Parakeets, specifically budgerigars, are popular pet birds known for their lively personalities and diverse feather coloration. These small parrots, native to Australia, have been popular for generations. Their appeal stems from their manageable size, social nature, and the wide range of colors found in their plumage. This diversity makes them a visually appealing addition to many homes.
The Original Color of Parakeets
The wild budgerigar, often called the common parakeet, naturally exhibits a green and yellow coloration. This original plumage features a bright green body, a yellow head, and black scalloped markings across their nape, back, and wings. Their tails are bluish-green.
These birds originate from the drier regions of Australia, where their specific coloring provides a survival advantage. The green and yellow feathers offer excellent camouflage within the Australian grasslands, farmlands, and woodlands, helping them evade predators in their native habitat.
A Spectrum of Pet Parakeet Colors
Selective breeding in captivity has led to a wide array of parakeet colors beyond their natural green and yellow. This intentional breeding has resulted in over 30 recognized color combinations among domestic parakeets. The two primary color types that form the basis for most variations are green and blue.
Blue parakeets are common, ranging in shades from light sky blue to deep cobalt and even violet. Yellow birds, known as lutinos, possess a yellow body with red eyes, completely lacking any melanin. Albinos are entirely white with red eyes, which results from a complete absence of melanin production. Grey parakeets display various shades of grey, often with a white face. These captive-bred varieties showcase how human intervention can dramatically alter the appearance of a species.
Understanding Color Variations
The wide range of parakeet colors arises from the interplay of pigments and genetic mutations. Two primary types of pigments are responsible for parakeet coloration: psittacin and melanin. Psittacin produces yellow and red hues, while melanin contributes to black, brown, and blue colors.
In wild green parakeets, both yellow psittacin and blue structural color (a type of melanin expression) are present. When these two pigments combine, the bird appears green. Genetic mutations can alter the production or distribution of these pigments. For instance, the absence of yellow psittacin results in blue coloration, as only the blue structural color remains visible.
Further mutations can affect melanin production, leading to variations like grey or white. Research has identified specific genes, such as MuPKs and SLC45A2, that are involved in these color mutations, affecting pigment production and distribution. The amount of a “dark factor” gene can also darken plumage, leading to colors like dark green, olive, cobalt, or mauve.
Common Color Patterns
Beyond basic body colors, parakeets also display numerous patterns that add to their visual diversity. These patterns modify the distribution of colors and markings across the bird’s feathers. “Pied” patterns, for instance, involve patches of clear (unpigmented) feathers on a colored body. These clear areas are pure white in blue-series birds and yellow in green-series birds.
Dominant pieds have irregular clear areas, often on the head, body, or wings, while recessive pieds tend to have more extensive clear areas. Clearflight pieds feature clear primary flight and long tail feathers, contrasting with a colored body. The “spangle” pattern alters the black markings on the wings, making them yellow or white with dark edges, creating a lacy appearance.
“Opaline” parakeets have reduced striping on their heads and backs, often with a V-shaped clear area between their wings, leading to a more vibrant body color. “Dilute” mutations reduce the intensity of all colors, giving the bird a washed-out or pastel appearance. Clearwings possess minimal body color, with their primary color concentrated in the wings and a pale body. These patterns, combined with the base colors, contribute to the wide range of parakeet appearances.