International Parrotlet Society, Mexican Parrotlets,

So you close down and just take members money. I paid a long term membership fee less then a year ago. My Attorney will be in touch! Dear Mr. XXXX: Thank you for your email. According to our records, you joined IPS in October of 2011 and paid for a one year membership. IPS did not accept any renewals or applications after December 31, 2012 (your membership expired in October of 2012). IPS was closed after written notification to all current members in 2013 and offered refunds to those members. All remaining funds were donated to another 501©(3) organization as per IRS rules and the bylaws of the International Parrotlet Society. I believe you have confused our organization with another. If you have documentation to prove otherwise, a cancelled check or other instrument indicating you paid ‘for a long term membership less than a year ago’ please provide it as I am quite sure you are mistaken. However, if something ‘slipped through the cracks’, I will be more than happy to refund your money out of my OWN personal funds although I am under no legal obligation to do so. Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase Sandee, Thank you for responding. Since the original notificaton of the IPS closing down I have sent numerous emails as to where to continue getting information. I was surprised that your site NEVER came up in any of my searches. Anyway, it was suggested I attempt one last time and make mention of the "A" word. (attorney) I am quite surprised it worked! So, I apologize for the deception and thank you for responding. I have a "Mexican" or to be more specific, Forpus cyanopygius cyanopygius, and I would love to get him a mate. However I can not seem to find him one. With no local breeders in my area that I have been able to find, and not sure of what I should actually be paying for one. (Chico was a rescue) I had been inquiring with IPS when it shut down as to this info as well as looking to learn where Chico had come from using his leg band information. (Another bit that IPS NEVER responded to) I truely hope you will be able to steer me in the right direction and I again apologize for my tactics. Sincerely, XXXX Dear XXXX: Once IPS was shut down, it was shut down. Disappeared. Gone from the web. There was no way you could contact us anymore unless you contacted me on my private email which you did. Threatening a lawsuit had nothing to do with it. I have a legal background myself and am not intimidated by threats of legal action especially when I have done nothing wrong. Besides, no one pays attorneys hundreds of dollars an hour to go after $25 especially since this would be a small claims court action at best. So no, your tactic didn’t work other than you finally used the correct address to contact me. I am unaware of anyone in the US who has Mexican parrotlets anymore. For more than a decade, I was the only one who had them. Before that, I worked solely with zoos, breeding cooperatives and members of the IPS Breeding Cooperative. All of those breeders got out of parrotlets in the 1990’s and I know of no one who breeds them in the US anymore. I worked for more than twenty years to preserve these birds but when the color mutations were imported in the mid-1990’s most people dumped their other species. The economy eventually put the rest of the breeders out of business and the zoos couldn’t manage them as they wished. Eventually they all became related, inbred and eventually died out, The last one I saw outside of my aviary was in 2002. I’m very sorry I don’t have a better answer for you. If I hear of anyone who has them, I’ll pass your information on to them. Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase

Diminishing Parrotlet Lifespans

Greetings Sandee, I read on your blog that Parrotlets used to live to 20 or older but now usually only make it to 10. I was wondering why that might be, and two possible causes came to mind. First, maybe it's because all the birds have become more or less inbred since 1992. Second, maybe the grains their pellets are made from are having an effect. Soy and corn have become mostly all GMO in the last twenty years, and virtually all our wheat now comes from a hybrid that was developed in the 1970s. This wheat has been giving a lot of trouble to a high percentage of us humans who eat it (see "Wheat Belly Blog" online). So maybe, since birds are such fragile creatures, which have never eaten these grains in the wild, these "frankenfoods" are having a negative impact on them too. My 6-year-old PP "Cootie" loves quinoa, so I've been increasing the amount of that that I give him. Opinions? I really enjoy reading your blog! Vickie Dear Victoria: Thank you for your message and your very kind words. The problem with shortening lifespans in parrotlets in captivity has to do with several factors. Yes, many of the birds are inbred and closely related. This happened before the Wild Bird Conservation Act but certainly that was part of the problem. I remember a friend, prior to the passage of the WBCA in 1992, bought 3 Green Wing macaws. One came from California, one from Florida and the other from Texas. DNA testing proved all three birds were related. So it isn't just because of the WBCA, it also had to do with a limited genetically diverse captive population prior to its passage. The second biggest problem was human greed and ego. When the color mutation Pacifics started being imported back in the mid-1990's many people got rid of their other species and normal Pacifics in order to breed pretty new colored birds. Not only could they make 10 or more times the amount of money per bird as a normal Pacific or Green Rump or Spectacled, they also could make new colors by combining them, therefore 'creating' new mutations that gave them recognition and 'fame' for lack of a better word. By the time people realized that the mutations were so plentiful that their prices had fallen into the basement, it was too late to breed the other species as most were all but disappeared from American aviculture (especially the less common species of Mexicans and Blue Wings). Mutations are genetically abnormal birds. In the wild, Nature usually 'weeded' out these birds. However, we humans like the abnormal colors so we bred more of them which, with mutation breeding, means lots of line-breeding (if you are doing it 'right') or more often than not 'inbreeding'. Line breeding means breeding cousin birds and inbreeding is breeding siblings and parents to offspring. Very few of these people outcrossed them to normal or wild-type parrotlets. Again, by the time people realized they were getting incorrectly sized birds, bad feather conditions and loss of fertility as well as birth defects, it was too late to find normal, wild-type Pacifics to breed out some of these genetic defects. As for GMO's and that kind of thing, I have no idea. I'm not a scientist. However, I do know that unless you are feeding pelleted diets, most bird seeds to not contain a lot of GMO's. Most pelleted diets are manufactured from corn, something I have avoided for more than a decade to feed both myself and my birds due to its low nutritional value and high sugar content. Most bird seeds do not contain soy. But, even if it did, I would say it would be affecting ALL birds not just parrotlets so I doubt that has as much to do with it. As for being 'fragile' nothing could be farther from the truth. Parrotlets are little tigers. They are aggressive, territorial and not only survive in very harsh environments where everything eats them, they are thriving and expanding their range in their countries of origin. Indeed, in a lot of places they are considered 'pests' in that they nest under the eaves of houses, in attics, barns and are often seen in cities hanging out much like pigeons in the US. Not to mention they also descend upon farms destroying all those crops of grains, wheat, sunflower, etc. So they do indeed consume grains in the wild. Hope this helps! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase

