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.

 
home madagascar lovebird

green fischer's lovebird

 

Photo credits:orangefaced lovebird on title bar by Deb Sandidge; pair of orangefaced lovebirds by Kevin Proud; orangefaced lutino by Deb Sandidge; orange-faced Australian cinnamon by Nancy Porras