My Female Pearl is Changing colour

[Kerry78]

Hi All,

over the last few weeks ive noticed that Missy has been Moulting alot of her feathers all over her body, ive have also noticed that her Pearly wings that used to be black are going Grey is this Normal? I thought they only stayed Black white and yellow on the wings :confused:

[Solace.]

Wow, that's interesting. :o

I found some info.. someone may be able to help more

The Pearl Cockatiels gene does not have any visual affect on the colour pigments in the bird but instead it affects the distribution of the colours that are already present. It actually decreases the spread of the grey family of pigments (melanin) and increases the spread of the yellow pigments (psittacins). Individual feathers over most of a pearled bird will have more of the yellow family of pigments visible giving them a scalloped pattern.

It is especially interesting to note that males do not retain the pearled colourings. They soon lose this after their first molt. Though you may not be able to see this pattern, it is not essentially gone. It is only covered up by more grey pigment.

[Kerry78]

lol she is definatley a female ive caught her laying eggs :D
I know the males changed colour but I can't understand why Missy is changing colour I assumed she would remain Black, Yellow and white on the wings,
her body is Grey with yellow dots too, her Tail isn't changing she has lot's of yellow growth happening... im really puzzled lol, is she a different type of Pearl?

She's a funny bird, shes can be loving one min and go crazy and bite the next :D
but she loves scritches, she also loves to site on the perch near my radiator and feel the warmth lmao!

[Kerry78]

Is anyone about who can comment on this further please :)
I want to know whats happening with my pretty lttle girl :(

[Solace.]

Kerry, I just thought of someone that will be able to help you - PM srtiels (http://www.talkcockatiels.com/member.php?find=lastposter&t=7227) and ask her, she's a breeder and knows a lot about the different mutations.

[Clairey331]

I cant help, but i saw one exactly that colour and markings at the breeders i went to a few weeks ago, he was so pretty, was going to pick him, but he seemed to much of a bully! Lol. He was darker grey/black though. i know you say yours is a hen.:)

[Mythara]

Have you got a picture of her before she started moulting as a comparison? In your signature photo, she looks cinnamon to me. When my two (both cinnamons) started getting their new feathers in, they looked much darker than the old feathers which had faded a bit. Are you sure the darker feathers are the old ones? Or could they be the new feathers that have come in?

[srtiels]

As Mythara posted, if she is going thru a molt, the older feathers will be lighter, and newer ones darker, so for awhile she may have a variagated look.

I can't tell anything from the photo. In the signature she looks cinnamon pearl and the posted pix looks like a normal pearl.

[Kerry78]

The only clear photo ive got of her a few few weeks ago is the next one attached,
her wing feathers were definatley black but now there going grey she is Moulting and I was told she was a Youngster, she has a bald patch under her crest still if that helps :)

[atvchick95]

how long have you had her?

is she in a cage with your other tiels? if so are you 100% sure it was her who laid the eggs?

[Kerry78]

Since August 20th she is definatley a she ive seen her egg popping,
yeah shes in with one adult male and one young male sandy who fancys the feathers of her but shes not amused, she likes Teallie haha

[srtiels]

She looks like a normal pearl...possibly split to whiteface. If it is the wings that are in question you should post a pix of those. The bald spot can be a result of too many generations of pearl to pearl. To get rid of it she would eventually have to be paired with a bird that does not have any pearl in the background, and those offspring kept away from anything with pearl.

[Kerry78]

i'll get some pics up of her later her feathers are definatley going grey on her wings from black anyway even my friend said shes changing colour and he bought her for me :)

Teallies a Cinnamon but inbetween Grey not browny like Sandy :)

[srtiels]

Teallie looks to be a normal grey.

IF the wing flights are dilute like in the pix there is a possiblity that she may also be a Dominant silver. Which would also account for the slight balding behind the crest. Pearl is a mutation that can contribute to balding to some other mutations like lutino, fallow, and emerald.

[Kerry78]

Really? I assumed Teallie was a Cinnamon to cos his grey plumage is lighter then a Normal Grey Cockatiel some others on here have said he's a Cinnamon,

Sandy is a Cinnamon Pied Cockatiel well thats what said on my reciept when I got him lol!
let me charge my Mobile and i'll get a piccy of missy,

I could take it on my camera but I don't have the USB here for it,
and shocking horror really angry cos my SD card bust on it, it contained all my photo's to when I went to germany, im not a happy bunny :(

[Kerry78]

This is the best photo I can get of missy of my mobile,
imawaiting for a new SD to arrive but with the Royal mail strikes going on atmgod knows if it will turn up quick :(

I think Missy is a Normal Pearl but she is greyer more than she was originally,
she is moulting to though but lets see what happens further on with her wings! :)

[srtiels]

Teallie is a normal. The grey can vary from pale to dark grey. Sandy appears to be a cinnamon. Here is some info on pieds: http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/pied.html

Missy may also lighten up a little prior to a molt.

[Kerry78]

Ahh right so if Teallie and Missy got together next year and laid eggs would the Bald patch disappear in the chicks? lol I always assumed Normal Greys were alot darker didn't know they were different variations in them neither!

I knew Sandy was a Cinnamon from the day I had him I did think he was a she though im wrong, he has lovely stiped tail feathers still well a couple one fell out will these grow back that Yellow colour or will his tail now turn Brown aswell?

he has bit's of white on his head and by his eyes :)

Im not bothered if Missy changes colour tbh be nice if she did go all grey instead of black lol, her feet are pink these will stay the same I pressume :)

she is eating alot better now but still could do with putting on abit more weight she feels abit thin when I pick her up,
but shes lovely she loves sitting on my arm and playing with zips on my jumper, she tryed to get down my top once aswell :blush::love:

[srtiels]

Does Teallie have good thick head feathering. You can blow behind his crest to see how well the feathers cover his scalp. of so he would be fine with Missy.

Of Sandy is definitely a male he will molt out the yellow barred tailfeathers and they'll be replace with solid chocolate (underside) ones.

If Missy's feet are pink they should stay the same color. Also sometimes this could be an indication of split to pied.

[Kerry78]

I think Teallies got good feathering behind it crest it's hard to tell cos he dislikes being touched and if I give him scritches and try get close to look he wont have none of it lol

ive bugged him with baths this week he's been looking sleepy today so im just leaving him till he's back in bouncey form ;)

his nostrils (holes) look pretty bad compared with my other birds something has happened to them in his previous home I think,
perhaps he was attacked by the budgie? he is breathing normally but Ido tend to worry about his nose getting dust in his nostrils hence why I do give him baths :)

all of them are given baths btw they seem to tell me when they want one,
Sandy sit's in the water bowl or with get angry with his pins and make a right racket lol

he's such a crazy bird I don't suppose you have any tips on how to tone himdown doyou with wanting far tomuch attention?

he should be asleep by 10pm but he's often waffling away until 12 midnight,
and screaming always for scritches lol

I would of loved him to keep his feathers on his tail with the stripes but oh well ive noticed a brown one coming thru today after the yellow one fell out looks like he's gonnabe a brownie boy lol

thanks for your advice SRTIELS "Happy Halloween" lol