Bird Genetics

[S. Ali]

Hi Everyone!

My lovebird pair recently had their first babies. It’s my first experience with baby lovebirds as well.

This may sound like a really silly question (I wasn’t able to find a clear answer online) but how did one of the babies turn out so blue and not look like its parents? I thought it would at least look like the mom or dad or a mix of both traits but it seems rly different. Do bird genetics work similar as humans and the babies can look like it’s grandparents? Because one of the grandparents was really blue like this.

 

[Emma&pico]

Your lovebirds are so gorgeous baby is so cute

@Zara might know

 

[FinchORI]

The baby is so so so beautiful!

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi Everyone!

My lovebird pair recently had their first babies. It’s my first experience with baby lovebirds as well.

This may sound like a really silly question (I wasn’t able to find a clear answer online) but how did one of the babies turn out so blue and not look like its parents? I thought it would at least look like the mom or dad or a mix of both traits but it seems rly different. Do bird genetics work similar as humans and the babies can look like it’s grandparents? Because one of the grandparents was really blue like this.

Did they just have one chick

 

[Zara]

how did one of the babies turn out so blue and not look like its parents?

Because those birds (the parents? in the pic) are *blue (parblue) birds - the bird on the right could possibly be AquaTurquoise but the parent on the left is Turquoise.
Your chicks has hatched a Turquoise lovebird, but could be split to other mutations.

Do bird genetics work similar as humans and the babies can look like it’s grandparents?

A bird that is split to mutations does not show them, but carries the gene. So sometimes chicks can look like grandparents, but it is all down to what mutations the parents have, taking into account which chromosome carries that mutation, and the percentages... and obviously the more chicks, the more chance of seeing those with a lower percent (chance) of appearing.

 

[Zara]

To add, a simple way to think of it is,

The wild type is Green with a red face.

The blue mutation, means there´s a reduction in psittacin, which gives the yellow and red colours. So when the yellow and red is taken away, you´re left with a blue looking bird with a white face. The reduction is never 100% because a true Blue Roseicollis lovebird does not exist to date, so a little yellow or red remains, often found in an orange brow on the face, or a slight green hue to the ¨blue¨ plumage.

 

[Emma&pico]

To add, a simple way to think of it is,

The wild type is Green with a red face.

The blue mutation, means there´s a reduction in psittacin, which gives the yellow and red colours. So when the yellow and red is taken away, you´re left with a blue looking bird with a white face. The reduction is never 100% because a true Blue Roseicollis lovebird does not exist to date, so a little yellow or red remains, often found in an orange brow on the face, or a slight green hue to the ¨blue¨ plumage.

so if indie had babies with her parents both being wild type would some of her chicks be wild type

 

[Zara]

so if indie had babies with her parents both being wild type would some of her chicks be wild type

If both her parents ¨looked¨ wild type, then they were both split to Turquoise for Indie to be a Turquoise bird.

As for wild type chicks, depends on her mate.

 

[Sparkles99]

That baby is a looker!!

 

[S. Ali]

The baby is so so so beautiful!

Thank you

 

[S. Ali]

Did they just have one chick

Thank you there were 3 babies in total. The other two which are slightly younger look a lot more like their father

 

[S. Ali]

To add, a simple way to think of it is,

The wild type is Green with a red face.

The blue mutation, means there´s a reduction in psittacin, which gives the yellow and red colours. So when the yellow and red is taken away, you´re left with a blue looking bird with a white face. The reduction is never 100% because a true Blue Roseicollis lovebird does not exist to date, so a little yellow or red remains, often found in an orange brow on the face, or a slight green hue to the ¨blue¨ plumage.

Thank you Zara for your explanation! You help break down genetics in a much simpler way that is easier to understand. The way genetics works is definitely interesting!