Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Breeding Cockatiel Mutations

Over the past fifty years or so, breeders round
the world have managed to make wonderful color
mutations from normal grey cockatiels.

Some breeders spend their lives experimenting and
trying to get the next beautiful color variation.
Unlike some other bird species, cockatiels
cannot be interbred. They are unique birds, and
only breed within their own species.

The most common varieties of cockatiel include
normal, cinnamon, white faced, Lutino, Albino,
dominant silver and Pearl. There is no record of
a color mutation in a cockatiel every occurring
in the wild. This art was developed by breeders
of the bird.

The Normal Grey

This is the natural form of cockatiel and is the
most common variety that we all know today.

Cinnamon

This mutation was established in Belgium in the
late 1960's. Cinnamons can vary widely in their
shade of color and the adult cocks tend to be
darker. The legs and eyes are of a lighter shade
than that of the normal grey cockatiel. Cinnamon
cockatiels are recognized by a warm brownish
tinge in their plumage.

Fallow

The fallow cockatiel made its first appearance in
Florida in 1971. Fallows have a greyish yellow
body and red eyes, and this is what distinguishes
them from cinnamons. The depth of color does
vary and the cocks are darker than the hens.

Dominant Silver

The dominant silver is the most recent cockatiel
mutation, and emerged from the UK. The first one
recorded was seen in a pet shop in 1979. This
mutation was successfully developed more with
careful inbreeding.

Pearl

The pearl cockatiel was first bred in 1967 in
West Germany. These cockatiels have white
markings on their backs and wings in various
patterns. Some have more white than others. The
markings are often scalloped and look like lace
patterning on the cockatiel's back.

Lutino

The lutino cockatiel is the most popular
cockatiel mutation. The lutino originated in
1958 with a Florida breeder. The early lutino's
sold for a fortune, but nowadays they are almost
as common as the grey's. Lutino's often used to
be referred to as albino, until the true albino
emerged, which was pure white with no yellow
coloration. A genetic flaw associated with the
lutino is a bald patch on the top of its head.
Breeders should not pair these together, or the
bald patch will become widespread among their
breeding cockatiels.

Pied

Pieds are the oldest of the cockatiel mutations.
They were being bred in California as long ago as
1949. These cockatiels have a mixture of dark
and light feathers. The variations are endless
here, with the lighter mutations being the most
attractive.

Recessive Silver

These cockatiels were first recorded in New
Zealand in the early 1950's, but this strain was
never established until the sixties. The eye
coloration is red, and this is what distinguishes
them from the dominant silver. In the earlier
mutations, there was a problem with blindness
which has since been overcome, but this species
type remains rare.

White Faced

This mutation was first recorded in Holland in
1969. The yellow faces and orange cheeks are
missing in this mutation, and the albino mutation
followed on this one. Lots of different
mutations have come out of the white faced
cockatiel, including the pearl and cinnamon forms.

Albino

This is the newest and most prized variation.
They are pure white and are proving very popular.

Other Variations

Other variations have been recorded from time to
time over the years, but none have been
established. The next achievement will be a
totally black cockatiel. No matter what, the
popularity of owning cockatiels is only going to
keep getting stronger in the future.

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Michel Maling has enjoyed owning cockatiels all
her life. I have dedicated this blog to covering
all you need to know about cockatiels.
http://cockatielsaspets.com

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