# Another "Help with Gender" Thread: Ringneck Dove



## Riku540 (Nov 4, 2010)

We got Skittles, our Ringneck Dove late in the summer last year. Skittles never laid eggs last year, though it may have been late in the mating season and s/he may not have been sexually mature yet as we don't know his/her age. My wife and I just took a shot in the air and figured Skittles was male.

Skittles coos quite often, but always upright and never bowing. He is extremely friendly with our Diamond doves and actually quite passive with them as the Diamonds can get bossy at times.

Lately, Skittles has been not just cooing, but cooing in an almost 'purring' fashion, and does so leaning so far forward it looks like s/he is almost upside down and about to fall. While leaning forward s/he will also shrug his/her shoulders up and down. I've seen this before but thought it was a strange way to bow. Now I'm wondering if this is actually crouching behavior that females typically display.

We have 4 doves and 2 parakeets, and so far all but 2 we think we have guessed the gender wrong initially, so it would not be surprising at all if our Skittley-Dittley-Doo turned out to be female. Thanks for the help, and please let me know if there is any more information I can provide that would help.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

skittles is a good name for either male or female. I have no idea of the sex more than you would but I will guess female, I will have a 50% chance of being right!...lol.... males can be pretty vocal.. more than what you are describing. If one day you see an egg...then you will know.


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

I don't know the sex of your doves but I was told that my two foster doves are female. Here is a video of them. One is cooing....head down

http://youtu.be/8Be7nBSzihg


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

chuparosa said:


> I don't know the sex of your doves but I was told that my two foster doves are female. Here is a video of them. One is cooing....head down
> 
> http://youtu.be/8Be7nBSzihg


Your two fosters are acting like 2 males. There is the dominant unpecked one acting like a male...flying away and coming back with a laugh call. And the submissive pecked one (crouching/wing flicking) acting like a female. And...both of them have a loud coo. Doves can be very fooling when it comes to sexing them... 

Do you know if they ever laid eggs? I see they are both banded. Just out of curiosity...what year is on their bands?

Dawn


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