Spectacled Parrotlet Breeders, Loss of Species and Adding Another Parrotlet

Hello Sandee: I purchased my 2 beloved Spectacled Parrotlets (sisters) in Summer of 2000 from Rachel(?) of ‘Little Big Birds’ in Maryland. I have tried to locate her recently and have been unable to find her or ‘Little Big Birds’. I tried the Link you provide but, no luck. Is she no longer breeding Spectacles? Do you know of any other reputable breeders of Spectacles? I live in Vermont and not sure that my babies will live to 15-20 as they are beginning to show signs of old age but they’re still happily acting like Parrotlets – yacking away and always exploring. Thanks for any info you can provide on Rachel and/or other breeders of Spectacles. Best wishes Marcia Dear Marcia: Thank you for your message. Goodness, I think XXXXX got out of breeding parrotlets about 10 years ago. Very unfortunate as she was a wonderful lady who take excellent care of her birds. Even more unfortunate is the fact that there are almost no other species of parrotlets available in the US anymore other than color mutation Pacifics. I know of one person I can recommend that breeds Spectacles. Her name is XXXXXX and her email is XXXXXXXX. She is an excellent parrotlet breeder and I highly recommend her. Be sure and tell her you got her name from me. Best of luck! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase ________________________________________ Hi Sandee; thanks so much for your response. I have emailed XXXX but am so sorry to hear XXXX is not breeding anymore. She was an excellent source of parrotlet information. I am also sorry to hear there are not more Spectacles in the US. I wonder why that is. Anyway, I am not sure I’m looking to get another parrotlet currently because Bunny is pretty possessive of me and would probably be annoyed if I split affections with another parrotlet although I wondered about supervised ‘socializing’ time for both of them – she would certainly like someone who was more adept at preening her than I and my friends are. Anyway, thank you so much for your care for parrotlets. Best wishes Marcia Dear Marcia: The loss of all the species of parrotlets in this country is very simple and something that I sadly predicted back in the mid-1990’s. The influence of color mutations and their high prices caused people to dump all of the other species to breed pretty colors. People wanted to buy the pretty colored birds. That, coupled with a very limited population, especially with birds like Spectacles (which only 20 pair came into the country) and the fact the Wild Bird Conservation Act which will not allow normal, non-mutated birds to be imported is why we have nothing but color mutation Pacifics available now. While there a handful of these birds around, they are all inbred and in another 10 years or so, they will all be gone from the US as well. Very sad. Also, I never recommend getting a parrotlet as a companion for your parrotlet. They are aggressive and territorial and will look at the new bird as a rival or competitor. So, probably best to leave Bunny as an only-parrotlets. Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. Dear Sandee: Thanks for your tip on companionship for Bunny. To be honest, I just could not see her being okay with any interruption to her supreme rule of the household. I mulled over a friend because she is slowing down and I thought this would perk her up but, upon reflection probably not in a positive way. She has developed a periodic ‘fainting’ which is frightening when it happens. She appears as though dead (eyes closed, body limp). I hold her, and in minutes, she regains consciousness, starts chirping and attempting (eventually succeeding) to scramble out of my hand. I have taken her to various avian vets – she is not egg bound, no tumors are felt, has not lost weight (if anything she has gained weight), her droppings look good. This seems like a neurological thing…In any event, I think she is too small for anything invasive or traumatic so, I think I will just enjoy her for however long she can hang around. I am very sorry to hear Spectacles did not take off – I realize now how fortunate I was to meet up with Rachael in 2001. Are you aware of any Parrotlet clubs/groups/owners in the New England area? it is nice to have contact with others who have some idea of how wonderful they are. Very best wishes Marcia Dear Marcia: Glad to be of help and I think you have made a wise decision. I’m sorry to hear about Bunny’s problems and I agree that its probably neurological and, unfortunately, untreatable. However, that doesn’t mean she can’t continue to have a long and wonderful life with you. Actually, the only reason you have Bunny is because Spectacles ‘took off’. There were only 20 pairs of birds imported 21 years ago and people worked very hard, in cooperation with the International Parrotlet Society to breed enough of them to even allow any of them to be sold into the pet trade. Had Americans been more like Europeans and continued to work with normal, non-mutated species along with the color mutation Pacifics, we’d still have plenty of birds. But they didn’t, for reasons I previously explained. There are many bird clubs in the Northeast unlike out West. While none of them are ‘parrotlet specific’ that doesn’t mean they don’t’ have a lot to offer as far as education and keeping abreast of legislative and regulatory issues. They also fundraise to support veterinary and conservation issues and, many of them have annual bird shows. Here is the URL to the Society of Parrot Breeders and Exhibitors that has a list of all affiliated clubs http://www.spbe.org/affiliatedclubs.htm as well as the URL to North American Parrot Society’s affiliated clubs http://www.northamericanparrotsociety.com/?page_id=233 Both organizations are also very educational and offer a lot to members including bimonthly journals and, of course, information on bird shows. These days those are about the only clubs that are still going strong. Hope this helps and best of luck! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Mexican Parrotlets, Green Rump Parrotlets, Touring Your Facility, More Than One Pet Parrotlet

Hello, I am extremely interested in acquiring two parrotlets. I have previously owned a yellow napped Amazon, two sulfur crested cockatoos, and many cockatiels over the years. Now all I want are two wee parrotlets. I'm interested in both the Mexican and the Green Rump. I would like to have two so that they can be companions when I am away...though I am retired and at home a goodly amount of the time. My curiosity has to do with the advisability of housing two together. Might it be better to have two females, as I did with my cockatoos (they got along famously), or would it be better to have a mated pair? Two males just seem understandably out of the question...LOL...I have an entire room that would be their room, where they would have no fear of intruding cats or dogs. My cats are ancient and the dogs live outside. I very much miss having birds; they were such a joy in my life. I shall be in Aptos the 5th and 6th of August for some medical care and would love to come to your facility, if it is acceptable to you? I'd love to take two away with me, preferably ones that still require some hand feeding so that they would bond with me, as so many of my previous avian friends did. Might I inquire how much they cost, and have you equipment there for purchase? Or should I prepare, in advance, with purchases made up here (Santa Rosa)? Either way is acceptable to me. Do, please, advise... Its better to reach me at karenhaskamp@gmail.com, as this sonic address is just too jammed with extraneous emails!!! And, I can be reached at 707-888-6064 I'm really quite excited at the prospect of bringing two babies home, but old enough to be separated from their parents! Oh, I'll need your proper address, if it's OK for me to come visit... Thank you for your time, and I do look forward to meeting you. Karen Dear Karen: Thank you for your emails. Sorry for the delay in responding. Mexican parrotlets always were extremely rare and because of that I never sold them as pets but only worked with zoos and members of the International Parrotlet Society’s cooperative breeding program in order to preserve them. Unfortunately, Mexican parrotlets were always the most difficult parrotlets to work with so even before color mutation Pacifics were introduced in the mid—1990’s, they were always rare. Now they are all but non-existent in the United States anymore and are considered ‘genetically extinct’ in this country. Unfortunately, the same fate, people dumping all of their species of parrotlets except for color mutation Pacifics, has resulted in the demise of once common species such as Green Rumps and Spectacles; even wild-type (normal) Pacifics are almost impossible to find these days. I do know two breeders of Green Rumps that I can recommend but both are on the East Coast and you would have to have them shipped. That is no issue for the birds as the airlines take excellent care of them and in 30 years I’ve never had a bird arrive with a feather out of place let alone injured or killed. I never recommend that people purchase two parrotlets to keep each other company. Parrotlets are very aggressive and territorial birds and even if you get two birds at the same time and they grow up together, in all likelihood, one will become dominant over the other and become aggressive it. “Share’ is not a word in the parrotlet vocabulary and they look at the other bird as a rival and a competitor not a companion or friend. Usually the dominant bird will not allow the other bird to eat, perch or play and can injure or sometimes kill the other bird. If you would like two parrotlets as companions for yourself, that’s fine. Just make sure each bird has their own cage and is supervised when it is out with the other bird. Otherwise, pet parrotlets do best as single birds in one household. So long as they have a large cage, lots of toys and daily interaction with their owners, they are just fine. They are not like cockatoos or other birds that need the socialization of others of their kind. They are aggressive, territorial and will defend their cage, home, even person with an intensity that is difficult to comprehend unless you’ve seen it. In 35 years, I have never sold an unweaned bird. Not even to experienced hand-feeders of parrotlets. Parrotlets do not bond with their hand-feeder but bond with the person or birds that they are placed with after weaning. Also, it is very stressful and an unnecessary health risk to the bird to place it with another hand-feeder as even if you use the same formula and keep it in the correct temperature, they often suffer from stress by simply being placed in a new environment before they are physiologically ready. I also do not let people into my breeding aviary. This is to protect my birds from stress and disease. I have worked with USDA to establish biological protocols to protect people’s birds by following the closed-aviary concept and no one goes into my breeding aviary but me. Also, these are breeding birds and it would stress them greatly to have strangers coming into their secured place looking at them so I never allow people into my aviary. Finally, I want to say that I am currently not breeding parrotlets as I have severe arthritis in my thumb from hand-feeding thousands of baby parrotlets over the decades and need surgery on it. I do not know if I will be breeding again but if I do, I will have a waiting list. In the meantime, I would be happy to recommend some breeders to you from out of state if you would like. They are extremely reputable as I only recommend people I would do business with. Best of luck with your procedures and I hope this helped! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase

