Green parrot with a gray head. Corella parrot: appearance and lifestyle in the wild. How to breed feathered friends

Corella (Nymphicus hollandisus) is an Australian bird belonging to the popular cockatoo family. At the moment, this is the only known species of the Corella genus.

Description of parrot cockatiel

Cockatiels have become relatively popular in our country recently, but even now they are characterized by connoisseurs of exotic birds, as very original, intelligent and fairly easy to keep pets.

Parrot intelligence

Thanks to their well-developed intelligence, cockatiels are deservedly among the ten smartest birds that are great for keeping at home. According to numerous studies conducted, the intelligence of an adult bird is quite consistent with the mental abilities of a five-year-old child.

Appearance and colors

The length of an adult bird, including the tail, can vary between 30-33cm. A characteristic feature of the species is the presence of a rather high crest on the head and a long, with a pronounced sharpening tail. The plumage of females and males is different. Males have, as a rule, a brighter, inviting plumage of dark olive-gray color, with a yellow crest and head. The feathers on the wings are most often velvety black, with a pronounced bluish or silvery tint.

It is interesting! The cockatoo's beak in appearance and shape is very similar to the cockatoo's beak, but less large, nevertheless, with the help of its feathered pet, it can easily bite into medium wire and even electrical wiring.

Females are characterized by a dirty gray main plumage and a brownish tint on the underside of the body, and pale brown spots on the cheeks. The head area and crest have a pale gray coloration with a light yellow tint. It should be noted that the color of plumage in young birds is similar to that of females, so only a year can you easily determine the sex.

Parrot subspecies cockatiel

The simplicity of breeding such birds in captivity has made it possible to obtain many new colors of plumage, which greatly complicates the independent determination of the sex of a bird. The most famous subspecies include:

albino cockatiels - white or cream-colored birds with red eyes, due to complete absence pigment. The head area and crest are yellow. The female may have pale yellow spots on the wings;
white cockatiel with black eyes, obtained by crossing a white female with a gray male. For males of the subspecies, the presence of lighter feathers in the undertail is characteristic, and the females are distinguished in this part by a distinct marble pattern;
Corella-lutino is a yellow bird with red eyes. Distinctive feature subspecies, regardless of gender, is the presence of bright orange spots on the sides of the head;
light gray cockatiel, obtained in the process of crossing gray and white birds with black eyes. A distinctive feature is the presence of lighter shades of gray in the plumage;
dark yellowish cockatiel - birds with different variations in plumage coloration within the range of dark yellowish and light cream shades.

Special attention in recent times attract cockatiels-sheki with heterogeneous white spots on the plumage... It is generally accepted that it is sheki that is the best source material for breeding new and very original subspecies.

It is interesting! Shakes can be represented by harlequins, birds with pearl-gray plumage, white-winged and black-winged specimens, as well as black-gray birds with very intense black breasts.

Habitat and habitats in the wild

In the wild, Corella inhabits woodlands located in the coastal zone of rivers, as well as open eucalyptus groves and overgrown with low savanna shrubs. A large number of birds of this species can be found at the top of a dead tree or tall shrub. The maximum number is in Australia.

Keeping a cockatiel parrot at home

Parrot cage device

A feathered pet is not adapted to live in cramped conditions, therefore, an incorrectly selected cage can cause injuries or many diseases. Minimum size cages for an adult bird cannot be less than 60x60cm or 70x70cm. It is very important that the size of the cage door allows the bird to fly in and out without hindrance.

Important! Practice of home keeping, for one individual it is advisable to acquire a vertical cage with dimensions of 60x50x50cm, and for a pair of adult birds you can use a rectangular cage with dimensions of 150x70x70cm.

The cage must be made of unpainted steel... A pull-out tray should be installed at the bottom of the cage. To prevent scattering of feed and splashing water, the lower part of the dwelling must be equipped with plastic bumpers. In the cage, as a rule, several perches are installed, as well as a feeder, a sippy cup and toys.

Care and hygiene

The place for the location of the cage with a feathered exotic pet must necessarily be fenced off from a draft or cold air. A tropical bird is very thermophilic, therefore it is extremely difficult to tolerate tempera changes, as a result of which it can get sick or even die.

It is interesting! As practice shows, and testimonials from the owners of feathered pets testify, Corella has an increased sensitivity to any extraneous odors in the room, including tobacco smoke, perfumery fragrances, chlorine-containing disinfectants and air fresheners.

The optimal and most comfortable temperature for Corella is a temperature in the range of 22-24 o C. Among other things, with home maintenance in winter, with the heating devices turned on, there is an increased dryness of the air in the room, so it is necessary to use room humidifiers. The litter of the cage tray needs to be changed regularly, and the drinkers, feeders and all toys of the parrot should be thoroughly washed weekly.

Diet - how to feed a cockatiel parrot

A proper diet is a very important point in keeping a homemade cockatiel. The life span of a feathered pet directly depends on how competently the feeding will be provided, and irregular or improper nutrition can negatively affect the health of an exotic parrot.

It is best to use ready-made complete feed mixtures for feeding Corella.... It should be noted that the basis of such feed, regardless of its cost, is usually represented by millet, oats, wheat, sunflower and corn. More expensive options may include additional ingredients such as nuts, minerals, oils, and yeast.

Life span

Under natural conditions, cockatiels do not exceed ten years, which is due to the need to constantly find food for themselves and protect themselves from numerous predators.

With proper home maintenance, the pet feels very comfortable, therefore it is able to live for about fifteen or twenty years. There are cases when the life expectancy of some individuals was a quarter of a century or more..

Parrot diseases and prevention

A sick bird not only exhibits behavioral changes, but may also have symptoms such as:

difficulty breathing or too fast breathing;
inflammation of the skin;
baldness;
growths or detachments on the beak;
vomiting;
diarrhea or constipation.

Plumage problems are most common, including improper shedding and self-plucking. The most common diseases of the stomach and intestinal tract are gastroenteritis and dysbiosis. The best prevention of any disease is compliance with the rules for keeping a feathered pet, as well as providing the bird with adequate nutrition and regular examinations by a veterinarian.

Is it possible to teach Corella to speak

If we compare this species with budgerigars, then the latter are more talkative, however, it is the cockatiel that pronounces the words much more clearly and legibly. Almost all representatives of this species have the ability to talk. Moreover, with regular exercise, it is quite easy to teach your pet not only to repeat individual words, but also to pronounce whole sentences, as well as imitate sounds or whistle simple melodies.

It is interesting! The piercing and rather harsh voice of the cockatiels causes distortion of the spoken words and the accompaniment of speech with a characteristic chirp. Regardless of the situation, such a feathered pet immediately gives out its entire vocabulary.

At present, 32 primary mutations of the species, and more than 100 secondary ones, have been officially registered for the color of wavy parrots. Even in the form of plumage, there are differences. If the crested were recognized and entered into the general register of species, then individuals with curly feathers are considered marriage, although they are obtained from thoroughbred parents. Blue budgerigar is a rare color for the natural color of a bird. It became the main breeding ground for many species, including purple and purple.

Spangles have an unusual marbled color

Yellow and blue parrots have a solid color of the body and marble wings. Blue, purple and blue wavy hairs have a white head. The stripes on the wing feathers are gray with white, light yellow.

The budgerigar species was bred in Czechoslovakia. For which they were briefly called Czechs. The breeders themselves, working on the creation of the species, call them Show.

Czechs are slightly more wild relatives. Their proportional and slender body has broad shoulders, they look stocky and strong against the background of other budgies. At the same time, the Chekhovs have a proud bearing, one might say royal. The color is dominated by white and blue.

In addition to their size, the Czechs are distinguished by a lush crest and sideburns. They seem to be in a warm fur hat with ears hanging on the cheeks and neck on the sides. The dark edging of the puffy collar at the front creates the illusion of a puffy frill with ruffles in black or a bright necklace, depending on how the feathers with black edges fall.

Czech parrots are bigger than their relatives

Parrot lovers and bird watchers have noticed that Czechs learn to speak faster than other species of parrots. They can repeat words for a person not even during training, but simply heard in conversation with other people. Unfortunately, even receiving full food and, they live less than other types of budgies, only 4 - 5 years.

Translated from the language of the indigenous people of Australia, the name of the small green bird sounds like "flying food". Budgerigars were named for the dark stripes along the wings, back and neck, which lie in waves. The colors of budgies are distinguished by several factors:

the presence and location of dark stripes;
the predominant color;
the location of the dominant color.

