lutino budgerigars

Hey! We are the most popular pet bird species in the world. We are called as Lutino Budgerigars. We are one of the color mutations of normal Budgerigars. Take a look at some interesting points about us: 

  • We are one of the several color mutations of normal budgerigars. We are yellow in color caused due to Ino gene which removes all the dark colors on our body.
  • We can mimic human voices and also surrounding sounds making us one of the favorite pets in the world. We also play, whistle, and perform simple tasks.
  • Some people think we are unhealthy as we are mutated species. It is not true! We are quite healthy if we are taken care of well and our lifespan is similar to normal budgerigars.
  • We were first recorded in Germany in 1879 by Mr. L van der Snickt, a Belgian fancier. He wrote about us in the German avicultural paper “Die Gefierderte Welt”.
  • We are now being born in several controlled areas like Zoological parks and Aviaries. 

SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US: 

Our Scientific Name: Melopsittacus Undulatus. 

Identification: Small yellow parrots with yellow beak and pinkish feet. 

Our Habitat: Aviaries, Zoological parks and other controlled areas. 

Our Range: 

Food Habits: Herbivorous; feed mainly on seeds of grasses and other crops. 

Breeding Period: throughout the year. 

Number of eggs laid: 4-6 eggs. 

Incubation period: 18-21 days. 

Lifespan: about 21 years. 

IUCN red list status: Least Concern. 

LUTINO BUDGERIGARS 

CITES: Appendix II. 

Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV. 

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION: 

Kingdom: Animalia 

Phylum: Chordata 

Class: Aves 

Order: Psittaciformes 

Family: Psittaculidae 

Genus: Melopsittacus 

Species: M. undulatus 

COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS: 

Lutino Budgerigars are the white color mutation of regular budgerigars. They are also called as Ino budgerigars along with Albino budgerigars. They are scientifically called as Melopsittacus Undulatus.

HOW WE LOOK: 

We are just like any normal parrots with a body length of about 18cm, a wingspan of about 30cm and weighing 30gms-40gms. Normal budgerigars have yellow foreheads, yellow and black striped head, and purple and black marks on cheeks. Their wings are yellow, and tail is green and blue green in color. 

However, we are Lutino Budgerigars, meaning we are one of the color mutations of normal budgerigars. We are bred by removing all the Ino gene from our body which is responsible for dark colors. This leads to our making. We are completely yellow in color with yellow beak and pinkish legs. Males and females look similar to each other and the young also look similar to adults. 

WE ARE FOUND IN: 

As budgerigar species we are native to Australia but since we are Lutino budgerigars, we are artificially bred in environments such as Zoos, Aviaries and other controlled areas. We are bred in various parts of the world outside of our native range. 

WHAT WE EAT: 

We are herbivorous birds. We exclusively eat seeds of grass and other crops 

OUR REPRODUCTION: 

We are monogamous birds (having a single mate in a lifetime). Breeding season is throughout the year. We are bred in controlled environment. The female lays 4-6 eggs at a time and the incubation period is 18-21 days. The young chicks are taken care of by females as well as the caretakers. We have a lifespan of about 21 years. 

MORE ABOUT US: 

We are one of the most widely petted species. We are well-known for our ability to mimic human voices and also other voices of the surroundings. 

We love to play, talk, whistle and perform simple tasks. 

Along with us, Budgerigars have other color mutations like Blue, crested, dark, opaline, spangled, violet, dilute, pied, clear-winged, and cinnamon-ino. 

There is a misconception that since we are mutated species, we are less healthy. It is not true! 

OUR CONSERVATION: 

We are artificially produced species and we are not threatened. We, as budgerigars are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN. We are also listed in CITES Appendix II and also protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule IV.