Spectacle Parrotlets

Hi Sandy,

You may remember me. My name is Cailin Callahan and we have spoken on the phone a few times back when I was looking for breeder pairs of spectacled parrotlets. Presently I have two pairs -- only one of which has begun reproducing. This pair is unrelated and have produced 4 babies, presently fledging and appearing to be made up of 3 hens and a male. They are 4 weeks old having hatched all in the first week of December. I have another breeding pair which has yet to do anything. The male of this pair is the brother to the male of the reproducing pair and the hen of this pair is the sister of the hen of the reproducing pair. Offspiring from this couple will be double first cousins to the offspring of the first pair and so they would be a little too closely related to take the progeny of these two pairs and breed them.

I am writing to find out if you are still breeding spectacled parrotlets and if you know of an aviary called "three sisters" in North Carolina. I understand she was looking for specs to trade recently but I have been unable to find her. Also, I will soon be looking to sell these babies which have all been regularly handled and hand fed intermittantly. None of them bite but one does shout at you a bit at first when you handle him. They would all make great pets or breeder birds.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give and best of luck to you in 2012!

Cailin

Dear Cailin:

Thank you for your email. If you have read any of my materials you would know that Spectacles didn’t come into the US until 1992, right before the Wild Bird Conservation Act was passed. This prohibited the importation of all the species of parrotlets except for color mutation Pacifics. The birds that were imported in 1992 came from Europe so they were not wild caught birds and there were less than 20 pairs imported. This means that pretty much all of the birds around today are all related in some way – many of whom are very closely related. Just because you get birds from someone else, is no assurance that the birds are not related. I love to tell the story of a friend who bought WILD CAUGHT macaws – one from TX, one from FL and one from CA. He had them DNA’ed and ALL of them were related. And if that happened with wild caught birds, you can be assured that the original pairs that came in the country in 1992 were probably all related because they all came from one breeder in Belgium. The only reason the birds are still around today is because a) the International Parrotlet Society created a breeding cooperative and a managed studbook so that the original pairs’ offspring were as widely distributed as possible and b) the birds that came in were very healthy and were excellent founder stock. Unfortunately, each generation brings the inbreeding quotient higher and higher until eventually the birds will all be sterile or have incapacitating genetic abnormalities. There is no way to prevent this since the Federal government will not allow the importation of new stock. Very sad and as someone who was one of the first people in this country to breed Spectacles and is a co-founder of the International Parrotlet Society who worked for 2 decades to preserve these species, it is incredibly sad. But, people wanted to make money breeding color mutation Pacifics, as well as feeding their own ego’s to make pretty new colors, so the other species – Mexicans, Blue Wings, Yellow Face and even the more common ones such as Green Rumps and Spectacles are pretty much genetically, if not literally, extinct in this country. Another 10 years, and they will all be gone. Very sad.

3 Sisters Aviary used to be members of the International Parrotlet Society but no longer are so I have no idea if they are still around or not. All of my birds are in breeding cooperatives and are traded with zoos and biological parks. I do not sell them into the pet trade.

I wish I had better news for you but unfortunately, that is the state of birds these days. Best of luck to you in your endeavors and if you would like to get more detail, I have a blog as well as an article in the July/August 2011 IPS journal on genetically extinct species of parrotlets and how they came to be that way. It is sad but an interesting read and I am one of the few people in this country that can accurately report it since I was there.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

"Snow" Parrotlets

On a parrotlet breeder website they have listed Snows(Pure Snow White with dark eyes) parrotlets for $700. Is there such a mutation? Just curious as in cockatiels we would call that a clear pied.

Ginny
"Never think that a handful of people can't change the world ... in fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
~ Dr. Margaret Mead
Cultural Anthropologist

Thank you for your email. Snows? Goodness! I wish people would at least attempt to use correct nomenclature; just because this is new mutation in parrotlets doesn’t mean it isn’t a new mutation in other birds. While IPS would not call that bird a ‘clear pied’ we would also not call it a ‘snow’. But to answer your question there IS a pure white bird with black eyes and it is a new mutation, no matter what they call it.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Unrelated Spectacles & Green Rumps

Sandee,

Greetings!!

I was speaking with Ed Singh today he has some wonderful Blue Mutation Yellow Napped Amazons. Wow he is very smart as well, he had mentioned your name and spoke very highly of you. I have also been E-mailing with Brian Nielsen in Denmark he has a very good sense with Parrotlets. But he will not ship to USA.

I have purchased 3 Green Rumps from *****, these birds are so small and sweet. But they are related I was looking for an un-related male that was banded and have had no luck. I have spoke with **** and found that I am number four on his list to receive a Spectacled Parrotlet, which is very exciting except that I will be looking for a un-related female Spectacle Parrotlet AND and his stock of Green Rumps are related to these birds...