The first breeders produced the yellow budgerigar. In natural conditions of wild nature, ornithologists have recorded cases of the appearance among green chirps of bright yellow individuals with stripes and a clean color. Such birds were far visible to predators, and died first. Sometimes they were killed by their relatives. The unusual color of the yellows annoyed them as much as the white albinos.

Due to its bright color, the yellow wavy parrot was easily detected by predators

According to the pattern of wavy parrots, several types are distinguished.

Standard has a dark wavy pattern similar to wild parrots.
Yellow-faced has no stripes, it is almost monochromatic.
When black is replaced by brown, the pattern is called Cinnamon. The eyes and such birdies are plum-colored.
Opaline color is formed by mixing feathers of different colors. As a result, the stripes are absent, the pattern resembles marble.
The pattern characteristic of the Spangles is called star-shaped.
In Greywing, irrespective of the color of the breast and the whole body, the wings are gray.
Pure-winged birds are birds with monochromatic wings. They are white in blue parrots, yellow in green ones.

There are many varieties of colors. Parrots are called parrots, which have strands of a contrasting color anywhere, most often on the wings.

If you look closely at the color of wild parrots, you will notice that the black stripes have a purple tint. As a result, the following colors became the base color:

green with yellow;
blue with white.

Color saturation and tonality depend on the presence of dark genes that wild birds do not have.

In domestic wavy varieties, the varieties are bred artificially as a result of the work of breeders. The colors are defined by the standard about 200. The table shows the main colors and their numerical codes according to the international standard.

The green row is considered yellow as a pure color. By analogy, for blue, the base is white.

The green budgerigar there are many shades

By localization, colors are distinguished by motley, in feathers of two colors scattered throughout the body. Harlequins have a clear border in the color of the abdomen and neck in one color. In penguins, the division of color runs along the body, the same head, wings, back.

As a result of selection, we got many options for the colors of parrots. The most interesting half is obtained by chance when crossing individuals with different colors, it is impossible to create a stable heredity or calculate it by the presence of genes. The budgerigar is painted in two colors, the division is vertical.

Budgerigars blue and cyan are often found in combination with white. Variants of darker tones of violet and lilac are rare.

The yellow ones can have green wings and be monochromatic clean. Greens have yellow heads and breasts.

Blues and blues have white heads and breasts and darker blue and purple stripes on the wing and neck feathers.

White parrots Albino differ from albinos in the light gray shade of the edges of the feathers. Their eyes are blue and plum.

The Lutino parrot has a light lemon shade. Common and popular with breeders. It is obtained by crossing two Spangles.

Parrot Lutino has a pleasant lemon shade

The pink parrot is rare. In fact, it is an Albino with purple feathers. Lilac, purple, lilac are rare, their second color is white. The drawing is standard.

Influence of color on character and habits

The colors of budgies do not affect their character. All birds are sociable, cheerful, memorize words equally well. Girls talk less and reluctantly. The boys are chatty and sing constantly. Albinos are an exception. They are more irritable and aggressive. But when maintaining their house, the differences are almost not manifested.

Color affects health and life expectancy. Green birds with yellow cheeks are in good health and live longer. This is a natural color that has not been artificially changed. The rarest breeds: purple, pink, lilac, white live the least.

A new color is obtained with changes at the genetic level using various mutations. Birds, accustomed to living in nature all their lives with one chosen partner, are crossed, breaking their habits. The colors of future chicks are calculated by the number of dark and light factors in the parents. The farther the color and pattern of feathers from the natural, the weaker the bird.

The most relevant colors among small exotic parrots are yellow birds, they are acquired even more often than a green wavy feathered friend. But a parrot with red feathers is quite rare.

Feather colors of small parrots are:

yellow;
blue;
green;
white;
red (rare).

As already mentioned above, parrots with a yellow color have become the most relevant colors, it will be about him that will be discussed.

In Australia, budgerigars are mostly green in color, due to the fact that it is a natural color, and thanks to this color, parrots become invisible in the foliage, which saves them from predators. The coloring of the parrot is not the same color, there is also the presence of such colors:

black;
yellow.

The presence of black plumage is found on the wings of the bird, and yellow feathers on the head and near the beak. The parrot's head is a yellow speck, with a small purple color, which is located on both sides of the bird's head. Thanks to such an interesting color, parrots have an excellent disguise.

This type of parrot does not sit in one place, they are very active. As soon as the sun rises, they fly to look, to eat for themselves, looking for plants, berries and grains. In search of food, they fly out only after the sun begins to go into sunset, since before that there is an unbearable heat. Parrots wait out the sun, sitting in the trees, noisy companies.

In length, their size does not reach 20 centimeters, and their weight is 50 grams. This kind of parrots are considered real tomboys, they never sit still. Sometimes the thought arises that they talk incessantly, the whole day, the break is only during a snack. They began to call our feathered friends wavy parrots for a reason.

In Latin, their name sounds like this: Metopsittacus undulatus, which means the singing budgerigar. Wavy is not an easy name, it is a characteristic pattern on the back of a parrot. It was from the waves on the back that the name wavy parrot appeared, a very cute name.

How to breed feathered friends

One traveler from England made a note about an extraordinary species of birds that lived in Australia, it was in 1805. After this note, more and more facts became known about this exotic bird, and demand for them began to appear. Many tried to bring this type of bird to Europe, but the result was sad, during the transportation the birds died.

Some still managed to smuggle a parrot, and they became domestic feathered pets. After that, budgerigars became common pets, and breeders began to experiment. Thanks to experiments, more than 200 species of feathered friends were bred, which had a different color, a different pattern and different shape wings. Each species was individual and completely different from other species.

But, unfortunately, the code the breeder was chasing after the uniqueness of the appearance of the parrot, it became known that breeding by selection, parrots acquire a weak immune system. Despite this sad nuance, demand did not lose its momentum. The yellow budgerigar was also bred by breeding. What makes it unique is that it does not have a black pigment.

Lutino - a cute bird for the house

Such an interesting name lutino, received a parrot with a bright yellow color of feathers. The bird has all degrees of yellow color intensity. The presence of white may also be present, usually they are found only on the cheeks of the parrot.

The only problem that a person who has decided to make such a feathered friend for himself is possible, is the lack of knowing who you are acquiring, a female or a male. The thing is that other budgies have a significant difference between a boy and a girl, but for young lutino they look the same as a boy or a girl. When a parrot grows into an adult, then determine the sex, possibly by wax. In a girl, over time, it turns red or brown, and in a boy it turns purple.

If you become the happy owner of such parrots, and they are still small, then you will not be able to determine the sex. If you urgently need to find out the sex of the bird, then only a DNA test will help in this matter. Most of this species of parrots are female. The thing is that it is the lutino girls, the carriers of the gene. Males of yellow color are born only when there are two parents with yellow plumage.

In most cases, this type of parrot is acquired by creative personalities, it is they who love everything unusual and bright. Yellow feathered friend- this is a symbol of warmth and comfort, looking at a yellow parrot, positioning it with a warm yellow sun.

In contact with

The bird known as the parrot nymph is called the cockatiel in its homeland of Australia. In past centuries, birds of this breed were attributed to cockatoo parrots because of the similar body structure and almost the same large tuft. However, scientists have proven that the nymph parrot, although it belongs to the cockatoo family, is a separate species parrots. In this article, you will find out all the detailed information about these birds.

Cockatiel parrots - description (briefly):

life expectancy: wild birds - 10-14 years, domesticated birds - 20-25 years;
the size of the body with the tail: 30-33 cm;
wingspan: 17-18 cm;
tail length: 14-16 cm;
weight: about 100g;
activity: males are more active than females;
receptivity to learning: average, without coercion, learning ability increases;
susceptibility to training: average, without coercion, the ability to train increases;
to whom these birds are not suitable: to those who cannot withstand the sharp and loud cries of the nymph cockatiel.

Cacatua tenuirostris - long-nosed cockatoo;
Cacatua sanguinea is a big-eyed cockatoo.

The local, Australian name comes from the combination of these two names.

European scientists of the eighteenth century gave these birds a different name - nymphs, from the Latin name Nymphicus. According to ancient Greek myths, nymphs are eternally young personifications of the living elemental forces of nature.

Appearance

The size of the cockatiel parrots resembles small pigeons. One of the striking features of these birds is the long plumage on the head in the region of the crown, collected in a beautiful gray-yellow crest. Almost all cockatiels have a bald patch of skin under the tuft.

These parrots have a large beak, very similar to that of a cockatoo. However, in cockatiels it is somewhat shorter and weaker. Nevertheless, nymphs with their beaks are capable of cracking a nut and gnawing many fruits.

Cockatiels are parrots with long feathers, pointed at the end. Moreover, the second flight feather on the wings is the longest. The wedge-shaped tail of the bird consists of elongated tail feathers. In males, tail feathers grow slightly closer together than in females.

