Sex of a Pied Recessive Budgie

Question
Dear Patt,
HELP! I have a Pied Recessive budgie that was sold to me as a female, but on a breeders website it was said to be a male. Then a local amatuer breeder told me it was a girl. Buttons (the budgie) gets bullied a lot by my other budgie (a cock), and is a lot more reserved and less highly strung than Basil (the cock). They sing differently, Buttons being a lot more quiet and more likely to chirp than to screech. Buttons cere is pinky/brown with the tiniest tinge of blue. I want to have two pairs but I don't know whether to get a cock and a hen or two hens.

Thanks, Rohan

Answer
Hi Rohan
Buttons is a male.  Get it away from the males NOW!!  They will end up nealy killing her.
The males have a deep purple=blue cere, the female a tinge of blue and brown.  It is hard to tell but I workd in a pet shop and learned fast how to tell and have gifted all my family with a male only to know it will talk, females only chirp and lay unfertile eggs that she can become egg bound and ill.

Kind Regards
Patt