I am finding myself going around full circle each time and continue to write you. So I would like to say that with out your help I would have given up already. I can NOT believe how much I have learned./ I have read your book of Parrotlets endless times and nearly have it memorized. And I would like to ask if you would know where I could find a Banded male Green Rump, and a Female Spectacle Parrotlet. These birds are very difficult for me to locate.

There was one gentleman in Orlando interbreeding Green Rumps to Pacifics and have decided not to purchase ANY of his birds.

Please if you have any info I would be most grateful. Thanks
Sincerely,
Matt

Dear Matt:

Thank you for your email and your patience waiting for my response. As I responded earlier, I was on a much needed vacation and have just returned.

It is ironic that you mention Ed Singh. I had not heard from Ed in years and just recently ran into him at the AFA convention in August. It was wonderful catching up with him. He is an amazing man with an incredible knowledge of birds and I am very lucky to consider him a friend. As for Mr. Nielsen, neither he nor ANYONE else can legally export normal birds into the US. They can only export color mutation Pacifics and even then, only the color the US government says he can.

I understand your frustration with the extremely limited gene pool available in the US with regard to Green Rumps and Spectacles. If you think those birds are hard to come by, don’t even think about Blue Wings, Mexicans or Yellow Face. I am currently writing a very sad article on genetically extinct species of parrotlets in the US and ALL of them fall under that category except for Pacifics. Even with Pacifics it is almost impossible to find any normal, wild-type birds that do NOT have mutations in their genetic background. This is something that has been very hard for me to accept since I had worked tireless for the last almost 30 years to preserve these species by helping found the International Parrotlet Society, organizating breeding cooperatives, publishing books and countless magazine articles and of course, speaking about the need to preserve these species at national and international avian venues for decades. Unfortunately, however, human greed and ego, along with the passage of the Wild Bird Conservation Act in 1992 has led us to the place where we are now.

You do not mention the WBCA so I apologize in advance if you know about it but I am going to go into it briefly since its passage was instrumental in contributing to these birds no longer being available. In 1992, Congress passed the Wild Bird Conservation act which was intended to stop the importation of wild caught birds. It was required in order for the US to comply with its obligations as a member of CITES (Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species). Unfortunately, US Fish & Wildlife Service, which is responsible for its implementation and enforcement, decided that since there is no way to visually determine if a bird was hatched in captivity or the wild, regardless of being banded or microchipped, they set up regulations that made it so difficult to import birds that even zoos have had problems. For the average hobbyist or breeder, forget it. Only approved breeding cooperatives (usually managed by non-profit organizations not individuals), captive bred birds listed on the Approved Import list, approved foreign breeding facilities and pet birds traveling with their owners can be imported. Most species of parrotlets mature at 1 year of age and produce offspring. So in almost 20 years, we have had 20 generations of birds being produced. Every generation, of course, further drains the gene pool of unrelated birds. Ironically, the birds that were allowed to be imported under WBCA, i.e., color mutations, have proved to be the ultimate downfall of every species of parrotlet in the US except for Pacifics. This is because people got rid of all their other species of parrotlets and chose to breed color mutation Pacifics instead. This was because a) they could charge hundreds if not thousands of dollars for new color mutations and b) they could feed their egos by producing color mutation birds that did not previously exist. This further depleted the availability of birds and the birds that were still available can almost all be considered related.

By 1987 most South American countries had quit exporting their birds, including Green Rumps Obviously this was before the passage of WBCA so their genetic contributions to the US captive bred populations were cut off even earlier than 1992. Also, Green Rumps, were notoriously difficult birds to breed and keep. This was because they are very timid very shy birds. They are easily stressed, picky eaters and very unpredictable parents. Even proven pairs were known for suddenly stopping breeding, producing infertile eggs and abandoning/killing chicks. Today, they are almost impossible to find and for those that can be found, while I am not a betting woman, I would bet my last dollar they are all related. They have to be – otherwise they would not exist.

As far as Spectacles go, there were none in the US until 1992 when approximately 20-30 pairs of birds were imported. They came into the country right before the WBCA was enforced on Jan. 1, 1993. The International Parrotlet Society had been founded in 1992 and the first thing we did was set up a breeding cooperative. It obviously worked very well since the birds were bred and available to the pet trade in less than 2 years. This was due to the devotion and dedication of the breeders who traded birds rather than sell them and the birds’ own strong health and great parenting skills. Unfortunately, many people got rid of their Spectacles to breed color mutation Pacifics. Of the people who continued to breed, our already tiny gene pool was further depleted. I can guarantee you that all of the Spectacles available these days are related.

When it comes to the other species – Mexicans, Blue Wings, Yellow Face and Sclaters, the picture is even more dismal. They are truly extinct birds flying – at least in the US anyway.

Mexican parrotlets were always difficult to breed, only produced one clutch per year if you are lucky and since so many were smuggled many came in with avian t.b. and killed off any birds that were exposed. Not many people worked with Mexicans because of that; I only know of 1 other private breeder although there were a couple of zoos working with them. All of the birds are either related, too old or both to breed.

Blue Wings were a little easier to breed but they never made good pets being nervous and difficult even when hand-fed so very few people worked with them. To complicate things, a color mutation blue Blue Wing surfaced and, once again, due to the amount of money that could be made, everyone tried to breed these birds by breeding them to the few remaining normal birds so they are all related. Now, there are only 2 breeders of Blue Wings in the US and all the birds are very closely related. When they die, the species will officially be extinct in the US.

Yellow Face were never imported in large numbers. In fact, I can only verify 3 legal importations of the birds and the last one was in 1985. In the early 2000’s, there were two reported cases of the birds being smuggled – many of them had avian t.b. and died off; the others, due to their limited availability were hybridized with Pacifics. While some of these birds are still around everyone I have seen have been hybrids so they are now considered ‘extinct’ in this country.

Of the Sclater’s Parrotlet, only one pair was ever documented to have had offspring. That was in the late 1980’s and the birds, along with their single offspring, died in a house fire.

So I am sorry to take such a long time to get to my point, you are not going to be able to find any birds that are unrelated to yours. I do still breed Green Rumps and Spectacles but mine are certainly related to yours – if not directly from my stock. I was one of the first people in the US to breed Spectacles and my Green Rumps were spread far and wide across this country. And while I still breed, they are all getting older producing fewer and fewer birds – very soon I won’t have anything but my retired birds.

To say this is sad beyond belief is an understatement. I had made it my life’s work to be able to preserve these species but unfortunately I was not successful. I wish you the best of luck and perhaps you will be fortunate enough to find the birds you are looking for. After all, a Spix’s macaw was once located in the US but rarely does lightening strike. I do hope you have a better understanding of this situation so you do not get taken advantage of – anyone who claims to have birds unrelated to yours should produce a DNA pedigree and/or they should have been breeding these birds since before 1992.

I do wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Coloration of Blue & Yellow Parrotlets

Hello,

I live in San Francisco and am looking for a Pacific blue parrotlet that is the bright aqua blue or bright canary yellow color.
Do you happen to have any available? If so, I would love to drive down and take a look!