The bird has not very strong paws with small toes, metatarsals. But even on such paws, parrots move freely and quickly on the ground and climb trees.

Above the black beak of the cockatiel with a grayish tint, there is a gray wax. Closer to the wax, a brown tint is noticeable on the beak. The iris of the eyes of the parrot is dark brown in color. The skin on the legs is gray-brown.

Colors

Natural feather colors

conjunctivitis;
goiter inflammation;
loss of feathers;
diarrhea;
constipation;
cold;
cutaneous dermatitis;
avitaminosis;
tumors.

Conditions of detention

For the normal life of the cockatiels, you need to organize them comfortable living conditions. For most of their life, these birds should be in or in an aviary equipped with everything necessary:

a feeder for a grain mixture;
feeding trough for feeding;
drinker;
bathing suit;
two or three perches of different sizes;
toys;
miniature trees;
pebbles;
ladders.

Birds should be sunbathing in summer, and under the light of ultraviolet lamps in winter. In the room where the parrot lives, you need to provide a humidity of about sixty to seventy percent and a temperature of twenty to twenty-five degrees. Sleep should be observed, which is about ten to fourteen hours, depending on the time of year, and wakefulness.

In order for the Corella to maintain good physical shape, it must be periodically released from the cage into the room for free flight. Such walks are required, even if the parrot lives in a spacious aviary.

The parrot needs to be fed with a balanced diet, consisting of a grain mixture, cereals, sprouted grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, berries, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken eggs, vitamin and mineral supplements. The bird should always have clean water.

Character, habits, learning ability

Cockatiels have a proud disposition and do not tolerate neglect. These parrots believe that the owner should pay extra attention to them. Otherwise, they simply will not take root.

Often, parrots nymphs among all household members choose one of them as their masters. It will be good if the owner turns out to be a woman, since these birds more easily perceive the female timbre of the voice.

Other species of birds can not only live quietly next to cockatiels, but also become friends for them.

The bright plumage of budgerigars contains only two pigments - black and yellow. Surprisingly, it is the combination of these two pigments that gives all the variety of colors of domestic parrots that have been bred to date. It is not hard to guess that the yellow budgerigar was born without black pigment.

Lutino: appearance

The yellow budgerigar lutino has a rich yellow color. The flight feathers of the wings and tail have a lighter shade. Not a single dark speck can be found on the bird's body. The markings on the cheeks of lutino are white, the paws and claws are pink, the eyelids are white and even eyes are red, like albinos.

Determining the sex of lutino

Due to the lack of black pigment, sometimes there is some confusion when determining the sex of the parrot. In lutino males, the wax is pink, as in young females. Therefore, alternative methods have to be used to determine the sex of young birds. In an adult female, the wax is colored in reddish brown color, from the male acquires purple tint.

Lutino color genetics

Lutino is a recessive color mutation linked to the sex, specifically to the X chromosome. But in parrots, the opposite is true - the combination of chromosomes XX determines males, and XY determines females. That's why females with the lutino gene are always yellow, and males may be latent carriers of this recessive gene. Only if the male parrot receives the lutino gene from both parents will it be yellow. This happens quite rarely, most of the yellow lutino budgerigars are females.

Parrots with a double stellar gene

Yellow dark-eyed

Budgerigars have other color genes that reduce the amount of black pigment in their feathers. One of them is the spangle gene, or gene of stellarity. Inherited in single copy, this gene forms a reverse pattern on the feathers of the bird in the form of thin black wavy stripes on a white background, and not vice versa as usual.

In birds with a double stellation gene, all black pigment in the feathers disappears, and completely white or completely yellow budgies are obtained with black eyes. In such parrots, the iris of the eyes brightens with age. Voskovitsa has the usual color for non-albino colors.

Yellow budgerigar. He is distinguished from lutino, first of all, by his black eyes.

Another combination of genes in which the budgerigar gets yellow color and black eyes is recessive variegated and pure-winged speckled genes. In these parrots, the eyes remain black and purple throughout their lives. The wax does not change color as usual: in males it retains its purple color at maturity, in females it can be white or brown.

Pale yellow budgerigars

Yellow budgies can be soft, pleasant pastel yellow shade. This color is obtained by albinos who have inherited yellow face gene.

Yellow-faced albino (left) and golden-faced albino (right)

The yellow-faced color comes in varying degrees of intensity depending on the type of gene. Parrots with this color most often have a yellow mask and pale yellow shoulders, a lighter yellow tint is distributed over the rest of the body. Like ordinary albinos, yellow-faced ones have red eyes, pink paws, and the wax does not change color at maturity.

kotopes.ru

Features of the breed

This breed is most often chosen by poultry lovers. These elegant and sophisticated parrots are very friendly and do not require special living conditions.

They are small, therefore, the cage for them should be much smaller than for large breeds. This question is essential especially for those who do not have a lot of space for keeping birds.

Parrot-friendly cage

Also, the budgerigar can be confidently called one of the most economical, since its purchase and care does not require large financial costs. You can buy a bird at your nearest pet store.

The sense organs of the bird

These parrots can see and hear perfectly, and even distinguish colors better than human! The budgerigar has a strong beak, thanks to which it can get its food and live. Feathers are tightly pressed to the body. Parrots are very careful about their appearance, because they can spend hours cleaning feathers, swimming and even looking at themselves in the mirror.

Parrot admires itself

But perhaps the most attractive feature of budgies is their extraordinary ability to mimic human speech.

If you take proper care of these wonderful birds, they will bring joy to your family for at least the next 12-15 years, they live that long.

Parrot in your house

Remember that buying a budgerigar, like any other parrot, you are committing to be responsible for his life and health. And if it seems to you that it is enough just to put the bird in a cage with food and water, then you are deeply mistaken. After all, we all need love and attention. And birds are no exception. They need comprehensive care.

Parrot walk through the apartment

Have you heard among the people the expression: "Like a bird in a cage"? Indeed, no bird can live in captivity. Therefore, do not forget to let your parrot fly for at least half an hour every day. But be careful! After all, these birds perfectly feel the source of fresh air, and with your negligence, they can fly out the window. And the likelihood that you will be able to get your pet back is very small.

Flock of birds

Also, keep in mind that budgies cannot live a healthy life without society. Therefore, get him a friend, and it is better not one, but several. In addition, these birds consider you to be their family members, therefore, you simply owe them your precious time and attention.

Cage for a parrot

Perhaps this is the first thing to think about when buying your future little friend. It should be spacious enough, at the same time multifunctional.

Complete cage

As for the size of the cage, it cannot be less than the wingspan of the bird. And ideally - the parrot needs to fly at least a little in the cage itself and jump on the rungs.

When choosing a cage, please pay attention to two very important details - the roof and the floor. It is best if the top is rectangular and flat, because thanks to this, in a stressful situation, the parrot can easily hide in a corner, and it will also be easier for you to attach all sorts of rockers for your favorite bird. The floor should be solid, and not consisting of twigs, since the parrot's legs can get stuck in the holes, which will greatly damage it.

Location

When deciding where to put a cage with parrots, keep in mind that birds love a place that is sufficiently lit, but protected from drafts, because they can catch a cold and even die. The best option, if the sun hits the birds, but in the summer it is still worth shading them a lot. The temperature should be between 20 and 25 degrees.

Never place the cage near electrical appliances!

Purity

You will have to keep order in the parrot's house every day. Thoroughly wash the cage, feeder and drinker, add new sand, feed, and fresh, clean water.

Cage cleaning kit

Parrot bathing

You can try putting a tub of water in the cage. After all, most budgies love to swim, and will be grateful to you.

However, under no circumstances force them to do so. These birds are very vulnerable.

Budgerigar feeding

Since parrots are granivorous birds, their main food is millet and oats. However, their food should be varied and filled with a sufficient amount of nutrients. Therefore, it is best to buy a ready-made cereal mixture at a pet store.

Food for parrots

But this does not mean that such food can completely replace natural food. Therefore, include fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and sprouted grains in your pet's diet.

Parenting - teach your parrot to speak

If you have dreamed all your life that your parrot will learn to speak, then consider several factors:

First of all, start the learning process at an early age. After all, the parrot must get used to you and realize that he is a member of the family;
Usually the male is easier to train than the female. But do not be discouraged if you bought a girl, because she will reproduce what she heard much louder and clearer;
Tame your parrot before training. After all, otherwise he will not be able to trust you, much less imitate. The first time it will be better if only one family member will conduct classes - the one for whom the bird was bought. The training area should be quiet.

