Complete guide to lovebirds mutation and breeding

"Lovebirds Mutation Guide" is a comprehensive guide designed to help lovebirds enthusiasts and breeders understand the various color mutations that exist.

In this article, I explain the different types of mutations of each internationally agreed group. I also provide an explanation of how the various mutations are inherited, which is a complete guide to learn.

To date, mutations in lovebirds have evolved a lot over the years, and new mutations are being discovered all over the world by consistent and organized breeders. To then be studied by geneticists with proper technology and knowledge to come to a conclusion whether it is a mutation or just a modification.

This is an update of an article I wrote in 2018 because it may no longer be relevant this year.

Lovebird mutation group

It takes a long time to research how this suspected mutation reproduces, how it is inherited, what alleles affect one phenotype of this suspected mutation. Until all these conjectures are consistently inherited so that they can be included in the mutation group that I will describe in the following article.

Lovebirds mutation group based on melanin pigment

In general, melanin mutations in lovebirds (Agapornis) refer to genetic changes that affect the production, distribution or type of melanin in bird feathers. Melanin is the pigment responsible for the dark colors, such as black, brown, and gray in bird feathers. Melanin mutations can produce a wide variety of unique colors and patterns in lovebirds. Here is a group of lovebird mutations that refer to melanin changes:

Mutation Melanin Reduction

The Dilute mutation reduces the melanin in the coat evenly, making the coat color brighter. For further explanation you can read my article that discusses the characteristics of the dilute lovebirds mutation that I have published previously. Pale Fallow mutation Reduces melanin significantly, resulting in a very light coat color, such as pale yellow. The main feature of this mutation is pink eye color due to partial loss of melanin in the eyes. Similarly, the Dun Fallow, Bronze Fallow,Pale,Pallid, and Faded lovebirds have varying characteristics and levels of melanin reduction but still remain in the same category.

Melanin Elimination Mutations

Albino mutation removes all melanin from the plumage, resulting in a white bird with red eyes. This is the most extreme mutation in terms of melanin removal, while Lutino removes melanin in green feathers, resulting in bright yellow birds with red eyes. These melanin-removing alleles are also similar in the NSLino aqua and NSLino Yellowface lovebird mutations.

Melanin and Pigment Interaction mutations

Pastel Mutations Reduce melanin as well as other pigments, resulting in softer coat colors. For example, a paler, less intense coat color. This allele also influences the phenotypes of DEC(dark eye clear), pastelino, DECino, and combinations at the "a" locus. Young hobbyists will be confused when distinguishing between pastel vs dilute as these phenotypes are similar.

Partial Melanin Reduction Lovebirds

Dominant edge mutation reduces melanin at the feather edge only, giving a lighter color effect in the center and darker at the feather edge. This allele also affects the phenotype of the recently discovered SL dominant greywing. The Misty mutation causes a decrease in melanin which results in a misty effect in the plumage color, making it appear more faded compared to normal birds.

Eumelanin Wing lovebirds mutation

Euwing (eumelanin wing) is the effect of a melanin mutation that causes eumelanin to be concentrated in the feathers of the wing area. This has the effect of forming a "V" pattern on the mantle area.

Leucism Lovebirds mutations

Dominant pied is one example of a leucism mutation, a genetic condition that causes partial or complete loss of pigment in the feathers resulting in their lighter appearance, in dominant pied there are some random feathers that are completely white for the blue series and yellow for the green series. while in parblue and aqua the absence of melanin results in some cream-colored feathers.

This allele also affects the recessive pied mutation. Although still in the leucism category, the effects shown are slightly different and more evenly distributed, not random as in dominant pied. Although the mode of inheritance is unpredictable, mottle pied is also in the leucism mutation category, the reduction pattern is also random as in dominant pied but seems modified.

Lovebirds mutation group based on Psittacine pigment

Psittacine is a pigment or dye that is responsible for the appearance of red, yellow, and a combination of both colors. And sometimes there is also an imbalance in one particular pigment color that gives a different effect from previously discovered mutations. Psittacine is a unique coloring pigment, because psittacine pigments only exist in parrots. The name psittacin itself is taken from one type of parrot, Psittacidae. Psittacine only affects the color of the feathers and has no effect on the color of the beak, feet, and eyes. To date, there are only two types in this category.