Thanks much,

Jessica

Dear Jessica:

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, parrotlet mutations have not been around long enough for us to ‘perfect’ coloring on the birds. Blues can run the gauntlet from light blue to teal to aqua to dark blue or even gray or silvery blue. I always say its like blond hair in humans. Some people have honey blond, some are strawberry blond, some are platinum, etc. But they are all blond. Sex and age can also have an influence on color. A young bird that has not yet molted may be a very different color from what it molts out to as an adult. This the same with the ‘dilute’ or what used to be called yellow. The bird is not a true genetic yellow and therefore can be anything from a light lemon yellow to chartreuse greenish yellow. Also, females tend to have a more uniform and ‘true’ coloration than males. This is because of the natural coloring of normal male birds which are often various shades of color or even different colors such as gray. I am telling you this because I don’t want you to be disappointed or feel like you were taken advantage of but even looking at the parent birds cannot guarantee the color you want will be the color you get.

That being said, I always have a waiting list for birds and right now it is more than five months long. Even then I cannot guarantee when I will have birds available as I have received some news regarding my health that may affect my ability to breed birds. I can recommend a wonderful woman by the name of Marianne who has been breeding parrotlets for years and has a wonderful reputation. You can reach her at yosemjd@aol.com

Good luck and be sure and tell her that I gave you the referral!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Breeding Lutinos Together

hi not long moved over to keeping pacific parrotlets . my question is having produced lutino babies from unrelated sources is a lutino to lutino a viable pairing or is there a promlem with rearing chicks from this pairing .would lutino to spilt for lutino be a better pairing thanks mick

Dear Michael:

Thank you for your email. As someone that has kept parrotlets for almost 30 years, I am in this for the long-haul. I have always thought about and planned for the future of the captive-bred population in the US. I don’t really care about pretty new colors but health, vigor, conformation and the vitality of the species including keeping mutations from destroying them. After all, mutations are genetically abnormal and can have very deleterious affects on captive-bred populations especially when no normal or wild-type birds can be imported with which to outcross and keep them healthy and strong. It is for that reason and the fact that color mutation parrotlets, unlike budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds which have been bred for hundreds of generations, have only been around about 15 years, I never breed two of the same visual colors together. This is certainly not enough time to breed out genetic flaws. Perhaps in a hundred years or so but even then, I would never breed two red-eyed visual birds together. Even cockatiels, budgies and lovebirds have problems when you breed red-eyed to red-eyed so, in my opinion it is not a good thing. I’ve seen birds develop cataracts, been born blind or even one woman had some birds born without any eyes at all. So no, in my opinion it is much better to breed a visual red-eyed bird, whether it is a lutino, fallow, cinnamon, etc., to a split.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

"Striking" Parrotlet Mutations

Hi Sandee,

Thanks so much for taking the time to call me. I think that
after all is said and done, this is what I would like to do:

I would like to get on your waiting list for a "striking" blue
mutation and an American yellow mutation - both males, unless
you can come up with a reputable breeder who has Lutinos. The
problem I forsee with finding a Lutino, is that the chance of
finding and adopting a Lutino and one of your blue mutations at
the same time is pretty small. Because you are so obviously
knowledgable about these beautiful little birds, I will go with
what you think best. Are any of the double factor mutations
particulary striking? If, so I would consider a male from that
category. I know that your waiting list is long so I will try
very hard not to be impatient.

I am very grateful that I found your website early on and it was
a pleasure to talk with you. Thanks again for your time and I
will continue to follow up on my own reading and other research
so that I can do these beautiful little guys justice when I
finally get them.

Sue

Dear Sue:

It was a pleasure talking to you. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. A "striking' bird to you, may not be one to me. Indeed, I prefer a normal green Pacific over any mutation. I also breed for conformation and vigor not pretty colors. Indeed, in exhibition, coloring is the LEAST important factor and is given only a small number of points - far behind conformation and condition. These are the qualities I breed for. Also, unlike dogs, birds change color as they age and molt. The color of the bird at the time of weaning is not the color the bird will be when it is an adult. Also, the number of mutated genes such as a single or double factor has nothing to do with how the bird appears visually unless it is a new color. This is because these are recessive mutations and unless they combine for form a new color such as dilute-blue or albino, you can't see the mutation. If you want a dilute-blue, albino, fallow-blue or any of the other combination mutations, again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you want a particular combination mutation then let me know. I can't make that decision for you.

I have placed your name on my reservation list. Feel free to contact me

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org

A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Color Mutation Parrotlets' Personalities

Sandee-

I read that the blue mutation of Pacific Parrotlets have gentler dispositions than original greens, and that the yellow Pacifics are particularly feisty. Do you find that the color mutations have any identifiable personalities traits linked to them? Or do you think people are taking experience from maybe one or two Parrotlets they have known, and making a generalized statement?

Thanks for your help,

Kathleen

Dear Kathleen:

Thank you so much for your email. This is an excellent question and I really appreciate you asking it.

I’ve kept and bred parrotlets for almost 30 years and have bred hundreds and seen thousands. I preface my answer with that fact because I do believe the less birds you have the more ‘sure’ you are of their behavior. The longer you keep birds and the more you have, you realize that they are all individuals and that, just like with people or dogs, you can’t make generalizations about individuals based on generic information. Most people who have a bird and its sweet will make that statement about all of them that are like that. If you have a blue or a dilute (formerly yellow) and it’s a wonderful bird, it is human nature to attribute its pet quality on physical characteristics. That really isn’t true. The best pet birds are the ones who personalities lend themselves to enjoy the company of humans, whether or not they have been strongly imprinted (i.e., ‘socialized’), how they are trained and how they are kept. Those things have a far greater influence on behavior than species, sex or color.

I do believe that is part of why people think that certain mutations are ‘sweeter’ than normal birds (although good luck trying to find any Pacific parrotlet that doesn’t have some mutation gene in its background). However, I do have a theory that mutations are often considered ‘sweeter’ because in the wild they do not survive long enough to develop much of a survival instinct. They are aberrations of Nature and it is inherent in Nature to have survival of the fittest. A blue or yellow parrotlet is going to stick out like a sore thumb in a place that has predominantly green foliage and therefore are much easier to prey upon than a normal green parrotlet. That is if the parents don’t kill them when they are in the nest. Therefore, I don’t believe these birds survive long enough to either develop a more aggressive nature which is needed to survive in the harsh environment where Pacific parrotlets are found nor do I believe they have much of an opportunity to breed even if they make it to maturity. After all, in the wild, like breeds with like. If you are green, you are not going to gravitate naturally to a yellow or blue bird. Nature doesn’t design birds that way – if so, hybridization would be rampant in the natural world. In captivity, of course, those instincts go out the window when mature, adult, healthy birds of the opposite sex are paired together. Just ask anyone who has a male and a female as pets and they end up breeding. Nature designed the need to perpetuate the species first and foremost.

