It is easy to distinguish male and female peony parrots. The head shape of female peony parrots is flat and round, while the head shape of male peony parrots is dorsal, pointed and slightly smaller. The head shape of female peony parrots is larger than that of male peony parrots.

In addition, the color of the male bird may be more bright and showy, while the color of the female bird may be relatively lighter. Males of some subspecies may have distinctive spots or patterns on their bodies, while females may have none or fewer.