Any ideas as to what mutation this kakariki is?

Craig · Regular Member Joined: Feb 14, 2008 Posts: 21

His mother is a normal pied who we bought, so we don't know her history. His father is a 90% cinnamon pied who we bred from a pied cock and a buttercup hen. We bred both of these birds as well. So, going back three generations on the father's side, we have buttercup, cinnamon and pied.

He is definitely not a cinnamon. His eyes are red as in a buttercup. His head is very light, his body is very slightly darker and his wings are darker still (more of a cinnamon green).

Thought he might be a fallow, but not sure where this could have come from unless both parents are split? None of his 12 siblings are the same colour.

Tontana · Snr Member Joined: Nov 13, 2007 Posts: 77

My experience with mutations is zero but I must say that was a real beauty! And an very interesting mutation. Is the wing feathers purely grey or is just the photograph which makes them appear as if they were?

Craig · Regular Member Joined: Feb 14, 2008 Posts: 21

The flight feathers are a blue/grey colour - they haven't come out very well in the photo!

Someone elsewhere suggested opaline, but that's not a mutation I have ever heard of?

Peter · Foundation Member Joined: Oct 15, 2004 Posts: 599

Yep, this is a nice looking Fallow.

Craig · Regular Member Joined: Feb 14, 2008 Posts: 21

Thanks for the info. I guess both parents must be split if fallow is recessive.

I read somewhere that there are several types of fallow, as in dark and light factors. Is this correct, and if so, any ideas as to what this one may be?

Peter · Foundation Member Joined: Oct 15, 2004 Posts: 599

Hi Craig,

Visually there are a few kinds of Fallow but I believe they are all the result of one type of Fallow i.e. Bronze Fallow. This gene is located on the same place where the Lutino gene occurs. Since genes are always in pairs there are two possibilities. A pair with two Bronze Fallow genes or a pair with one Bronze Fallow gene and one Lutino.

Probably the bird in the picture is the first possibility, a true Bronze Fallow. The second possibility will show a bird which is a shade lighter then the first. The latter can be produced by pairing your bird to a Lutino.