Fischer’s Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) opaline

It was no surprise that arrival of the Fischer’s Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) opaline mutation resulted in appearance of broad range of new combinations. As a matter of fact, opaline remains the only mutation that can be combined with all other mutations, which is very exciting.

Opalines were discovered as a new mutation in the US in 1997.  The birds are characterized by a full hood (color on the head down to the neck) and a tail where the same color reaches down to the tip. The body color goes down to the rump so that there a continuous color at the back (no rump of a different color.  The opaline hoods can be red, yellow or white and the body color can be green, lime or yellow and can have a design such as pied and edged dilute or spangle.  The lutino opaline has a more intense color than the non-lutino opalines.  Opalines have been bred with fallows with fallow eyes but the rump color is white (the ino gene removed the usual blue color of fallows.