Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 9/7/2006

Question
I have a pair of blue personata lovebird, and it was my first time to breed them, only one fertile egg and the chick hatched on August 24,2006, my friend gary, also a breeder,told me that the beak of the chick was suppose to be white, but my chick's beak was red orange. he also said that a pair of blue personata can produce a green personata. was it true? because i plan to handfed the chick. my pair of blue personata's beak was pinkish white.thx

Answer
Hi, Rosebelle.  Thanks for posting your questions!

Your blue masked lovebird's beak might be red orange if the parents of this baby have mixed genes somewhere in it's genetic makeup.  In other words, the parents or grandparents of this baby could have a different subspecies of lovebird in their history/genetic makeup.  For example, somewhere along the family line of your parent birds maybe someone bred a blue masked lovebird with a peace faced lovebird and this is why your baby blue mask has a different color beak.  

I don't know if 2 blue personata's can produce a green personata...I don't have phenotype (color) experience with many different species of lovebirds, but I would imagine it's possible again if green DNA exists in the genetic makeup of one or the other of your blue personata's.  Your breeder friend, Gary, might have more knowledge about this than I if he's a lovebird breeder.  Otherwise, you could check this out on the internet or ask an avian veterinarian.

Chrys