Tamed parrot

Remember that boredom prompts the parrot to speak. And the more fun he is during the day, the less likely he is to speak. Your classes should be fun and exciting game for him, but only for a certain period of time, for example, half an hour. And then leave him alone with himself to the cage, let him "digest" the game. Only in this case, your efforts will be rewarded in two to three weeks at the age of 3-6 months of your pet.

Teach the parrot patiently and with love, and then your efforts will bear fruit, their singing is very springy all year round.

Reproduction

With the achievement of one and a half years of age, your parrots will be able to reproduce offspring.

10 days after mating, the female lays the first egg, and then every day one more. She sits on the nest most of the time, and the male carefully feeds her. And after about 20 days, your wavy chicks will hatch.

Chicks

They grow fast enough, and after a couple of weeks they are covered with small, still spiny, feathers. And on the 30th day after birth, the chick can no longer be distinguished from its parents. He becomes a handsome young parrot. But do not transplant the baby into another cage until he learns to feed on his own, and this will happen at least after one and a half to two months.

Truly, caring for a budgerigar and training it will bring you and your kids vivid emotions and memories for years to come. Don't doubt your decision to purchase this wonderful budgerigar is correct and correct!

And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!

brothers-smaller.ru

Blue

First of all, it must be said that, surprisingly, the color variety of budgerigars is a man-made phenomenon.

As a result, today blue parrots can be found, perhaps even more often than green ones. They are affable and friendly creatures, and if you consider, that the bluebird is a symbol of good luck, it's no wonder this colorway is so popular with bird lovers.

Blue budgies were bred in France at the beginning of the 20th century, although Belgian breeders had already encountered similar mutations in the color of the bird 25 years earlier.

Green

There is nothing surprising in the fact that this particular color is for exotic bird is the standard. In the wild, budgerigars live in Australia, which is known to be called the green continent. No other colors will give small defenseless birds a more reliable chance to get lost in the abundant tropical greenery and not become an accidental victim of a predator, and parrots have a lot of natural enemies, and they are quite dangerous.

There is practically no chance for a parrot to escape from a kite or falcon, so the best way to protect yourself is to go unnoticed.

Light green

The main color of the plumage of the "natural" budgerigar has a shade of young glossy grass, darker on the back and light green in the lower part, on the breast and belly. The bird has a light yellow mask on its head, on the throat there are six black spots plus two purple spots on the sides on the cheekbones. The entire back from the head itself and the wings are decorated with a variegated black pattern in the form of wavy lines (hence the name of the bird). Separate pride - dark blue central feathers on the wings and tail with a metallic shade. Sometimes the tail feathers are blue, and the flight feathers are black or dark green. The paws are greenish-gray.

However, as a result of domestication and long-term selection a huge amount of different types shades of green budgies, little similar to their original colors.

Dark green

So, at the beginning of the last century in France were bred dark green "wavy", which differ from their "natural" counterparts in a brighter and more "festive" color, which in natural conditions the bird simply cannot afford to have.

In general, the distribution of colors in such parrots looks the same as in light green ones, but the main color of the plumage is darker, the yellow mask is more saturated in color, and the tail feathers, on the contrary, are of a less bright blue hue. The specks on the throat of the bird are purple rather than black.

Olive green

If dark green parrots are obtained by adding one dark factor to the natural color, then olive is formed due to the effect of two dark factors on a dark green bird at once. This is perhaps the most beautiful variation of all shades of green..

It is difficult to describe it, it is better to see it once: all transitions, spots and waves are present, but their contrast is especially bright, and the main color is surprisingly saturated. The black color of the flight feathers has a distinct olive tint.

Yellowfaces

Yellow "face" for budgerigar- a natural sign, but yellow-faced, or simply yellow, is customary to call blue birds with a yellow head. If in the natural color of the bird, as we said, there are yellow and black colors, surprisingly giving the illusion of green, then in order for yellow to become the main one, it is enough to simply remove the black pigment from the color. Nevertheless, many breeders believe that yellow-faced parrots are not green birds without yellow, but blue and yellow, and discussions on this matter are still ongoing.

It is customary to distinguish three main types of yellow-faced budgerigars: type 1 and type 2, as well as golden-faced, sometimes referred to as Australian.

European with normal pattern

This type of color has been known for over 135 years. The bird has blue plumage all over its body, and its head is pale lemon in color. In the first type, the yellow color is practically absent in the body, or it is found in the form of small, almost imperceptible, streaks, sometimes distinguishable in the feathers of the wings and tail. A separate species is a bird with a very light yellow mask that looks almost white.

The second type of yellow-faced parrots is characterized by the presence of a lemon shade throughout the body, in the wings and tail. The main color of the feathers is at first bright azure, but in the process of molting it is more and more approaching green. In the same variety, an uneven proportion in the distribution of yellow and blue is possible, as a result of which the lower part of the bird looks blue and the breast is aqua.

Australian normal

If the European yellow-faced are characterized by shades similar to lemon, then the Australians are more likely associated with egg yolk. It is this tone in the entire plumage that replaces white: it is present on the flight feathers, and in the tail, and on the body, as a result of which the bird looks green. As in European yellow-faced, in this case, a variation of uneven staining of yellow and blue is also possible, as a result of which the lower part of the parrot is blue, and the top of the body is green.

In fact, the Australian color (golden-faced birds) is something intermediate between blue and green, in connection with which this color is called "parbleu" (partially blue), however, sometimes this term is also used in relation to European yellow-faced.

Blue (cobalt)

Another mutation from the blue row - cobalt... These are blue parrots, in the breeding of which there is one additional dark factor. Such birds look much brighter and more elegant than the usual blue "wavy" and much more like a fabulous blue bird.

Gray

Adding a gray factor produces multiple shades of gray. Depending on what color the bird is taken as the basis for breeding (green or blue), we get gray or gray-green individuals.

Gray(also called dominant or Australian grays) budgies come in a variety of shades, but one of the rarest and most beautiful colors in this range is anthracite. The plumage of this bird is so dark that it seems black, sometimes with white splashes.

This color owes its appearance to German breeders, although in fairness it must be said that gray parrots of a very dark shade were bred in England back in the 30s of the last century, however, unfortunately, this variety was not preserved (mainly due to the fact that the dark gray color acted in the genotype as a recessive factor and, thus, was lost when crossed with any other individual).

Gray-green

Gray-green budgerigars come in a variety of shades- from lighter to darker (brown).

Due to the close proximity to the natural color, this color was bred in the homeland of "wavy", in Australia. It happened in 1935. The birds have a mustard shade of the main plumage, the mask is of a standard yellow color, and a gray tint is added in the black spots on the throat. The wavy stripes along the body are black and very contrasting, the flight feathers are green or black, the tail is black.

Gray blue

The result of the work of French breeders - gray-blue budgerigars. It is interesting that this color is one of the oldest, it was managed to fix it back in 1924. These birds differ from ordinary gray ones in that the main color of the front and rear lower parts of their body has a distinct blue with a pinkish or purple tint. The mask on the head is not yellow, but white, the black waves and dots are the same as those of blue parrots, and the tail is dark blue.

Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful wavy parrot colors. The bird looks amazingly gentle and harmonious. Despite the fact that at first glance it seems light gray, in fact there is no gray tint in the plumage. Almost the entire body is evenly painted over with a delicate mauve color without any streaks or blotches. Under the beak there is a white mask with black dots, above the beak up to the forehead there is also a white area, turning into a series of black transverse stripes on the back of the head. There should be no other color blotches or patterns on the head.

Purple

No less envy of neighbors can be caused by the owner of a purple budgerigar. German breeders managed to get this color at the end of the 20s of the last century. It is based on the dominant gray gene. Here, variations in plumage shades are also possible - from purple as such to the delicate color of Persian lilac (the presence of a dark or blue factor plays a decisive role, as well as the amount of purple - single or double).

According to approved standards, in budgerigar colors there are three shades of purple, although in fact there are at least six times more of them!

Clarified Parrots

Above we said that a variety of colors of budgies was obtained by adding a dark factor to the main color and then "playing" with various combinations obtained. But there is also a reverse selection method - lightening the natural color.

There are several classifications of clarified "wavy". So, it is believed that clarified should be called a bird, the color of which is about 80% lighter than the classic color, and this applies not only to the main plumage, but also to the wavy stripes, which are usually black.

In the composition of clarified parrots, gray-winged, gray-winged full-color and pure-winged birds are also distinguished. In the first and second cases, "waviness" is indicated in gray, not black, but in full-color birds, as you might guess from the name, the main color is normal, not lightened. Pure-winged parrots have almost no "waviness", since the corresponding stripes are either very light or completely indistinguishable.