So, to answer your question, I don’t believe, based on my experience, that color mutations per se are sweeter or make better pets. I just believe the statement is attributed to human interpretation of a very limited personal experience and the fact that Nature didn’t give these guys the instinct needed to survive in the wild. That doesn’t make them ‘sweeter’ it just makes them less inclined to use survival skills (like biting) when being handled.

Hope this makes sense and thanks again for the question.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Parrotlet Health Questions

Hi Sandee,

I think you may be an answer to my prayer. In November 2009, my blue mutation parrotlet, Billy, was diagnosed with an enlarged liver, and was prescribed milk thistle and lactulose. I have been giving him this daily since that time. What else can I do. My vet says that this condition is primarily linked to his diet. My vet says he should be on pellets, but I disagree due to kidney problems seen in parrotlets, especially mutations. Can you suggest a good diet for Billy? Please be specific. I give him a variety of good fresh foods and vegetables daily, progrow birdie bread, and Kashi whole grain pilaf. He also gets a good seed mixture, (although most of his food intake daily is NOT seed), a few cantalope seeds as treats, and Goldenfeast Treat Petite.

I have really tried with this little guy, as I have lost a parrotlet in the past to liver problems. Am I hopeless as a parrotlet mom?

I have prayed so long that I be led to help with Billy, and then I saw you on facebook. Why didn't I think about you sooner? The person that knows everything about parrotlets.

Thank you for any information that you can share.

I'm praying that you folks on the west coast won't be affected by the nuclear waste from Japan.

Jackie, Trixie & Billy in South Carolina


Dear Jackie:

Thank you so much for your very kind email. That is very sweet of you to say. However, I will be the first one to admit I don't know everything about parrotlets - I keep learning every day. That's probably one reason I still keep them after almost 30 years because there is so much to learn.

I am so very sorry to hear about the problems with Billy. You did not mention how old Billy is but I am going to assume he is a fairly young bird - under 5 years of age. Age can be important when liver is involved. Older birds frequently suffer from liver problems and its probably much like the aging process in humans.

You mention Billy is a color mutation. Does the vet think this is a congenital problem? Although there has not been enough data available to make a conclusion, one always has to think about congenital or even genetic problems in color mutations. After all, they are abnormal birds to begin with.

Diet is the usual culprit in liver problems in younger birds. Generally it is blamed on too much fat in the diet although to be honest, I haven't really heard a lot of this in parrotlets. Parrotlets are generally good eaters of a variety of foods and not just 'sunflower seed junkies' the way other parrots such as Amazons or Cockatoos can become. I also find that most parrotlet owners are more willing to take the time to provide a varied diet. Its easier to prepare a couple tablespoons of food rather than huge bowls.

I have never been a big fan of pellets. Probably because I have been around longer than they have. They were created for one reason - the convenience of the keepers. They can also have the added bonus for some birds, again, largely cockatoos and Amazons, of reducing the fat in the diet and helping to reduce fatty liver syndrome in these birds. I am not aware of any studies that have been done on parrotlets in this regard. Furthermore, all pellets are made from seeds - ironically, either sunflower or corn. Corn is not a nutritious grain, it has too much sugar and it is not part of the natural diet of parrotlets. We know that a diet that has a lot of processed foods is not good for people and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, liver problems, stroke and high blood pressure. I don't eat processed foods myself and I don't feed them to my birds. I believe that birds, like people, should eat fresh, whole natural foods. My birds' diet consists of 70% fruit, vegetables, greens, grains, legumes, sprouted seed and egg food. The rest consists of a very high quality parrotlet mix that I have used for 30 years and gave to Volkman's Seed Company. You can get it through www.birdseed.com and it is called "Parrotlet Super".

I now have three books out on parrotlets. The most recent is called "The Parrotlet Handbook" and was published by Barron's and is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and my own website. It has a huge chapter on diet as well as healthful easy recipes that you can make for your own parrotlet.

I do have to say that I am not a vet nor do I play one on the Internet. If your bird is under a vet's care and you are following their protocol, I would not change anything without discussing it with your vet. I will say one more thing about a fresh food diet as opposed to a processed pelleted one, I was talking with the president of a very well-known food company when I was speaking at a convention. I told him what I fed my birds and he told me 'there is no way that any manufacturer can ever make a pellet as nutritious as what you are feeding. But most people will not take the time or effort to feed that kind of diet. So we make the next best thing."

Anyway, I hope you find some of this information helpful. Please keep me posted on Billy's progress. Thank you again for your very kind words and your prayers are appreciated although I am sure we will be fine with the radiation. After all, we went through Chernobyl and that was 1000's worse. But thank you. Take care and best of luck!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org

A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

"Medium Blue" Pacific Parrotlet

Hi Sandee,

You have a great website, thanks for putting it together.
I have a “Medium Blue” Parrotlet (male) and your site is the only one to discuss this variation.
What, if anything, do you know about this color mutation? In your experience does it seem to be dominant or recessive?
I have also seen Green Parrotlets with the same gray coloration. Do you suspect it is the same or similar gene?

This is my Louie (and his dilute girlfriend Lulu):

Thank you,
Paul in Massachusetts


Dear Paul:

Thank you for your email.

It is important to remember when dealing with color mutations that it is not the color that determines the mutation, it is the gene. All blue mutation parrotlets have the same gene so they are all blues – not light blues, medium blues, dark blues…those are just various tones and have more to do with sex and subspecies rather than the mutation. Indeed, even the ‘turquoise’ mutation is not a turquoise but actually a partial-blue because the original birds were blues imported from Europe.

I always tell people to think of blond hair – we have platinum blond, honey blond, dirty blond, strawberry blond – all different tones and variations on color but they are all blond; all the same gene. The blues (and dilutes for that matter) are all the same color mutation but each individual bird can have variety of color tones. In the picture you provided, for example, the bird is clearly a male who has the Pacific subspecies of lucida in it. That is why the blue mutation manifests itself in darker tones and has a lot of gray especially on the back and wings. This is clearly the influence of the subspecies and not the mutation.

Also, the female in that picture is a dilute-blue not a dilute. “Dilute” is the term for the bird formerly called “American yellow”. If you breed her to your male and your male is split to dilute – you will get dilutes, blues and dilute-blues. If your male is not split to dilute, you will only get blue offspring but they will be split to dilute. This is because ‘dilute-blue’ is combination of blue and dilute.

It is unfortunate that most people who have parrotlets these days have never seen a wild-caught parrotlet. I worked with wild-caught species of parrotlets for more than a decade and saw only pure species and subspecies. Since we have not imported wild-caught normal birds since 1992 most of the subspecies were commingled. This was especially true after color mutations were added to the Captive Bred List of Birds Allowed to Be Imported (by petition of the International Parrotlet Society btw). Color mutations have flooded the market and it is almost impossible to find a pure normal Pacific that doesn’t carry some color mutation gene. As for pure species or subspecies, unless someone was breeding parrotlets before 1993 they have probably never seen a pure normal Pacific parrotlet or the Columbian subspecies. You can got to my website and read about the lucida subspecies of the Pacific http://www.parrotletranch.com/thelostlucida.html I think you will have a much better understanding.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Pacific Parrotlet/Yellow Face Hybrids

Hi Sandee,

What a pleasure to "meet" you today! I am forwarding the pictures of my two hens, Lauper and Abby, Abby being the one I believe to be hybrid. I hope these are good enough but I can take new ones if need better pics.

