means a dove, and tails - a dove.

Joke, of course. But it is precisely from the totality of signs that one can judge with greater or lesser certainty what gender the bird in question is.

In conclusion, I want to remind you that in some cases the sex of pigeons can still be determined by color. Firstly, this concerns the autosex lines of some breeds, for example, the same Texan Pioneer, in which doves are always darker colored than doves. Secondly, if you know exactly the origin of the pigeons, then you can judge the field of the pigeon, if we are dealing with sex-linked traits, for example, if the pair has a red dove, and the dove is red or yellow, then all the chicks of this pair that have yellow suit will definitely be doves. You can learn more about this from the posts on pigeon genetics.

Dependence of offspring color on sex-linked traits.
Couple: rock dove, red dove.

Their chicks: a red dove and a gray-speckled dove

Zhenya
How to distinguish a dove from a dove?

Many pigeon breeders prefer to use folk methods in this matter. It is believed that if you stretch out your hand, the dove will definitely peck in response, and the female behaves more peacefully. There are other methods that do not have a scientific basis.

Advice. You should not completely rely on folk methods, as birds have a different character and temperament. Therefore, pigeons can behave differently, which does not always depend on gender.

How to determine gender by external signs

The pigeon breeder, who already has experience with these birds, usually easily determines whether the female is in front of him or the male. To do this, he only needs external signs dove.

The male is usually heavier and larger than the dove, his head is larger in size, and his beak is more massive. Not always, but there are differences in color. The dove is brighter in color, and additional colors may be present in its plumage.

The color of the plumage of the female is calmer, and she herself is more elegant:

• the body is smaller and lighter in weight;
• head smaller;
• the neck is longer;
• the beak is thinner and narrower at the base.

But much here depends on the breed of pigeons. Males of some breeds may be smaller and more graceful than females.

To find out the sex of a bird, you can also feel its pelvic bones, which are located in the lower abdomen near the tail. In males, these bones are located side by side and are felt as one whole, while in the dove they are at some distance from each other.

Attention! It will not be possible to reliably determine the sex of a pigeon from the bones of the pelvis if the female has not yet laid eggs. If the pigeon has been ill with rickets, this method also does not work.

It is better for a beginner pigeon breeder to first use all methods in combination in order to determine at least approximately the sex of an individual. First, there may be errors. But over time, the necessary experience will appear and it will be much easier to do this.

Sex of pigeons: video

In pigeons, secondary sexual characteristics are less pronounced than in any other bird species. Various methods are used in science to determine the sex of these birds: by the structure and shape of the body, behavior, voice characteristics, and by the color of feathers. There are also folk ways sexing pigeons, often of dubious effectiveness, but many breeders continue to use them to this day.

By body structure

The first and most obvious sign of the difference between dove and dove is size. The male is larger than the female, but there are nuances. This rule does not work in the case of decorative varieties; in breeds of this type, the dove visually looks smaller and more elegant than the dove. These breeds include the Chinese gull.

If the male has genetic abnormalities, then he may be smaller than the female.

You can determine the sex of a pigeon in the following ways:

1. 1. Pay attention to the head. In females, the head is relatively smaller, the eyes are more prominent and expressive, and the neck is thinner.
2. 2. In females, the bridge of the nose and the base of the beak are narrower; in males, the beak is more blunt and thick, the cere is more mealy and more powerfully developed. However, this technique has significant drawbacks: individual external differences in individual pigeon breeds and age-related changes- an old female has a rougher beak than any young male.
3. 3. The method of the so-called autosex lines (definition by color) is widespread. Males have lighter feathers than females. The coloration of pigeons varies by breed, so this method is more effective for experienced breeders.
4. 4. The structure of the pelvic bone is the most infallible way. These bones are located chest, in the region of the tail section. In males, the distance between them is practically absent, the bones are almost in contact. In the female, the distance is wider, about the length of the phalanx of the index finger. This method has a minus - it does not work in relation to females who have not yet laid eggs, or males who have had rickets (due to a lack of calcium, the pelvic bones are widely spaced).

Finding out the sex of the chicks is a little more difficult. As a rule, males are larger than females.

By behavior

By observing the behavior of birds, it is possible to distinguish a dove from a dove with great accuracy. The old school breeders have a way called "pull the pigeon by the nose" - while the females behave patiently and calmly, and the males break out and become aggressive. This method has certain disadvantages: one or another reaction often indicates precisely temperament, and sometimes females are more warlike than males. The level of domestication and stress resistance of the bird plays an important role.

If two males are placed in one cage, then they start a fight among themselves. This is different from two doves locked together: they will not fight among themselves, in fact, they may even begin to coo. Diverse specimens begin fallowing: the dove actively cares for the dove.

