Color Mutations

The Mutations Reading Room

Visually Sexing Your Pet Cockatiel by Mary Beth Voelker

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Mutation Link

Visit the Cockatiel Mutation Project for almost 200 pictures of cockatiel mutations. You can also post links to your cockatiel pictures.

Descriptions of Cockatiel Color Mutations

ALL photos are copyright © Jay Goss, Julie Mitchell, Elsie and Herschel Burgin, and Jim Gintz, and are NOT to be copied without their written consent. Jay Goss Photos taken exclusively for the National Cockatiel Society.

Classifications

Normal Grey:

Normal Grey Hen

Normal Grey Hen Normal Grey Cock

The normal grey should be of an even and uniform depth of color, free of marbling or lighter areas. A consistency in overall tone is of more importance than depth of color. A beautiful normal grey hen is pictured above with good conformation and uniform color.

Cinnamons:

Cinnamon Hen

Cinnamon Cock (bird on left) - Cinnamon Pearl - Cinnamon Pearl Pied - Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl

A more pronounced brown shade (as when contrasted to normals) lacking any grey overtones, is preferred. A uniform depth of color, free from marbling (more common on the back and wings of some males due to a loss of melanin pigment) is desirable. Some hens may have more yellow (lipochrome pigment) on the face than their normal grey counterparts. All other markings to be judged as normals.

Pearls:

Pearl Hen

Cinnamon Pearl - Cinnamon Pearl Pied - Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl - Lutino Pearl - Fallow Pearl Pied - Whiteface Pearl - Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl - Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl Pied - Yellowcheek Pearl - Whiteface Cinnamon Pearl

"Lacings" should be extensive, uniform and well defined, with enough grey for contrast and free from splotching or defects in pattern. Hens should carry the pearl lacings over the back, wings, mantle and nape, with a heavier concentration on the shoulder. Yellow or white flecking on the breast is not unusual on heavier marked pearls. Adult pearl males who retain some degree of their lacings will be preferred. These lacings should be of a true pearl design, rather than the light spottings of normal males in the ticked class.

Lutinos:

Lutino Pearl

The lutino is a yellowish to white bird with an orange cheek patch, some yellow pigment, pink feet and red eyes. Some individuals vary with a light to heavy dark yellow wash over part or most of the body and in recent years. Baldness occurring behind the crest, as an inherited trait and has been successfully bred out by many top aviculturists.

Pied:

Pied - Whiteface Pied

The primary factor when judging pieds will be the degree of symmetry and clarity of markings over the actual percentage of pied wash. Ideally, a desirable pied will carry a clear mask, free from extraneous grey feathers or "bleeding" from the orange cheek patch, clear tail and wing flights and a perfect balance of markings.

Albino (Whiteface Lutino):

A completely white bird with red eyes and pink feet, lacking the orange cheek patch and devoid of all pigment.

Fallow:

Fallow Pearl Pied Fallow

A brownish (tan) appearance resembling the cinnamon, but with a more pronounced yellow suffusion and red eyes.

Silver:

Whiteface Double Factor Dominant Silver - Recessive Silver - Whiteface Silver Pied -

A "silvery grey" to brownish bird with black eyes on dominant and red eyes on the recessive silver. Color differs between European and American stock.

Whiteface:

Whiteface Cinnamon Pearl Hen

Whiteface Silver Pied - Whiteface Double Factor Dominant Silver - Whiteface Cinnamon Pearl - Whiteface Pearl - Whiteface Pied

"Charcoal grey" in color, lacking the orange cheek patch and yellow pigment. The whiteface is devoid of all lipochrome pigment. Mature adult males will carry a white face as opposed to the yellow mask worn by other varieties.

Cross Mutations:

Cross or triple mutations will be judged according to each color standard they represent, then as a combination of both (or all) mutations.

Splits and Mutational Splits:

All split birds will be entered in the section they visually represent i.e., a normal split pied will be entered in the normal section; a cinnamon split pied will be entered in the cinnamon section, etc.

Need More Detailed Information on Genetics?

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