Differences Between Lutino & Albino Parakeets

The parakeet is a common pet bird, part of the parrot family. Parakeets are native to Australia; after Europeans discovered them in the 1860s, Australia began exporting them as pets. The parakeet can be found in many different eye colors as well as feather colors and patterns; two types of these variations lutino and albino.

  1. Lutino parakeet

    • Lutinos are parakeets that are completely yellow and have red or pink eyes. Most parakeets have black eyes. The term "lutino" refers to any bird, fish or animal that is mostly yellow in color. These birds are the same as other parakeets except for the feather and eye color.

      Telling the gender of an adult lutino parakeet is the same as with other parakeets. The cere, which is the membrane above the beak where the nostrils are located, is blue or purple in the male and the female's is brown.

    Albino

    • Albino parakeets are all-white with red or pink eyes. As with the lutinos, they are the same as any other parakeets with the exception of the feather and eye color. The gender can also be identified by the cere --- the band above the beak containing the nostrils --- in the same manner. Albinos occur in all animals, birds and even fish. The term refers to the absence of color or pigment in the skin, feathers or scales and albinos always have red or pink eyes.

    Breeding

    • Male parakeets have two Z chromosomes and females have a Z and a W chromosome. The lutino/albino trait is carried on the Z chromosome, meaning it is a sex-linked mutation. Since two birds that are not lutino or albino can produce offspring that are lutino or albino, the gene is known as a "recessive gene." In order to be certain the breeding pair will produce lutinos or albinos, the breeder must mate two visually lutino or albino birds.

    Care

    • A lutino or albino parakeet requires no special care. They need clean food and water daily and should be offered a variety of fruits and vegetables, along with the normal seed diet, just as with blue, green or purple parakeets.

    History

    • In the wild, parakeets are green and yellow. As traders started selling them for pets, breeders began to breed mutations to get a variety of colors. The lutino and albino parakeet do occur in the wild when the recessive genes surface.