Lightening is always recessive, which is why this type of plumage is much less common in birds. But if a parrot is a carrier of this gene, when crossed with the same carrier, a clarified chick can turn out (those who are familiar with genetics can easily calculate the probability of such a combination - it is 25%).

In conclusion, it should be noted that breeding work with wavy parrots has been carried out so long and successfully that various breeds of these sociable and cheerful birds differ not only in color, but also in other criteria (for example, there are crested "wavy" and the shape of the tuft can be different - round, semicircular or bundle).

But the classic light green budgerigar remains the healthiest and most viable - this is how nature intended this bird. Therefore, when acquiring a parrot of an especially rare and beautiful color, be prepared for the fact that your pet will be less active, weaker and will live much less than its "ordinary" brother.

pets2.me

STEAM (FALLOW)
? Description of the standard

There are several varieties of Steam. According to the name of the country of origin, the names of the mutations are given German, English, and Scottish steam.

The main feature that distinguishes these three varieties is iris ring adult birds. All species have red eyes, but each species has its own peculiarity:

The German Steam has a deep scarlet eye color, like the Ino mutation, but a darker shade, with the usual white iris ring in adult birds.
English Vapors have a barely visible iris, and their eyes are solid, bright red.
Scottish Steam has pink iris ring.

Recognized by standards english and german steam form.

German and English Steam mutations are very similar. Also, both of these varieties have similarities with Cinnamon, but differ significantly from them. less intense body color, with a mustard tint on the chest, turning into green on the rump (blue in birds of the Blue row).
The depth of appearance of green or blue varies in individual birds, but color is always more intense in the area of plumage of the cloaca and on the sacrum.

Throat spots, waves on the head and neck, wing marks medium intensity brown.

Zygomatic spots a lighter and duller shade of purple than Normal.

In males, more grayish-burgundy than the usual blue wax.
Legs the steamy ones are pink, and beak orange.

(Dominant Variegated) German Steam Green Row:

German Steam Blue Row:

The most obvious difference from the Cinnamon is the red eye color.

After hatching, the English Steam chicks have red eyes like the Eno mutation, and the German Steam chicks have plum-colored eyes, similar to the eye color of the Cinnamon chicks.

The dark factor darkens the Steam's body color, but the differences between Light Greens, Dark Greens and Olive Steam are much less than the differences between Normal Light Greens, Dark Greens and Olive. The Olive Steam has “a beautiful rich orange-gold hue, the plumage on the chest is a deep yellow-olive color, it is really a delightful color,” - writes Mr. Cyril Rogers in the book "Steam".

The Gray and Green-Gray Vapors have darker wing markings. Opaline lightens the body color in Steam, and when combined with Cinnamon, results in birds very similar to Layswing (i.e. Cinnamon Ino), with little or no body color.

Combining German Steams with Cinnamon and Clarified Steams produces Cinnamon Clarified German Steams, very similar to the Eno representatives.

Steam genetics

Steam - autosomal recessive mutations.

It has been suggested that the German Steam and Non-sex-linked Ino are mutations of the same gene a +, and, therefore, they are respectively assigned the symbols abz and a, but in fact there is little evidence for the existence of this allelic series.
In the absence of conclusive evidence, others determine that the German Steam has its own fg + locus for the wild type, with the symbol fg for the mutant allele.

There is no generally accepted genetic symbol for the English Steam locus. The symbol fe + is used to denote the wild-type allele, and the symbol fe is used to denote the mutant allele of the English Steam.

Allele of Steam recessive with respect to its wild-type allele, and thus a bird with one Steam allele (heterozygous) is identical in appearance to the Wild-type Light Green. Thus, the presence of one wild-type allele is sufficient for the production and normal distribution of the black pigment melanin. This bird is called Light Green Normal Split Steam, and is referred to in writing as Light Green Normal / Steam.

In a bird with two Steam alleles (homozygous), the absence of a wild-type allele means that the normal black pigment melanin cannot be produced. It is replaced by brown pigment, resulting in brown markings instead of black ones.

The structure of the German Steam feathers under the microscope was first examined by Mr. Doc. H Steiner. He found that the changes caused by the German Steam gene were significantly different from the changes caused by the Cinnamon gene. Pigment granules are smaller and more numerous in both the cortex and medullary cells of the first-order barbs, and they often cluster in "large droplets or flakes". They also have a different color - it is more of a reddish brown-yellow rather than the pale brown of the Cinnamon. These changes cause a reduction in the intensity of blue, resulting in paler birds in the Blue Row and brighter yellow birds in the Green Row. The pigmented area is narrower in the pectoral feathers than in the sacral feathers, and it is this structural change that causes a change in the intensity of body color between the chest and sacrum region.

V contemporary literature in connection with research in the field of plumage pigmentation, other names are proposed for the Steam mutations. See the table below:

Please pay attention to the appearance Australian Steam For more information, see the Steam Mutation Table. Most budgerigar breeders assume this is the same allele as the German Steam allele. Modern breeders describe the German Steam as birds with gray-brown melanin in their plumage.
Australian Vapors have pale brown melanin markings and Australian breeders disagree with calling them "taupe." It can be an allele at the locus of German Steam, or at its own locus (Mr. Inte Onsman believes that both of these loci are possibly alleles at the NSL ino locus - (Not sex-linked Ino)).

Another suggestion is that the combination of the Sulfur and Steam alleles makes the melanin appear darker and more gray. It is clear that further research is needed on this issue.

Also, please note that the third recognized steam mutation is Scottish Steam not included in the Table, as it is considered to have disappeared.

When writing the article, Wikipedia materials were used, as well as materials from the site:
http://birdhobbyist.com/parrotcolour

Articles:
A little about the history of the appearance of the species of steam budgies
Some questions about breeding parrots (interview with steam budgerigar breeder Frank Molt (FM))
Red eyed budgies
Laysving or steam?

Illustrations (photos):
Steam

parrots.ru

Habitat of a yellow parrot

black;
yellow.

How to breed feathered friends

Some still managed to smuggle a parrot, and they became domestic feathered pets. After that, budgerigars became common pets, and breeders began to experiment. Through experiments, more than 200 species of feathered friends were bred, which had a different color, a different pattern and a different shape of the wings. Each species was individual and completely different from other species.

Lutino - a cute bird for the house

In most cases, this type of parrot is acquired by creative personalities, it is they who love everything unusual and bright. The yellow feathered friend is a symbol of warmth and comfort, looking at a yellow parrot, positioning it with a warm yellow sun.

nashiptichki.ru

The history of the emergence of color variations [edit | edit code]

The natural color of budgerigars is grassy green. The first mutation color was yellow. She was bred in 1872 in Belgium. In the same place, five years later, a blue budgerigar appeared. Soon, from crossing green and blue individuals, they began to receive parrots of dark green and dark blue colors. In 1910, blue budgerigars appeared at an exhibition in London. In 1915, dark green birds were bred in France. In the same place, two years later, parrots with a blue tint were first bred, and in 1919, in the city of Toulouse, at the enterprises for breeding budgerigars, birds of an olive green color were obtained. Later in France, gray-blue species were bred. In 1916, white budgerigars were obtained. In 1927, blue gray-winged parrots first appeared in Austria. In 1930, parrots with a light wavy pattern were bred simultaneously in the USA (California), Denmark and Germany. In the same year, birds with variegated plumage were first obtained in Denmark. German amateurs Fischer and Boehm bred albinos in 1932. At the same time, the English amateurs Porter and Codecot received budgerigars with an opaline pattern, and the Australian Terill managed to get offspring from a bird of this color. In 1935, purple budgerigars appeared simultaneously in England, Australia, Denmark and Finland. In the same year, Australian bird watchers bred gray-green parrots. In 1939, the first crested parrots were obtained in Canada. In 1943, gray budgerigars were bred simultaneously in England and Australia. In 1948, white and yellow birds with dark eyes appeared in Belgium, Denmark and Holland. In 1972, a mutation was bred in Australia called "spangle" (from the English. Spangle - "shiny, decorated with sequins"). And in 1974 the first speckled parrots were received. In 1978, an amateur from Texas (USA) Paulik bred the first ringed (with a strip around the neck) budgerigars. In 1984, saddlebacks (from the English saddlebacks - "back under the saddle") appeared in Germany. In addition to mutations, there are also numerous modifications of the budgerigar pattern, for example, versatile colored birds, in which one half of the body is colored green and the other half blue. Modification, unlike mutations, is not inherited.

