Orange-faced
Lovebirds
by Doug Bedwell  Orange-faced (OF) is one
of the newer Peachfaced Lovebird mutations, first
appearing in the late 1980s. OF causes a slight
reduction in red caratenoid pigmentation in the
bird’s feathers. The most obvious effect of
this reduction is a shift in the hue of the
bird’s face, from the familiar bright
red-orange of the normal peachfaced to a truly
orange color. Though not as immediately evident
as the facial color, the color of the body is
also slightly effected, and appears a slightly
lighter, brighter green than in the normal
Peachfaced.
Orange-faced is a
simple recessive mutation, meaning a bird must
inherit the mutation from both its parents to
show the true OF color. However, birds which are
split for OF (birds that only carry a single OF
gene), can be visually distinguished from
normally colored birds. Though split OF birds do
not show the truly orange facial color of full OF
birds, the face is slightly more orange than
normal. The difference can be easily seen when
the birds are compared side by side.
 With any color mutation,
there is some individual variation from bird to
bird in the hue and intensity of color. However,
in orange faced this variability is more
pronounced than one might expect. Some birds will
show a very pale orange, while others may show a
more intense reddish orange color (though still
more orange than the normal peachface). As
breeders continue to experiment with this
mutation, it may be that two or more separate
shades of the orange faced will be established.
Left photo: Orange-faced lutino; below:
Orange-faced Austrlian cinnamon.
To see more pictures of Orangefaced birds visit the ALBS Picture Library.
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