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 This section is not intended for those who already have some knowledge of the principles of inheritance. This is basically a primer for those who have never ventured into the field of genetics, there are three branches of Genetics. The purpose is to give the pet owner and the beginning breeder some knowledge about why their lovebird is the color it is. The information focuses on the most commonly kept species: peachfaced, masked, and Fischer's lovebirds. First, understanding some basic elements that make up the feathers of parrots is important. Then the next will define how these colors and factors are inherited in the three species.
Ground color: This term describes the basic color of the lovebird. Although often called green series and blue series, these two groups can also be affected by a number of other changes in the feather, thereby creating such colors as albino, lutino, and American cinnamon, which are visually unique depending on the ground color of the lovebird. For example, you can have blue American cinnamons as well as green American cinnamons.
The Tyndall effect: A lovebird cannot truly be said to be green or blue in the sense that it has pigments of those colors in its feather creates the illusion of these colors.
Melanin: Melanin pigments are black and brown protein granules in the feather structure. The size and number of these granules affects the color of the bird by making the colors appear lighter or darker. The location and size of these granules affects the overall ground color of the bird.
Psittacin pigment: Although sometimes called carotenoids, these are red and yellow pigments present in feathers. The term carotenoid may be familiar to you. It is what gives carrot, squash, and other yellow, red and orange vegetables their color.
The overall visual color of the bird (its phenotype) is determined by three things:
- The amount and location of melamin.
- The amount of red and/or yellow psittacin pigment
- The structure of what is called the cloudy layer of the feather, which is the area that surrounds the melamin granules.
If you have a lovebird with yellow and red psittacin, no change in the melamin, and add the effect of light scattering, you see the wild-type peachfaced lovebird with a green body and red face.
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