Factors on which the color of the plumage of budgies depends [edit | edit code]

Dark factor
Gray factor
Purple factor
Lightening factor

Light green [edit | edit code]

The light green color of budgerigars (or in other words, simply "green") is a natural, classic color. In wild parrots, this is exactly the color, the absence of the dark factor gives a special, rich, bright green color. The basic color of the plumage of the abdomen, chest and lower back is light green, glossy. The mask is bright yellow, on the neck there are black throat marks, and the outer throat marks are partially covered with purple spots on the cheeks. There is a wavy pattern on the head, neck, back and wings. The tail feathers are dark blue, the flight feathers are black or dark green.

Dark green [edit | edit code]

They were bred in 1915 in France. One dark factor (based on yellow) in the green wavy forms the dark green variety. The main color of the plumage of the chest, abdomen and lower back is dark green. On the neck there are black throat marks partially overlapping with purple spots of the cheeks. The "mask" is bright yellow. There is a wavy pattern on the head, neck, back and wings. Flight feathers of parrots are dark green or black, tail feathers are dark blue, but lighter than that of light green birds. The color of dark green budgerigars looks especially bright and elegant.

Olive green [edit | edit code]

They were bred in 1919, in France from dark green individuals. The two dark factors (based on yellow) ripple form the olive variety. The main color of the plumage of the chest, abdomen and lower back is olive green. The "mask" is bright yellow, decorated with black throat marks on the neck. The outermost ones are covered with purple cheek spots. On the head, neck, cheeks, back and wings there is a black wavy pattern sharply separated from the yellow base. Flight feathers are black with a greenish tint, tail feathers are dark blue, much darker than that of a dark green parrot. As soon as the olive green color was bred, these birds immediately won the sympathy of many indoor bird lovers.

The dark factor is semi-dominant. Normal is recessive.

2 dark factors

Blue [edit | edit code]

A parrot of this color appeared in 1878 in Belgium. For the first time such an individual was bred in 1910 in France. The color of the chest, abdomen and lower back is bright blue. The mask is white, the throat spots are black, partially covered with purple spots on the cheeks. The wavy pattern is black, located on the head, neck, wings and back, clearly separated from the white base. The tail feathers are dark blue with a turquoise tint, the flight feathers are black or blue.

Blue (cobalt) [edit | edit code]

This color gives one dark factor. The main color of the plumage of the chest, abdomen, lower back, as well as long tail feathers is dark blue. The "mask" is pure white, decorated with black throat marks at the bottom. The extreme marks are partially overlapped on the cheeks with purple spots. On the head, cheeks, back and wings, a black wavy pattern stands out sharply against a white background. Flight feathers are black or blue.

The entire length of the body is blue. The mask on the head is bright white. There are 6 evenly spaced black spots on the neck. The two outer spots are slightly hidden by purple drop-shaped spots.

There is a black wave pattern on a white background.

The central tail feathers are dark blue.

The gray-winged color belongs to the colors of this series. The main color of the plumage of parrots of this color is blue or gray, the mask is white, the symmetrically located throat spots are gray, the cheeks are gray or light purple. The wings have an ash gray wavy pattern.

1 dark factor

Mauve [edit | edit code]

(1920) Two dark factors give a deep bluish gray (more gray than blue); this variety is called mauve. Within each level of dark factor, there is a gradation of varying degrees of darkness.

2 dark factors.

Gray-green [edit | edit code]

Gray-green budgerigars were bred in 1935 in Australia. The chest, abdomen and lower back are painted in a pale gray-green (mustard) color. The mask is bright yellow, the throat marks are black and slightly covered with gray spots on the cheeks. The wavy pattern on the head, neck, cheeks, back and wings is black, sharply separated from the yellow base. The tail feathers are black, the flight feathers are black or green. Gray-green budgerigars may have one or two factors, or none at all. The gray factor can be supported both one-factor and two-factor.

Gray [edit | edit code]

This form of budgerigars was acquired almost simultaneously by Australian and English bird watchers in 1943. These parrots are distinguished by the gray color of the plumage of the chest, abdomen and lower back. The mask is bright white, the throat marks are black and partially covered with specks of the cheeks that match the color of the base color of the body. The wavy pattern on the wings, neck and back is black and contrasts with the white base. Long tail feathers are black, flight feathers are black or gray. Similarly with gray-green parrots, among the grays, individuals with one or two factors, as well as without them at all, can be found. Gray is supported by one or two factors.

Gray-blue [edit | edit code]

(1924, France) Budgerigars of this color have gray-blue (with a transition to a pink or purple hue) lower back, belly, chest, white mask, black throat marks, purple spots on the cheeks, dark blue tail feathers.

A black wavy pattern is found on the back, wings, neck, head and cheeks.

Purple [edit | edit code]

(1928, Germany) In a budgie of this color, purple is present on the lower back, abdomen, chest, cheeks, symmetrically located throat spots are black, flight feathers are also black, with a bluish tint, tail feathers are blue-green, the mask is white ...

A black wavy pattern is found on the wings, back, head and cheeks.

Yellow-faced European with a normal pattern [edit | edit code]

(mentioned in 1880; there are 2 mutations)

Yellow-faced Australian normal [edit | edit code]

They have a color similar to that of a light green budgerigar, only instead of green plumage they have yellow plumage.

Clarified parrots [edit | edit code]

Normal yellow

(1872, Belgium)

Normal whites

Opalines yellow
Opalines are white
White yellow-faced opalines
Gray-winged green row

1927, Austria

Gray-winged blue series
Gray-winged and yellow-faced gray-winged opales

Inosy [edit | edit code]

1. Lyutinos [edit | edit code]

(mentioned in 1880)

The plumage is bright yellow. Zygomatic spots are pearlescent. The eyes are red. The flight feathers and middle tail feathers are light in color. The wax is pink or purple in males, brown in females. The feet are bright scarlet.

2. Albinos [edit | edit code]

In 1932, in Germany, at the same time, two amateurs, Fischer and Behm, bred the first albinos.

The plumage is pure white. The eyes are red. The wax of adult males is pink, females are brown. The paws are colored bright scarlet.

3. Birds with light wings, green row [edit | edit code]

(1930, Australia, Sydney)

The main color of plumage on the back, belly and chest of these parrots is green, while the back, wings and neck are bright yellow, the wavy pattern is completely absent.

The mask is yellow, the throat marks are usually light gray, but they may not be present, the cheeks are purple.

4. Birds with light wings, blue row [edit | edit code]

Imported from Australia to England in 1933.

The main color of the plumage on the back, belly and chest of these parrots is blue, while the back, wings and neck are white, and the wavy pattern is completely absent.

The mask is white, the symmetrically located throat marks are usually light gray, but they may not be there, the cheeks are purple.

5. Opaline with light wings [edit | edit code]

(1960, Germany)

6. Australian light-winged [edit | edit code]

(Germany)

Cinnamon [edit | edit code]

Cinnamon light green

(1931, England)

Cinnamon blue
Cinnamon gray-green
Cinnamon gray
Cinnamon dark green
Cinnamon dark blue
Cinnamon yellow-faced
Cinnamon opal
Cinnamon opaline light green
Cinnamon blue opaline
Cinnamon opaline gray-green
Cinnamon opaline gray
Cinnamon opaline gray-green
Cinnamon opaline dark blue
Yellow Faced Cinnamon Opaline

Opalins [edit | edit code]

Opaline light green
Opaline blue
Opaline gray-green
Opaline gray
Opaline dark green
Opaline dark blue
Opaline purple
Yellow-faced opaline
Laysving yellow
Laysving white
Laysving opaline yellow
Laysving opaline white

Recessive Spotted Parrots: Recessive Spotted Parrots are found in both the green and blue rows of budgerigars. The main color of the plumage is 50% yellow or white and 50% of the main color. Depending on belonging to the green or blue series, the parrots have a yellow or white “mask” decorated with symmetrical round spots, the number of which can be from 1 to 6. A pair of external throat marks are partially covered with spots of the cheeks, which are purple, silver or mixed colors. The wavy pattern is yellow or white, unevenly distributed on the body and wings. The eyes of the parrot are dark, without a rainbow ring. The wax in the male is pink, in the female it is faded. The paws are colored reddish-brown.

