Parrots prefer the opposite sex. True or False?

[pchela]

I saw this brought up in another thread and wanted to dispel this myth once and for all. It is not true that a male parrot will prefer a female human or that a female parrot will prefer a male human. I wonder where this myth originated? Anyway, I know it is a widely held view so I wanted to know how many of us believe this to be true?

[Natacha]

I don't know where it was originated. Might be an association of more common human practice applied to birds, although we are talking of preference between two total opposite species.

I have a few examples to disprove this myth.

Petey is a male bird. Petey (very much) dislikes women. He adores men. I do believe at one point that a women did something pretty bad to him because his distrust/fear of women is pretty intense.

Shade and Pixel are female birds. They both prefer me to my boyfriend. Pixel specially seems to have a definitive preference for women.

So yeah. Bird preference not linked to opposite sex.

[a.susz]

absolutely not. All three of my parrots are same sex birds, my female red belly loves me, my male bronze wing prefers my boyfriend over me, but will go to anyone, and my male senegal just sees me a as a caregiver and a transport, he is in love with my boyfriend.

[Michael]

This notion is nothing more than cognitive dissonance. In other words his is complete BS and just an excuse for lack of training success. I already shared a story about how a woman was abusing an African Grey and then accused the bird of being the opposite sex of me cause it went to me but not her:

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2650

I don't really see how parrots would be capable of sensing sex of human beings anyway. That is too remote for them. Heck they often have trouble sensing it within birds or even their species when they aren't dimorphic. I'm sure they do learn to identify males vs. females based on bias but that is all learned. I don't believe for a moment that they are born with a human gender preference.

[Azure Hanyo]

I agree with Michael. Gal is female and she *USUALLY* adores me, and has started to develop a very strong dislike for others, particularly men. She still enjoys my sister, and preens her hair when she gets a chance. Archimedes is male and doesn't really like anyone, but tolerates me and sometimes likes me... Cloud is just a baby but I don't know "his" sex so he is out of the discussion by default.

[Giantmoa]

my tiel preferred me for the first few years we had her since I was the one who took care of her and spent the most time, etc. Then she started being a hormonal little girl one spring which was not helped by my dad petting her innapropriately (on the back and wings) and she shunned everyone else in favor of him, eventually laying a clutch of eggs. He was her chosen "mate" but I don't think it had anything to do with him being male but more that he unknowingly encouraged her...

[Kim S]

Absolute birdpoop!
I have raised a ton of budgies and tiels and none of them stuck to me or my bf more than another. Our african grey we used to have was a dna sexed male and he hated me! I have no idea why, but I hope I would have done things better if I were in the same situation today. But those were the facts.
Kika is a supposed male, and he adores me but is happy to be around anybody else. He is starting to get nippy at my bf but thats something he need to work out. Nothing I can do to help there.
Guus is a sweetypie. He loves just about everybody.

[TheNzJessie]

no. my first rainbow lorikeet was a female sand she hated men. most likley because she was abused by a man (hit across the face) she never trusted men after than and reported the person to the spca, he was my boss at the pet store i worked at and who i brought the bird off. he had no right to hit my bird. but no i dont think birds prefer the opposite sex

[Azure Hanyo]

no. my first rainbow lorikeet was a female sand she hated men. most likley because she was abused by a man (hit across the face) she never trusted men after than and reported the person to the spca, he was my boss at the pet store i worked at and who i brought the bird off. he had no right to hit my bird. but no i dont think birds prefer the opposite sex

POOR BIRDIE!!!