I await your feedback and guidance. Again, many thanks for taking the time to help, it is greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards,

Didi

Thank you for the pictures. In my opinion, they are both hybrids between Pacifics and Yellow Face. Abby is probably about 90% Pacific; I’d say that Lauper has more YF – but is also a hybrid. I’d say probably 50%-60% Pacific. Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

WOW!!!

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I am disappointed but grateful for the information. I guess I should stop thinking about breeding them, even Lauper, if she's not yellow faced, the whole point of me breeding them was to try to help the conservation efforts of these little guys!

May I pick your brain as to what made you see the pacific in her? I know I am but a novice, and to my untrained eye, she looked like a full yellow faced, but haha, I've only ever seen them in pictures in your book and on the web! If you could guide me in what you saw that led you to conclude she was hybrid, I can be more discriminating if I try again.

Since you mentioned the virtual impossibility of getting full 100% yellow faced here in the US, would you suggest I try to get them from Peru or Europe instead? How hard would it be to do this? I read the plight of Henry (how saaad!!!) but I am wondering if there have bee nany changes since you wrote it in 2006... any laws changed yet or who do I have to harass?? (haha!)

On another note, I am also very interested in the Lucida Pacific, but seem to have a hard time finding 100% full that have not been crossed. In your article you mentioned that you had started the Lucida breeding with birds caught in the wild, I was wondering if you still had availability of these? I would love to be able to conserve these.

Thanks for taking me under your wing, so to speak!! : )

Kind regards,

Didi

Dear Didi:

Unfortunately, there are many species of parrotlets in the US which are pretty much genetically dead – Yellow Face are certainly one since they were never imported in large numbers. Mexicans are almost gone since they were difficult to breed in the first place. Blue Wings are also on that list – most people finding them difficult to breed and they were considered too nervous and flighty to be good pets so after almost 20 years of non-importation, these species are pretty much gone from US aviculture. Fortunately, there are tons of them in Europe and Asia so even if Americans can’t breed them, the species’ will survive. Also none of these parrotlets are highly endangered in the wild.

I don’t know how I can explain to you the differences in a YF/Pacific hybrid since you have never seen a pure YF. Its kind of like describing a Catalina macaw (blue & gold hybridized with a scarlet) if you have never seen a blue and gold macaw. Mainly its size – YF are much larger than Pacifics about the size of a PF lovebird, the structure – YF weigh about 30 grams or more than Pacifics, placement of color – the yellow is supposed to go from the crown of the forehead around the entire face including cheeks and chin, down the throat, the entire chest, belly and all the way to the tail and it is a pure deep yellow and not that washed out greenish yellow. It is a deep, deep bright yellow. Finally, the beak doesn’t have enough black on the upper mandible nor is it dark enough. The entire upper mandible should be dark black. So while there is YF in both birds, one is at least 3 generations of hybridizing with Pacifics, the other could have had one Pacific and one YF parent although I doubt it. It probably is 2 generations of hybridizing with Pacifics.

As for the lucida subspecies of the Pacific, these birds have been bred interchangeably since people first started breeding Pacifics and certainly since the WBCA ban in 1992. With the introduction of color mutations, they are all but gone although unlike the YF, they are not hybrids. They are called ‘generics’ because they are still Pacifics but have a commingled subspecies.

Sorry. I appreciate your offer but you cannot change the law. There are exceptions to it if you are a zoo, a US&FW approved foreign breeding facility or a breeding cooperative sponsored by a non-profit (which is what IPS tried to do but was unable due to people refusing to cooperate and the fact that the most of the birds were either hybrids or had TB or both). But the WBCA was written in accordance with the parameters set up by CITES (Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species) which the US is a signatory. They were written to protect species from becoming extinct in the wild. More and more countries are passing laws to prevent the sale of wild caught birds – the EU passed their own version several years ago. The only species of parrotlets that can be legally imported are visual color mutations of the Pacific parrotlet. Ironically, it is because of this exception that we have lost most of the other species from American aviculture as people dumped the rarer species in order to make more money when the new colors were imported.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Pacific Parrotlet Mutation Percentages

I started breeding parrotlets a year and a half ago. I purchased a bonded pair from another breeder and was told this was their genetics: hen - dilute split dilute blue and the male - green double split dilute and blue. There first clutch I got a dilute, albino, green and lutino and the second I got lutino, dilute blue and albino. I tried to fiqure out the offspring percentages, but I get confused. Could you please help me out? I'm not sure how I'm getting lutinos and albinos.

Thanks
Kim

Dear Kim:

I have several pages on my website about mutations including a percentage table at http://www.parrotletranch.com/percent.html Generally, I try to avoid percentage because they cannot duplicate real life. The percentages are based on 100 offspring produced, which no single parrotlet hen can do so they are largely inaccurate. I always tell people its like playing roulette or craps – there are “percentages’ but each spin of the wheel or each throw of the dice are specific to what that single outcome is. Same with birds and genetics. Each clutch has its own contributions of genetic material by the parents and no one can predict what you will get. Sometimes, people get all blues or blues and dilutes or dilute-blues and greens that are split but no one can give you the exact percentage of chicks that will actually hatch in each individual clutch. I always tell people, just like dice or roulette, you get what you get and you can’t really predict exact percentages in each individual clutch.


As for your birds, first, dilute-blue is not a color. It is a combination of two colors, dilute and blue. Therefore, your bird cannot be dilute split to dilute-blue. It is dilute split to blue. This is true even if one of the parents was a dilute-blue. However, if you are getting lutino and albino’s, then both of your birds are also split to lutino. So, your hen is a visual dilute split to lutino and blue. Your male also has to be split to lutino in order to produce lutino and albino. Dilute, lutino and blue are all primary mutations; albino and dilute- blue are combinations. Albino is a combination of lutino and blue and, as I explained, the dilute-blue is a combination of dilute and blue. Btw, since one of your parents is a visual dilute, all your green chicks will be split to dilute plus different combinations of blue and lutino. Of course, you won’t know which combinations until they are bred.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Personalty Differences, Noise Factor, Shipping, Waiting List

Hi Sandee,

I am interested in a hand-fed male parrotlet.

I've read that Pacifics tend to be more feisty/stubborn with the exception of the blue mutation. I've also read that Green Rumped and Spectacled are also more mellow than Pacifics in general. Could you compare/contrast the temperament (in general of course, I understand each individual bird is different) of blue Pacifics, Green Rumped and Spectacled please? In addition, how do the noise level and tame-ness compare across all three?