Recessive Variegated Light Green Parrot: The basic color of the plumage is the same as that of light green birds of normal color. The “mask” is bright yellow, decorated with black throat marks on the neck (brown throat marks in birds of the brown row and brown opaline ones). The extreme throat marks are overlapped by patches of the cheeks, which are purple or silvery-white. The flight and tail feathers of birds are yellow. The green and yellow colors of the plumage are unevenly distributed. Green predominates in the lower part of the body and upper tail, and yellow in the upper part of the body, on the back and wings. There is no flamboyant drawing.
Recessive speckled blue: The basic color of the plumage is the same as that of the blue opaline parrots. The “mask” is white, sometimes decorated with black throat marks on the neck (brown throat marks in birds of a brown row and brown opaline ones). The extreme throat marks are overlapped by patches of the cheeks, which are purple or silvery-white. Flight and tail feathers are white. The blue and white colors of the plumage are unevenly distributed. In the lower part of the body and upper tail, blue predominates, and in the upper part of the body, on the back and wings, white. The wavy pattern is absent, sometimes there are separate dark spots on the head, neck, back and wings.
Recessive variegated gray-green: The color of the parrot's plumage is gray-green on the lower part of the body and upper tail, on the rest of the body it is yellow. The “mask” of the recessive variegated gray-green parrot is bright yellow, decorated with black throat marks on the neck (the brown throat marks of brown birds and brown opaline birds). The outer throat marks are partially covered by gray or white patches of the cheeks. Flight and tail feathers are yellow.
Recessive Variegated Gray: The basic color of the parrot's plumage is the same as that of gray and gray opaline birds. Gray predominates in the lower part of the body and upper tail. The rest of the body is white. The recessive motley gray parrot has a bright white “mask” that can be decorated with black throat marks on the neck (brown throat marks in brown birds and brown opaline birds), partially overlapping with gray or white cheek spots. Long tail and flight feathers of parrots are white.
Recessive variegated dark green parrot: The main color of the plumage of the lower body and upper tail is dark green, the upper body, back and wings are yellow. The colors are clearly delineated. A “mask” of bright yellow color can be decorated on the neck with black throat marks (in birds of the brown row and brown opaline ones, the throat marks are brown), which are partially covered with purple or white spots on the cheeks. The flight and tail feathers of birds are yellow. There is no wavy pattern. Sometimes there are separate dark spots on the head, neck, upper chest and wings.
Recessive variegated dark blue: The main color of the plumage of the lower body and upper tail is dark blue, the upper body, back and wings are white. The colors are clearly demarcated. A “mask” of white color can be decorated on the neck with black throat marks (in birds of a brown row and brown opaline ones, the throat marks are brown), which are partially covered with purple or white spots on the cheeks. Flight feathers and long tail feathers of dark blue recessive parrots are white. There is no wavy pattern. Sometimes there are separate dark spots on the head, neck, upper chest and wings.
Recessive Variegated Yellow-faced: The recessive variegated yellow-faced parrot is found only in the blue row and is a combination of yellow-faced and recessive variegated mutations. Recessive variegated yellow-faced parrots are also called tricolor harlequins.

Australian Spotted Parrots: These parrots are found in both the green and blue rows. Australian variegated birds were bred in the 50s of the XX century by Australian ornithologists. They differ from the well-known Danish and dominant continental parrots by the peculiarities of the pattern: the flight feathers and parts of the wing are lightened, the "mask" does not reach the breast, but ends in the front of the neck. The color of the plumage of the back, chest, sides and abdomen is motley: yellow, green and white colors change each other randomly, but at the same time they do not merge, but are clearly delimited. Depending on belonging to the green or blue row, Australian parrots have a yellow or white "mask", which is decorated with 6 symmetrical, equally spaced round black spots (brown birds have brown spots). Extreme spots are covered with cheek spots. The parrot has a light spot on the back of the head. The tail and flight feathers, depending on belonging to the green or blue row, are yellow or white. The coloration of the paws is bluish or flesh-colored. The eyes are dark with a light rainbow ring. The wax is blue or bluish-pink in the male, whitish in the female.

Australian Variegated Light Green Parrots: The basic coloration of the wings, abdomen and lower back is the same as that of the light green opaline birds. The "mask" is bright yellow, decorated on the neck with black throat marks (brown throat marks in birds of the brown row and brown opaline ones), partially covered with purple or white spots on the cheeks. The tail and flight feathers of parrots are yellow.
Australian Spotted Blue Parrots: The basic color of the plumage of the abdomen, lower back and wings is the same as that of the blue and blue opaline parrots. The "mask" is white, decorated with black throat marks on the neck (brown throat marks in brown parrots and brown opaline birds). The outer throat marks are partially overlapped by purple or white cheek patches.
Australian Variegated Gray-Green: The main plumage on the wings, abdomen and lower back corresponds to the gray-green and gray-green opaline birds. The "mask" is bright yellow, decorated on the neck with black or brown throat marks, partially overlapping with gray or white spots on the cheeks. The long tail and flight feathers of Australian gray-green parrots are yellow.
Australian Variegated Dark Green Parrots: The basic color of the plumage of the abdomen, wings and lower back is the same as that of dark green and dark green opaline birds. "Mask" of bright yellow color, decorated on the neck with black or brown (in brown birds and brown opaline birds) throat marks. The tail and flight feathers of parrots are yellow.
Australian Spotted Grays: The basic color of the bird is the same as that of gray and gray opaline birds. The Australian motley gray parrot has a white "mask" decorated with black throat marks on the neck (brown throat marks and brown opaline birds are brown). Extreme spots are covered with gray or white spots on the cheeks. The tail and flight feathers of this species of parrots are white.
Australian Variegated Dark Blue: The main color of the plumage of the abdomen, lower back and wings corresponds to the color of the dark blue and dark blue opaline parrots. The parrot's “mask” is white, decorated on the neck with black throat marks (brown throat marks on brown and brown opaline birds), partially overlapping with purple or white spots on the cheeks. Flight feathers and long tail feathers in parrots of this species are white.
Australian Variegated Violet: The basic coloration of the wings, abdomen and lower back is the same as that of the violet and violet opaline parrots. The Australian Variegated Purple Parrot has a white “mask” adorned with black or brown throat marks on the neck. The outer throat marks are partially obscured by purple or white patches of the cheeks. Long tail and flight feathers are white.
Australian Spotted Yellow-faced: This species of parrots is found only among birds of the blue series and is a combination of mutations of the yellow-faced and Australian spotted parrots. Australian variegated yellow-faced are divided into 2 types. In type I birds, the yellow color is present only on the “mask” and tail feathers. In type II birds, in addition to the “mask” and tail feathers, the entire body is also yellow.

Other color mutations [edit | edit code]

Lightened green row
Lightened blue row
Clarified opaline
Green Dominant Continental Variegated Birds: Plumage is green in the lower part of the body, but yellow patches are possible. At the same time, the colors are sharply differentiated. On the back of the head there is a yellow spot. The base color can be light green, dark green, gray-green and olive. The "mask" is yellow. it is adorned with 6 round black throat marks, partially overlapping with purple spots on the cheeks. The wavy pattern on the head and neck starts from the yellow areas. Sometimes it is also present on the wings.

Flight and tail feathers are yellow. There are light spots on the wings, which, according to the standard, should be symmetrical.

Dominant continental blue spotted birds
Yellow black-eyed
White black-eyed
Crested Budgerigars: Crested Budgerigars come in all colors. They differ in the shape of the tuft. In accordance with this, there are 3 types of crests: spiky; semicircular; round. Among birds, species with a mixed form of a crest, as well as with two or more crests, are often found. Often, smooth-headed chicks obtained from crested parents carry a sign of crested, which is passed on to subsequent generations. They are used to mate with crested individuals. If, when crossed, both birds in a pair are crested, then the offspring will not be very viable, and there will be few chicks in the brood. A crested bird can also be mated with a simple smooth-headed bird that does not carry the crested gene, but in this case the percentage of crested chicks will be much lower. When two smooth-headed birds with a sign of crested mate, the percentage of crested chicks is also small. Crested birds require more attention and care. In their behavior during nesting, there are various deviations from the norm, which complicates the process of reproduction and breeding of this species of budgerigars. The percentage of unfertilized eggs is very high; in many fertilized eggs, the embryo dies at an early stage of development, and newly hatched chicks often also die. All these features make breeding work with crested parrots very difficult. Nevertheless, breeders are working in this direction and get interesting results.
Clairbody
Saddlebacks

ru.wikipedia.org

A brief history of the genetics of wavy parrot colors

Through long-term selection, at present, in the colors of budgerigars, there are about 32 primary mutations, which in turn give more than a hundred secondary ones. It took scientists many years for us to enjoy the incredible variety of colors of budgies today. Thanks to the laws of inheritance, now the breeding of this or that color becomes possible even for ordinary bird lovers.

In 1872, as a result of long-term work, breeders managed to breed a yellow budgerigar. And only in 1878. Belgian scientists introduced the blue budgie to the world, but the offspring of this color was obtained only in 1910.

Photo of a blue budgerigar:

Thanks to the blue wavy, dark blue and dark green parrots were born.

