Purple (Violet) Parakeet (Complete Profile)

Last Updated on January 1, 2024 by Ali Shahid

A violet parakeet, often referred to as a purple parakeet, arises due to a specific violet mutation. This unique mutation brings about a distinct appearance in any bird possessing it. The appearance of the bird varies based on whether the violet mutation is singular or doubled, and if there are accompanying dark and blue mutations. When we consider these factors together, we observe a total of 18 distinct visual combinations stemming from these mutations. Yet, only three of these combinations truly align with the precise standards set for the visual representation of violet: the Single-factor violet cobalt, Double-factor violet sky blues, and Double-factor violet cobalt.

Through my experience, understanding these nuances offers a fascinating insight into the intricate world of bird mutations and their visual outcomes. Despite their unique color, purple parakeets can be treated like other colors of these birds concerning temperament and behavior. Pet purple parakeets do not demand a lot from their owners.

Generally, they can manage on their own. However, if we want to make this possible, we have to create the right conditions so that they can thrive. The cages must be properly designed, the food must be appropriate, and they need to be properly cared for.

Are you planning to purchase a purple parakeet for a long time, but are not sure how they are cared for? There is no need to worry! This article will help you learn everything you need to know about the purple parakeet before you decide to buy it.

Understanding the Violet Gene in Parakeets

Bird colors are determined by a combination of genes and factors. A central gene in this discussion is the “Violet Gene,” which has unique interactions with other factors like Light and Dark factors.

Basic Colors & Factors:

• Sky Blue, Cobalt, and Mauve: These are shades influenced by the “Dark Factor.”

Lighting Factors Explained:

Birds inherit two types of lighting factors:

• Light Factor (L): Contributes to lighter shades.
• Dark Factor (D): Adds depth or darkness to the color.

Color Outcomes Based on Lighting Factors:

1. Sky Blue: Birds with two Light Factors (LL) in the blue series appear as Sky Blue. In the green series, LL results in Light Green.
2. Cobalt: A combination of Light and Dark factors (LD) in the blue series creates Cobalt, while LD in the green series results in Dark Green.
3. Mauve: When a bird inherits two Dark Factors (DD) in the blue series, it appears as Mauve. In the green series, DD manifests as Olive.

The Role of the Violet Gene (v):

The Violet Gene is unique; it can attach to either the Light Factor (L) or Dark Factor (D), influencing the bird’s appearance.

Examples in the Blue Series Birds:

1. L Lv or Lv L: This pairing produces a Violet Sky Blue.
2. L Dv or Lv D: Such combinations result in a Visual Violet (also known as Cobalt Violet).
3. D DV or Dv D: Birds with this combination appear as Violet Mauve.

Breeding Implications:

For breeders aiming for specific bird appearances, understanding the Violet Gene’s attachment (either to the Light or Dark factor) becomes pivotal. While advanced DNA testing exists, it’s costly. Hence, many breeders rely on test breeding, a practical method to predict color outcomes.

Detailed Cross-Breeding Examples:

Example 1:

• Cobalt LD crossed with Visual Violet Lv D:
  • Potential Offsprings:
    • L Lv: Violet Sky Blue
    • D D: Mauve
    • L D: Cobalt
    • Lv D: Visual Violet

Example 2:

• Cobalt LD crossed with Visual Violet L Dv:
  • Potential Offsprings:
    • L L: Sky Blue
    • D Dv: Violet Mauve
    • L D: Cobalt
    • L Dv: Visual Violet

Example 3:

• Violet Mauve D Dv crossed with Sky Blue L L:
  • Potential Offsprings:
    • D L: Cobalt
    • Dv L: Visual Violet
    • D L: Cobalt
    • Dv L: Visual Violet
  • Result: 50% Visual Violet and 50% Cobalt.

Green Series

The SF Violet Light Green displays shades akin to the Dark Green but doesn’t have the subtle ridges seen in the Dark Green feathers. Instead, its feathers possess a smoother, satin-like texture. The tail feathers of the Violet Light Green are lighter compared to the deep navy blue of the Dark Green, resembling more of a light green shade, especially towards the feather tips.

