They're.....boys???

All along, we’d thought they were girls. They told us at the pet store that they were girls. Girls are always easier to deal with than boys, we thought. Decades of owning female dogs had convinced us that boys were fine, but not for us.

So, in July of 2024 we went home from the pet store with a pair of cute parakeets. Girls. Actually, we would have been sanguine with a pair of males, but we told the bird lady at the pet store emphatically that we did not want “one of each.”

For nearly two years, we’ve been referring to them and addressing them as females. The two of them bonded immediately and got along perfectly together.

Then everything changed.

Lately, there’d been a lot of screeching and crazed flying around and a little pushing and shoving. No feathers flew; just some loud squawking and occasional assertive behavior that we hadn’t seen before. We decided to take them to the avian vet who’s known them since we got them.

(Dr. Ian at Animal Hospital of Trumbull. Free plug. Highly recommended.)

Ever tried to find a veterinarian who is qualified to treat birds? Good luck. Next nearest one for us was in New York City. No thanks. I’m old enough to know I should NOT be driving in NYC traffic.

So, concerned about their recent change in behavior, we loaded them up in their little carrier (photo above) for the 20-minute trip to Trumbull. The first shock came when the animal technician came into the exam room to get their weight and other basic stuff.

“You’re calling them she and her,” the tech said. “I think they’re male.”

My wife and I exchanged puzzled looks. “Really?” “I think so, but Dr. Ian will be able to tell you for sure.”

Dr. Ian confirmed it. The only way you can tell the sex of a parakeet without blood work and genetic tests is by a purple hue just above their beak. Sure enough, both birds had the purple hue.

The behavior we were concerned about? Boys being boys, Dr. Ian said. “How big is their cage,” he asked. “Do they have room to fly around inside it?” Yup.

We bought them the largest cage we could find (above) so the girls – er, the boys – would have enough space to actually fly around inside. In the photo above they’re up on top, looking out the window for their “friends” – the seagulls who fly around our neighborhood. We’re five blocks from Long Island Sound.

Dr. Ian pronounced both birds fit and very healthy. “They’re in great shape, and look really good,” he told us. “Don’t worry about their behavior. They’re just normal adult male parakeets,” he said.

We headed back home still marveling at the revelation. For nearly two years, we’ve been calling them “the girls.” But now they’re “the boys.”

The slightly larger more white-feathered one’s name is Chicken. And the one with predominantly blue plumage is now Tranquillo. Used to be Tranquilla, but now that we know she…er, he… is a boy, it’s Tranquillo.