During the mating season, male birds begin to behave actively. Inflate the goiter, spread the wings on the tail, move in an upright position. During courtship, the dove hugs the dove and chases. The behavior of the female is more restrained: she coos, avoids persecution and falls on her tail. If the dove accepts courtship, she begins to unfurl, nods and bows.

But this method also has nuances. Sometimes males behave inactively, the level of aggression and peacefulness depends on the breed, and in various stressful situations, for example, in the market, the behavior of birds changes, so there is a chance to make a mistake when buying.

If you take a pigeon by both wings and lift it, and then stroke it on the breast, then the male will tighten his legs, unlike the female.

You should refrain from buying overly feminine pigeons or with pronounced aggressive behavior - this will complicate the further formation of pairs.

When purchasing pigeons for breeding, it is important to know the main differences between a male and a female in order to select the right individuals. Pigeons do not have pronounced sexual characteristics, and those that are available can only be applied to specific breeds. To distinguish a dove from a dove, you need to know the breed characteristics and the basic rules for determining the sex.

How to distinguish a dove from a dove

The basic rules are gleaned from the exterior and behavior of wild pigeons. In nature, the male is always larger. The main task of the female is to raise offspring, so she should be inconspicuous for predators, which means that she should have a discreet gray plumage. These birds create stable pairs, so the difference is especially noticeable in two individuals when they are close.
In the process of breeding new breeds, the above signs ceased to be absolute. And now, to determine gender, they also take into account:

• the size of the head, beak;
• color;
• exterior: size, color of feathers, structure of the pelvic bones;
• behavioral characteristics, including voice, behavioral characteristics.

Did you know?Pigeons have a unique eye structure. He is not afraid of bright light or laser flashes.

Beak and head

The male is distinguished by a high steep forehead, more powerful and short neck, large rounded head. The female is more graceful and has a small head on a longer neck. The dove's eyes are larger and more expressive. The beak and cere of the male are coarser and thicker.
The age of the individual also matters. The young pigeon is smaller and more graceful than the old one. Sizes are taken into account within the same breed, since males of small and medium breeds are always smaller than large breeds.

By color

The females have dull plumage. The male color is more intense, often interspersed with additional colors:

• more intense color of the neck;
• the presence of a metallized reflux of the neck plumage.

Did you know?In nature, wild pigeons do not perch on trees. They prefer rocks. That is why urban individuals love monuments - they remind them of rocks.

The size of the birds

The male is always larger, with a massive body. It is, however, also heavier. The female is more graceful, shorter, with a small head. Please note that some ornamental breeds have larger females. This fact is necessarily described in the exterior features of the breed.

According to the structure of the pelvis

To determine, take the bird in your hands and stroke it in the lower abdomen. Closer to the tail you will feel two thin bones. The distance between them in the female is about 1 cm, while in the male they are located very close to each other.

Important!Females of all pigeon breeds need the presence of a male for oviposition. Therefore, some breeders go to the trick and equip the place of laying with a mirror.

This method does not work for birds that have recovered from bone diseases, including rickets. When purchasing pigeons for breeding, keep in mind that such individuals will no longer give you absolutely healthy offspring.

By voice

It is believed that the voice of the male is rougher, the sounds that he makes are sharper and louder. Females mainly make cooing sounds. During the mating season, with a loud rumble, the male demonstrates his power to rivals.

By behavior

Two males in a cage usually decide questions of hierarchical superiority and may fight. Doves are calmer. In two birds of different sexes in the same cage, fallowing begins. The dove assumes a proud pose and begins courting the dove.

If the female does not like the admirer, she runs away from him. During the mating season, the partner fluffs his feathers, inflates his goiter, coos loudly and circles around his partner. Accepting courtship, she coos softly, crouches on her tail and bows.

Did you know?Despite their adaptability to cold climates, most of the 300 species of pigeons on the planet live in the tropics.

folk method

To determine the gender, a brass or copper pendulum is taken. It is centered over the bird's back. If it sways in a circle, it is a female, if it sways along the body, it is a male. Another folk method is stroking the chest.
The male in this situation tightens his paws, but the female does not. Scientific substantiation of folk methods for determining sex does not yet exist.

Important!Pigeon meat is 6 times more nutritious than chicken meat. And if you add any berries to the bird's diet 2 weeks before serving, the meat will be even more tasty and aromatic.

They are based only on many years of experience of pigeon breeders. It is believed that if you pull the bird by the beak, then the dove will take it calmly, and the dove will begin to break out.

Video: a method for determining the sex of pigeons