About Us
COCKATIELS - ADVICE FROM A BREEDER Page 8
by Linda Greeson of BlueQuaker.com
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SUGGESTED READING
Cockatiels, Their Care, Feeding, and Breeding
Robert Black, Audubon Publishing Co., New York
Encyclopedia of Cockatiels
George A. Smith, TFH Publications, Inc
Cockatiel Handbook
Dr Gerald F. Allen and Connie Allen, TFH Publications
Keeping and Feeding Cockatiels
Dulcie and Freddie Cook,Blanford Press,London
Handfeeding Baby Birds Made Easy
Linda Greeson
Cages, How to Buy Them, How To Build Them
Linda Greeson
COMMON COLOR MUTATIONS
The normal grey is the forefather of all the numerous mutations which have been developed. As
in all color mutations there are three shades of the basic color. In the grey the range is from
almost black, through medium grey, to a very pale grey. All mutations except the white face
have deep orange cheek patches, the males developing a yellow face at maturity. The crest in
the male is entirely yellow, tipped with grey, or in the female is usually entirely grey. Both sexes
have a broad band of white along the edge of each wing.
CINNAMON - Is similar to the normal with grey areas replaced by tan to cinnamon brown color.
LUTINO - Has yellow face and crest and orange cheek patches. The remainder of the plumage
is white with some underlying of a pale or deep yellow.
FALLOW - The body color is a very pale cinnamon with a heavy yellow wash, the face yellow and
the eyes red.
SILVER - The plumage is a light, silvery grey. The eyes are red.
WHITE-FACED - Resembles the normal very dark grey with lighter grey and white markings.
There are no orange cheek patches and no yellow appears in plumage. All of the Pearl and Pied
mutations are found in the white-faced.
ALBINO - Is pure white with no color what so ever. Eyes are red.
NORMAL PIED - This is a striking combination of yellow or white with light or dark grey. The
amounts and placement of color vary widely. Even, symmetrical marking is desirable.
CINNAMON PIED - A combination of cinnamon brown and yellow, again varying in intensity of
color and placement of markings.
PEARL - There are many variations of the pearl mutation. In the normal the pearled feathers are
yellow or white, edged with grey, with a small area of grey in the center of the feather. This gives
an attractive scalloped or lacey effect. The areas of plumage most effected are the neck, mantel,
and wings, sometimes the upper breast and usually not on the tail.
CINNAMON PEARL - The pearled feathers are yellow edged with the various shades of
cinnamon.
LUTINO PEARL - The plumage is white with yellow pearling.
PEARL PIED - The colors are the same as the pied with the pearling only on portions of the
wings. The bird is clear yellow or white, with areas of grey over the rest of the body.
CINNAMON PEARL PIED - Similar to the pearl pieds with cinnamon brown over areas that
would otherwise be grey.
The production of cockatiel mutations is really still in its infancy. Many new mutations are now in
the process of being developed. The yellow faced cock with no cheek patches but retaining all
the other yellow coloration of the normal grey is an interesting variation. There is also an orange
crested cock with the deep orange gold of the cheek patch extending into the face and crest. The
spangled cock has a pearling pattern reversed to a dark color with a light edging. The
expectation of producing yet another and more beautiful mutation in our own aviary makes the
breeding of cockatiels an even more exciting hobby.
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