I understand you have a waiting list right now - could I ask how long it is? Last but not least, what is the cost of shipping?

Thanks,
Joseph

Dear Joseph:

You are right in that when it comes to parrotlets that all birds are individuals and that it’s more nurture than nature when it comes to personality. These birds are not domesticated animals like dogs and cats or even budgies or cockatiels – species that have had hundreds of generations to domesticate them and have their personalities become more predictable. Parrotlets are still very much wild creatures acting on instinct rather than ‘designed’ by humans through selective breeding. Therefore, “imprinting”, the process by which wild instincts are over-come by socialization and human interaction, is much more important than species.

I always tell people parrotlets are not like breeds of dogs where a poodle has a much more different personality than a pit bull but are more like standard poodle vs. a miniature poodle vs. a teacup poodle. That being said, generally speaking, Pacifics tend to be more outgoing and bold. Green Rumps tend to be much more timid and shy and Spectacles, are somewhere in the middle. Outgoing but not so stubborn as Pacifics but not timid like Green Rumps. I don’t really see much personality differences in the mutations although generally speaking people consider them ‘less aggressive” although I don’t believe that is a correct assumption. Pacifics do not originate in the rainforest or jungle but come from a very dry almost desert–like region where they not only have to compete for food and nesting space but are preyed upon by everything from reptiles to other birds. I believe that since Nature weeds out the mutations because they are a genetic anomaly they do not develop a survival instinct like normal Pacifics. People misinterpret this lack of a survival instinct as ‘sweetness”. Same thing with the Green Rumps and Spectacles that come from regions that are lush and tropical and there are plenty of places to nest and find food. Again, these are generalizations not hard and fast rules. I have seen very aggressive Green Rumps and very sweet and gentle Pacifics. Also, Pacifics are the most popular pet parrotlet in the world and are owned by small children, the elderly and people with disabilities. It really depends on the individual bird’s personality, how it was raised and socialized and dealing with a breeder that will honestly evaluate their birds and match them with the prospective owner’s desires for a pet.

As far as ‘noise’ factor is concerned, that is even more nebulous. I always say that noise is in the ear of the beholder. All species of parrotlets tend to be ‘quieter’ as far as volume level from other hookbills. Indeed, canaries and budgies are louder volume wise. However, parrotlets chirp and chatter and tend to chirp and chatter all day long. Some people find this pleasant and appealing, others do not. I know I have a problem with the location calls of male cockatiels and would rather listen to a macaw screaming at full volume but again, that’s my individual preference. Other people are different. I always recommend that people go listen to a parrotlet before they purchase it as only you can determine if you are annoyed by their calls.

I always have a waiting list and right now it will probably be at least 4 months before I would have birds available depending on what you want. I spent the last 2 years caring for my mother who died of cancer and have only recently set my birds up. The Pacifics are breeding but again my list is at least 4 months out. The Spectacles will take longer and it would probably be 6 months or so and the Green Rumps have shown no sign of any interest in breeding so I’m not even taking names for those. I work on a first-come, first-served basis and do not take deposits. If you are on my list, about a month before the bird is weaned, I will contact you. If you want it, great, we will make arrangements. If not, I just move on down my list. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee I will have a bird available by the time you want it as I have no control over the birds’ breeding nor whether or not a bird will make a good pet. If it isn’t pet material, I will not sell it as a pet.

Shipping depends on the airlines but generally runs about $100 plus I charge a $50 refundable deposit on the cage and carrier.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Recessive, Dominant & Sex Linked Color Mutations

Hi:

I have a question and if you have the time to answer I'll be glad to know your reply.

Are the parrotlets male have dominant genes like the cockatiels?

For example:

An albino cockatiel can produce albino babies and it don't matter the female mutation color. But an albino female cockatiel can't produce albino unless you pair her with an albino or split to albino male.

My question is because I have a green parotlet split to blue male (I think that is split to blue because both of his parents are green split to blue) and I want to buy him a mate that can produce blue or yellow.

Thank You,
Sheila

Thank you for your email Sheila. I have a page on my website at http://www.parrotletranch.com/mutbasics.html that I think you will find very helpful in understanding parrotlet mutations. First, remember that unlike cockatiels, there are several species of parrotlets and the one that has the most color mutations in the US are Pacifics. Also, all but one, dominant pied, is recessive. None are sex-linked as the only sex-linked mutation, the palid, to my knowledge, has not been imported. This includes lutino which is sex-linked in almost all other birds including cockatiels. Albino in Pacifics is not a true genetic albino but a combination of blue and lutino.

If you think of inheritance modes instead of colors, you should have absolutely no problems. After all, recessive in parrotlets is the same as all other birds including cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds and even chickens.

Hope this helps.

Question on "Turquoise" Mutation Parrotlets

Hi Sandee I don't remember if I asked you already but is the Turquoise Parrotlet mutation Dominant or recessive also can blue parrotlets be split for Turquoise?

Thanks Mark. Good to hear from you.

“Turquoise” is actually an inaccurate name because it is not really a color. It is really a blue mutation where only part of the allele is altered. It is recessive and blue parrotlets can be split for ‘turquoise’ because technically it is a blue mutation.

Hope this helps.

Question on "Clean Green" Parrotlets

I got my March Bird Talk and read your article on parrotlets. I find it very interesting. Do you have any “clean greens” available? I have a question about “clean greens”. I have a couple of pairs. One pair have given me all greens every clutch. The last clutch they hatched out one green and three yellows. I was wondering if you have ever had this happen? If so why are they not green? I talked to the breeder and she assured me that she can go back five generations of “clean greens”.

Answer:

Thank you for your email. Thank you for the email and the compliment on the Bird Talk article.

I have to clarify the term ‘clean green’ you mean birds that have no color mutation genes and cannot produce anything but normal green parrotlets? If so, the birds are referred to as 'wild-type' or 'normal' parrotlets. These are biologically-recognized terms and should be the ones used so that no misunderstandings or miscommunications can arise.

Since dilutes (yellows) are recessive birds, the answer to this question is very simple - the birds are not normal but are split to dilute. There is no other answer. I realize that the breeder may have produced five generations of these parrotlets but unless they have kept the original imported wild-caught stock (which importation was cut off in 1992) no one knows what is in their background prior to the five generations. I am sure according to the breeder’s records and breeding, the ones produced looked "normal" but obviously they were not. It can be safely assumed the mutation line was bred into the parrotlets before the breeder got the birds.
When the first mutations were imported back in the mid 1990’s, breeders had no idea what were in the parrotlets’ genetic backgrounds. Cinnamons were produced by blues, albinos came from lutinos and recessive pied appeared in fallows.

Unfortunately, unless one can trace back a particular parrotlet’s lineage back to the original, wild-caught bird, there is no way of strictly guaranteeing an accurate pedigree in Pacific parrotlets.