Sapphire Mutation by: Wicus, a senior lovebird breeder from South Africa, first published the sapphire mutation. He uploaded it via WM birds south Africa's Facebook personal page.
At first, this bird was mentioned under SA(South Africa) Orange Fronted Turquoise. Then it changed again to Sapphire. In fact, he is also referred to as the original Turquoise in some uploads.
It is not without reason to call the original Turquoise; even when juxtaposed with the Turquoise of Roseicollis and Sapphire, there will be many similarities.
The sapphire mutation is a lovebird with an orange forehead appearance. These are residual traces of psittacine on some parts of the wing feathers and cloaca. It is not present in blue mutations.
Sapphire is still in the category shade of PPR ( Partial Psittacine Reduction ) mutations along with blue and Parblue.
But the difference with the parblue we have known so far is noticeable.
If on parblue, the colour of the mask is almost entirely cream-coloured with a more intense orange forehead. Even when the parblue gets bluer, it still leaves cream on the mask.
Whereas what happens to Sapphire is the reduction rate resembles blue. It's just that it still leaves an orange trace on the forehead.
Psittacine traces are also on some feathers, such as on the wings and around the cloaca.
There may have been an inequality of reduction rates in certain parts.
Sapphire lovebirds have been confirmed to be autosomal recessive and have the same locus as blue and parblue.
The breeding chart of the Sapphire Lovebirds is also identical to parblue, and you will get some Sapphire chicks when crossing with blue.
Fischeri Sapphire Mutation Chart
