The hens tend to be sturdier and heavier in build than males, and so portray the hen as being slightly bigger than the cock.
It is generally accepted that hen birds have flatter broader skulls than cock birds. The cock’s head is more domed in shape.
The hen birds sit more broadly on the perch, with legs spread further apart than the cock. You can observe this well when a couple sits side by side on a horizontal perch.
The hen gives you the impression that all the tail feathers are the same length, where the cock bird holds the tail feathers slightly nipped. The male, therefore, seems to have a V shaped tail, and the female appears to have a tail that is trimmed straight across, fan like.
Often examining the pelvic bones might prove a worthwhile method of sexing lovebirds, assuming the birds are in breeding condition. These small bones are located above the vent opening. In the cock these bones are very close together, almost touching, while in the hen they are further apart, thus allowing room for the egg to pass. There is not a great deal of difference between hen and cock when the hen is not in breeding condition.
The most definite way of sexing your lovebirds is a trip to the local Avian Veterinarian. Unfortunately it’s also the most COSTLY.