Complete psittacine reduction (CPR Mutation)

Included in the Psittacine pigment cognate mutation group are blue1, formerly called "blue", and blue2, formerly called "broken parblue". Both phenotypes completely reduce the yellow psittacine, resulting in blue on the body feathers, and white on the mask.

Partial psittacine reduction (PPR Mutation)

In addition to these two mutations, there are also parblues that used to be called "American parblue",Aqua,sapphire, and yellowface. The difference is in the reduction intensity factor. So the yellow and red pigments are not totally reduced as in blue1 and blue2 but only partially. So that it appears on the phenotype is cream. The mask feathers also still have traces of Psittacine so they are orange or yellow.

Lovebirds mutation group based on feather structure

This is a group of mutations that affect structural changes in the barbs and modules. So coat structure mutations do not directly affect melanin and psittacine, these alleles only change the structure in the form of widening or narrowing of the barb zone. The phenotypes affected by coat structure are Dark Factor,Violet Factor and Slaty alleles.

Lovebirds mutation group based on pigment distribution

These are alleles that redistribute pigment throughout the coat, both melanin and psittacine pigments. The only phenotype affected by this mutation is Opaline.

Lovebird Mutation Chart by mode of inheritance

Inheritance traits in lovebirds refer to the ways in which certain genetics are passed on from parent to the next generation. Understanding this inheritance is very important for breeders who want to produce lovebirds with planned colors and mutations. The inheritance of color mutations in lovebirds can be grouped into several categories:

Autosomal Dominant lovebird mutation

Autosomal dominant inheritance refers to a pattern of inheritance where a mutation of a certain color or trait in lovebirds is enough with one dominant gene inherited from one of the parents to manifest the characteristic in the offspring.

So you only need one mutation factor in the lovebird pair to get the mutation as intended. Pairs that have an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance include:
Dominant piedDominant yellowDominant reduceSlaty

Autosomal Recessive lovebird mutation

Autosomal recessive is a mode of inheritance in which a mutation or trait will only appear and be observable if a lovebird inherits two identical copies of the mutated allele, one from each parent. The trait will not appear if the lovebird has only one copy of the mutated gene; in this case, the bird is referred to as a carrier in the lovebirds more commonly said (split).

So if your plan is to get the mutated phenotype in the first generation (F1) then both parents must be identical alleles. If you are working with (split) birds then there will be a crossback with the mutated allele parent. Siblings with autosomal recessive mode of inheritance include :
BlueBlue1blue2Blue1blue2AquaTurquoiseYellowfaceTealNSL inoPastelDEC-Dark Eye ClearBronze fallowPale fallowDun fallowFadedDiluteMarbledDM jadeRecessive pied

Autosomal Incomplete dominant lovebird mutation

(incomplete dominance) in lovebirds is a mode of inheritance in which certain traits or mutations of lovebirds that have a single copy of a single-factor mutated gene (heterozygotes) display characteristics that are a mixture or transition between two traits. In other words, lovebirds that are heterozygous (sf) for this mutation will show a different appearance from lovebirds that are homozygous (df) dominant (two copies of the normal gene) and homozygous recessive (two copies of the mutated gene). So you only need one mutated parent in the lovebird pair and the F1 will have a similar mutation to the mutated parent. In the dominant incomplete mutation group are :

Sex-linked recessive lovebirds mutation

In lovebirds genetics (Agapornis), a sex-linked recessive mutation is a mutation that is bound to the sex chromosome and is recessive. This means that the mutation gene is located on the X chromosome, and its recessive nature makes it invisible except under certain circumstances. To express a recessive mutation, a male must inherit the recessive gene from both parents (one from each Z). If the male carries only one recessive gene on one Z chromosome, the mutation will not be visible as it will be masked by the dominant gene on the other Z chromosome. Females have only one Z chromosome, so if that Z chromosome carries a recessive gene, the mutation will be immediately visible, as there is no other Z chromosome to cover the gene. Mutations that belong to the recessive sex-linked group are:

Multi-factor lovebird mutation

This is a class of mutations whose actual mode of inheritance cannot be predicted or planned, hence the multi-factorial category. Mottle is one of them, this mutation, which usually occurs periodically or progressively, has a pattern like dominant pied. The second is Crested, this mutation has a crested effect on the coat of the back of the head.

Thus the complete guide article of lovebirds mutation and breeding that I can write, Hopefully useful and inspiring. So that we become more selective in planning the breeding of lovebirds in the future.