Unlike the Dark Green flight feathers that exhibit a dark blue tint, this shade is absent in the Violet Light Green. Meanwhile, the SF Violet Dark Green presents a color palette that sits between a deep green and charcoal gray.

When it comes to the SF violet olives, they bear a striking resemblance to regular olives. Additionally, the DF violet shades in light green, dark green, and olive are anticipated to be marginally darker than their SF versions, although concrete reports on these shades remain inconsistent.

Blue Series

The SF Violet Sky Blue showcases body colors ranging from deep sky blue to a mid-range cobalt, with many leaning towards a lighter cobalt hue. A primary distinguishing feature lies in the coloration of its tail and flight feathers. Specifically, the cobalt variant boasts a consistent navy blue tail, whereas the Violet Sky Blue’s tail transitions to a blue-green shade towards the wing tips.

While cobalt flight feathers appear in a dark blue shade, the flight feathers of the violet sky-blue resemble standard sky-blue, albeit with a subtle, darker turquoise sheen. On the other hand, the SF Violet Cobalt boasts a vibrant purple body tone and is often referred to as the Visual Violet.

When comparing the SF Violet Mauve with its regular counterpart, slight purple undertones become noticeable, especially around the rump area. The DF Violet Sky Blue mirrors the hue of the SF Violet Cobalt but possesses a more profound, richer violet shade, maintaining the visual violet distinction.

Specifically, their tails exhibit a dark blue hue, accented with a faint blue or blue-green tint at the feather edges, contrasting with the consistent dark blue-purple tail of the SF Violet Cobalt. The DF Violet Cobalt, while resembling the SF version, often showcases a richer, more intense violet shade, also falling under the category of visual violets. Similarly, the DF Violet Mauve aligns closely in color with the SF Violet Mauve.

History

By 1934 in Australia, Mr. Burton from Sydney successfully bred violets, and Mr. Harold Peer displayed them that same year. In Europe around 1935, Caf Enehjelm in Copenhagen mentioned a visually identifiable violet bird. In the Budgie Bulletin, Enehjelm discussed breeding a bird he termed Cobalt but referred to as “Violet.”

He noted that German birds sold as violets in the late 1920s resembled cobalts, losing their purple hue over time. Enehjelm’s authentic violet lineage traced back to a green and blue rooster, likely resembling the SF Violet Light Green/Blue. In England, “royal blues” appeared in 1924 and 1932 in Australia, distinct from violets.

By 1937, C.H. Rogers highlighted the first true violets at the Cambridge Diploma Show in England, exhibited by Stevenson and Tucker. The resemblance between violet-light greens and dark greens suggests some violets may have been mistakenly bred as dark greens in the 1920s, becoming evident only when crossbred with blue lineage birds in the 1930s.

Appearance

Generally, the color of the body is deep violet, with a consistency in its depth of color throughout its body. The color of the mask is white, and it has six black circular spots on the throat, the outer two of which are partially covered by the cheek patches that protrude on the sides of the mask.

There are many white areas on the mask that extend over the crown and frontal area of the mask, which merge with the black lines at the back of the head. There should be no markings on the frontal and crown areas of the mask.

Black markings are visible on the cheeks, back of the head, and wings. The white lines define the edge of each marking. Nobody color appears in any of the markings. Ceres in cocks are blue, while those in hens are brown.

Black eyes with white iris are the feature of this species. There are violet patches on the cheeks. Primary wing feathers are usually black and they have a very thin white edge to them, as opposed to primary tail feathers, which are deep purple. There is a blue/grey color to the feet and the legs.

Temperament

Purple parakeets are known for their friendly temperament. When treated kindly and respectfully, they are affectionate and lovable creatures. In addition to exploring their surroundings, they like to play with suitable birds of their kind and size.

They love spending time with their owners. One of the most anticipated activities for them is their time spent with their caregivers. Spend as much time as you can in the environment where they live so that you can bond correctly with your purple parrot.