Photo of a white budgerigar:

White budgerigars were bred in France in 1917, and after 7 years albinos appeared in Germany, in Denmark - parrots of variegated colors. We owe the purple and brown colors to England.

April 1, 1994 The World Budgerigar Breeders Organization (WBO) was created, which prescribed the standards used both at exhibitions and in everyday life to guide the genetic colors of budgerigars.

WHO standards

We will consider only superficially the classification of wavy colors, since this is a whole science and for a deeper study it may take much more time. A person who until this moment has never delved into the genetic characteristics of colors may simply get confused in the variety of groups and subgroups of colors of budgies.

Groups of budgies	The photo group representative
Normal green row budgies
Opaline budgies, green and blue
Green and Blue Cinnamon Budgerigars
Opaline cinnamon (Opaline Cinnamon) Budgerigars of green and blue row
Lutino and albino (Lutino, Albino)
Pure-winged yellow-winged and white-winged
Crested species
Spangles (Spangle) wavy parrots of green and blue row
Green and Blue Pied Budgerigars
Yellowfaces
Gray-winged parrots of green and blue row
Fallow parrots of green and blue row
Clearbody budgies of green and blue row
Saddleback Budgerigars, Green and Blue Row

There are "Normal" colors and patterns. Scientists decided to call Normal color, the light green color of the first parrots introduced to Europe. Normal drawing parrots are the standard black waves that accompany the original budgerigar appearance.

The group of Normal Budgerigars of the green row includes: Light Green, Dark Green, Olive Green, Greygreen, Skyblue, Cobalt, Lilac (Mauve), Violet (Violet), Gray (Gray).

Future color of the offspring of budgies

In order to at least a little predict the color options for chicks from your pair, you need to determine what is the main color of your wavy.

In green parrots, yellow is the natural base color. Blue parrots have white.

There is also between the Green row of parrots and the Blue Parblue species - these are Yellow-faced and Golden-faced parrots.

The color of green budgies is dominant in breeding.

Parblus are dominant towards Blue series parrots, but recessive towards Greens.

Blue budgies are recessive to other colors.

Interestingly, part of the spectrum at which parrots see each other is ultraviolet and their colors are much brighter than humans can see. Moreover, if you look with the eyes of a parrot at another wavy, you can see that the radiance of the bird is provided not only by the coloring of the plumage, but also by the wax and paws, which are cast in an azure color. The budgerigar's hat also attracts the eye with its unusual radiance.

During mating games and courtship, birds try to show themselves in all their glory. The brightness of the plumage in the male plays a decisive role for the female.

popugai.info

Genetics

The natural color of the "wild" budgerigar is green, under the grass. Since the male and female in the wild have the same coloring, the offspring are similar to them. Sometimes, due to genetic predisposition, two parrots of natural color can get a chick with a different color of plumage. Unfortunately, such a bird does not live long. She either dies from the clutches of predators, or the flock does not accept the "stranger".

Domesticated budgerigars have a completely different story - calm and very vibrant, with many different colors of plumage. They got their unusual coloring thanks to selection. People created everything the necessary conditions both for obtaining the next color, and for the comfortable existence of birds.

Domesticated budgerigars come in two main colors: a white base, such as blue or gray, and / or a yellow base, such as green or gray-green.

Thanks to a century and a half of painstaking work, scientists were able to breed about thirty-two main colors of the plumage of parrots. These are the so-called primary mutations. By combining the main colors, secondary mutations were obtained, which, in turn, were divided into stable and unstable variants of color mutations.

A brief history of the appearance of colorings of plumage and patterns in budgies:

1872 Belgium - yellow;
1877 Belgium - blue;
green color was crossed with blue, got dark green and dark blue;
1910 London - blue;
1915, France - dark green;
1916, France - white;
1917, France - blue, later - gray-blue;
1919, France, Toulouse - olive green;
1927, Austria - blue gray-winged;
1930, USA (California), Denmark, Germany - light waviness;
1930, Denmark - variegated plumage;
1932, Germany (fans Fischer, Boehm) - albinos;
1932, England (fans of Porter, Codecot) - opaline waviness;
1935, England, Australia, Denmark, Finland - purple;
1935, Australia - gray-green;
1943, England, Australia - gray;
1948, Belgium, Denmark, Holland - white, yellow with a dark shade of eyes;
1972, Australia - "spangle" (mirror waviness).

There are also many variations of colors, for example, half-colored: one side is painted in one color, the other in the other. Modification is not a hereditary trait, unlike mutation.

Factors and main colors

The green budgerigar is the first representative of the breed with a normal plumage color. It is generally accepted among breeders that the normal pattern of a parrot is the standard black waviness lines that always accompany the natural appearance of these birds.

The future coloring of parrots depends on the influence of four factors: dark, gray, purple, lightening. Due to the existence of these factors, breeders have the opportunity to get a lot of other colors from the standard color.

Gradually, in addition to green, the group of standard (normal) colors began to include coloring, which are often found in budgerigars:

light green;
dark green;
blue;
olive;
cobalt;
gray;
gray-green;
lilac (mauve);
purple.

Additional colors in these birds are obtained using random or specially planned gene combinations. Let's take a closer look at what colors they are.

Gray factor (gray)

Dominant primary mutation affecting the change in the main body color of the bird. Under its influence, gray-green is obtained from natural colors, and gray from blue. Under the influence of dark and lightening factors, light, medium and dark gray or gray-green colors are obtained.

Violet factor

The basis for obtaining all purple "wavy", that is, the primary mutation of the normal color. It manifests itself only if the parrot carries this factor in its genes. Its influence is not as strong as that of the grayness factor.

Eighteen combinations of three mutations are visually distinguished: single or double violet factor, the presence of a dark factor, a blue gene. The level of color change will depend on what exactly the bird carries in its genes.

Purple is part of the WBO Registered Budget Blue range. Moreover, the organization recorded only three visually distinguishable combinations, with the help of which this mutation is obtained:

one-way cobalt violet;
two-factor purple cobalt;
purple blue.

Steam (fallow)

This mutation affects the coloring of the bird's feathers and the color of the waviness. All young steam parrots have a similar appearance, however, in adults, differences in eye shade are observed. Steam parrots are divided into three types:

German: dark scarlet eye tint, iris white;
English: a bright red solid shade of the eyes, the iris is almost invisible;
Scottish: plum-colored eyes, iris pink.

The WBO has officially registered two forms of steam parrots: English and German, which are very similar both to each other and to the cinnamon varieties of these birds. However, these two steam forms differ from the latter species by the blurring of the plumage color.

Due to the visual similarity of mutations and parrot species, two budgerigar lovers, Inte Onsman and Terry Martin, tried to classify them together:

bronze steam - German mutation;
gray-cinnamon steam - English mutation;
drain-eyed steam - Scottish mutation;
pale, beige or pale cinnamon steam - Australian mutation.

Cinnamon

This mutation changes the color of the waviness. Typically, parrots have black or dark gray lines in the pattern, and cinnamon species acquire a light brown or brown wavy color. Moreover, the female has a less saturated shade of waves than the male.

In the presence of a cinnamon mutation, the intensity of the coloring of the body and cheekbones of a parrot is almost halved compared to the normal color. Also, cinnamon parrots have long tail feathers in a lighter shade. The cinnamon colors of pastel shades give the plumage of the budgerigar a delicate and silky look, which is why this bird attracts people.

Cinnamon chicks are born with deep plum-colored eyes that have a reddish-brown sheen, while common parrots have black eyes at birth. This phenomenon can be seen even before the eyes are opened. Gradually, their shade darkens, reaching black. Normal chicks have gray down, while cinnamon chicks have white down.

The skin of cinnamon chicks has a red sheen. As the bird matures, this reflection persists on its legs, giving them a pink tint. Normal birds have blue-gray paws. The beak is also different - in cinnamon it is orange.

Ino (ino)

Lyutinos (lutino) and albino (albino) - these are the parrots that turned out thanks to this mutation. Under its action, the green colors of parrots turn into a variety of lutino: with yellow contoured feathers, with white (pale yellow) spots on the cheekbones. Of the blue bird species, under the influence of an alien mutation, white parrots - albinos - appeared.

Lutinos and albinos have red eyes with a white iris. Orange beak, juicy pink paws, gray-burgundy, and not the usual blue color of wax in males - all these are signs of lutino and albino parrots.

A striking feature of lutino and albino chicks is snow-white down (usually the down is pale gray in color). Also, babies lutino and albino have two lines of bald areas on the sides of the spine. In these places, the fluff does not grow, and over time, feathers begin to germinate immediately.