Because of their very bright, colourful plumage and cheerful nature Parakeets are very popular birds. You may not know it, but a parakeet’s colours are determined by their genetic makeup and mating. Can you recognise parakeets based on their colour?
The most common colours are:
1. GREEN
Green is considered the original colour and is most common among wild parakeets so that they can hide from predators in green foliage. Green parakeets have a yellow band of six spots on the sides of their throats, dark blue cheek markings, yellow-rimmed black stripes and a blue tail with one black feather. The green parakeet comes in three shades of varying intensity: light, dark and olive and is, genetically speaking, dominant.
2. BLUE
Like fairy-tale birds, blue parakeets come in three shades: sky blue, cobalt blue and mauve. They have a white mask, black/blue stripes with white edges, black spots, and blue to purple cheek markings. The tail feathers are medium to dark blue in colour. Blue parakeets are a recessive mutation and it is much more difficult to breed chicks of this colour.
3. GREY
Elegant and sober, the grey parakeet has a grey plumage embellished with other colours (mauve or olive green), a black tail and blue cheek markings. Its mask is white and its stripes are black with white edges, its spots black.
4. PURPLE
This variety dates to the 1930s and was considered a rarity for a long period of time. It has a black mask, black/purple stripes with white trim, and black spots. The cheek markings tend to be dark purple, as is the black-tipped tail plumage. Like its grey brethren, it is a semi-dominant variety.
There are also some other remarkable recent mutations worth considering:
5. CINNAMON
The plumage of this variety of parakeet features brown wings, it has red eyes with a clear iris. Its spots are also brown and the tail feathers tend to fade. One of this type’s most remarkable characteristics are its red claws!
6. RAINBOW
This parakeet seems to have undergone a lively session in the paint room and is graced with all the colours of the rainbow. It has irregular splashes of pastel colours and a variety of markings on its neck. Its colours tend towards being very light.
It is important to note that there are many more varieties of parakeets than those we have mentioned here as our list includes only the most common types that are easy to find. All of them are gorgeous and oh so loveable!
FAQs
The two basic parakeet color types are green and blue
What is the rarest parakeet color? ›
Here are some of the rarest parakeet colors and mutations: 1. **Lutino:** Lutino budgies are known for their bright yellow feathers, red eyes, and pink feet and beaks. They lack the dark melanin pigments that give other budgies their green or blue colors.
How do you tell what type of budgie you have? ›
Nearly all budgies are either yellow-base or white-base. Yellow-base birds (as you may have guessed) have yellow pigment in their feathers resulting in yellow coloration. White-base birds lack this pigment, resulting in a white appearance.
How to tell if a parakeet is male or female? ›
Even with adult parakeets, it can be difficult to determine their sex these days because of the many color mutations. In general, a male will have a solid lavender to solid blue cere – this is the skin around their nostrils. A female will have a white to brown cere, depending on hormones and age.
Which color budgie is best? ›
The ancestral wild budgerigar is a lemon-and-lime mixture of greens and yellows, and this combination is very common amongst pet birds. The blue/white type is very popular too, in varying degrees of darkness from grey to cobalt.
What is the most beautiful parakeet? ›
Rainbow Lorikeet
It's the world's most stunning and intelligent parrot, adorned with blue, green and orange plumage.
Which parakeets are friendliest? ›
The budgerigar, or budgie, is the most popular kind of parakeet for bird owners thanks to their silly, sweet nature, but all parakeets offer the benefits that come with their small size and the fact that they aren't as noisy as many of their avian cousins.
What does a happy budgie look like? ›
If your budgie is flapping their wings while stationary, that's a positive sign. Wing flapping is one way budgies display happiness around humans. Note that droopy or lethargic wings may be a sign of illness, and wing “flipping,” or short, sharp movements is a sign of annoyance or agitation.
What is the most common color of parakeets? ›
The two basic parakeet color types are green and blue
The wild ancestral budgerigar sports a full coat of green-yellow plumage. This combination is very common in pet parakeets, as is the blue/white combination. The latter can come in many shades varying from grey to cobalt.
What do parakeets like to listen to? ›
Parakeets have their own favorite sounds. If they hear a tweet, squeak or word that they find pleasing, they may learn it and slot it in as part of their regular repertoire. Some birds are inspired by the noises around them – phones and apps, music, other pets, cars, or human voices.
If you're buying from a breeder you may have to wait for the budgies to be old enough to live away from their parents. They are weaned and sufficiently independent between 8 and 10 weeks after hatching.
What are the rarest budgies? ›
The Anthracite budgerigar mutation is an extremely rare mutation that occurs in the budgerigar. The mutation, similar to the Violet budgerigar mutation, causes a difference in the coloring of budgerigars.
What is the rarest kind of parakeet? ›
The echo parakeet (Psittacula eques) is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activity.
What is the most common parakeet color? ›
The two basic parakeet color types are green and blue
The wild ancestral budgerigar sports a full coat of green-yellow plumage. This combination is very common in pet parakeets, as is the blue/white combination. The latter can come in many shades varying from grey to cobalt.
Which is the rarest budgie? ›
The Anthracite budgerigar mutation is an extremely rare mutation that occurs in the budgerigar. The mutation, similar to the Violet budgerigar mutation, causes a difference in the coloring of budgerigars.