Parakeets don’t react well to being kept with other birds often, so they’re better kept as the only bird in their cage. These parakeets are also quite intelligent animals, so they can be taught to do all kinds of cool things.

The nice thing about them is if you wish you can teach them to whistle some tunes, or if you want, you can teach them to speak. The small size of these birds does not affect their intellect, which allows them to deceive larger birds.

Genetics

There is an incomplete dominance relationship between the Violet mutation and its wild-type allele. There are three distinct phenotypes, the wild type which possesses zero Violet alleles, the single factor heterozygote which possesses one Violet allele, and the double factor homozygote which possesses two Violet alleles.

As the name suggests, heterozygous individuals exhibit characteristics between both wild-type and homozygous individuals. There is no way to split budgerigars depending on the Violet factor because the Violet factor can always be seen.

SF Violet Greens and Blues, which are the heterozygotes that correspond to the splits of the recessive mutations, have a very distinctive look. There is no evidence yet that the violet mutation is linked to any of the other budgerigar mutations.

Violet mutations were formerly believed to be related to dark and blue mutations, but this is no longer the case. To our knowledge, no correlation has been found between these two mutations.

Although the violet allele had been thought to be lethal in double-factor form in the past, such a theory has now been disproven with several breeders reporting them in double-factor form.

How Do Purple Parakeets Breed?

It is believed that a parrot with two recessive genes would possess a particular trait if it acquired those genes from its parents. When it comes to parakeets, their white bases will show as blue parakeets.

Often, other genes modify genes to impart new colors or cause variations in color intensity. Typically the violet factor gene can be found on either a yellow or a white base in parakeets.

A significant number of violet factors were not present on the yellow parental base and a report has been made that purple parakeets were also not produced. When the violet factor is added to a white base, you get purple parakeets. Due to the presence of genes that modify color intensity, the intensity of the color will vary.

Diet

Despite popular opinion, parakeets do not simply eat seeds as their only means of nourishment. They need other nutrients, too, to stay as healthy and long as possible.

When you visit a veterinarian, they might suggest both vegetables and pellets as a diet for your parakeet. If they are consuming a plain seed diet, they may not reap the benefits of vitamins and other essential nutrients that are contained in pellets.

You should feed purple parakeets a variety of fruits, leafy greens, and grains in addition to vegetables and pellets.

Health Problem of a Purple Parakeet

The Purple Parakeet tends to suffer from the same illness or health issue as other Parrots. Nevertheless, there can also be several unique situations that pertain specifically to parakeets.

They can develop a condition called goiter, which is caused by a lack of iodine in the body. They can suffer from tumors and even get a disease called Psittacosis if they are fed only a seed diet.

Likewise, you should keep an eye out for scaly mites, since these can cause skin irritation and itchiness in the skin around your parakeet’s eyes and legs.

Exercise

A parakeet can receive a lot of exercise from free-flying, as it is one of the primary sources of exercise. It is crucial that they can be able freely at least some of the time.

Whenever you have free-flying sessions for your parakeet, be sure that the room is clear of any potentially hazardous objects. If you have a large house plant, it will double as a great place to play for them when they are outside the cage.

Try placing a couple of toys in your parakeet’s cage if he is not getting the opportunity to fly freely.

The stimulation provided to them will enable them to stay busy and occupied during their free time. The toys should be switched out at least every couple of months to avoid the purple parakeet getting bored with them.

Lifespan

Purple parakeets can live for seven to fifteen years in captivity and with proper care. A few can even live to twenty!

From Where to Get a Purple Parakeet

Purple or violet parakeets are extremely rare, but you can purchase one from Parrotcrown for $50. Violet parakeets are typically hard to breed primarily because the birds tend to fall into other series of blues and greens rather than the traditional purple color.

In addition to the difficulty of breeding parakeets with this specific color mutation, you may also notice that the health of these birds is adversely affected.

Several decades of inbreeding and selective breeding have resulted in an influx of health problems among budgerigars, including certain types of cancer.

According to recent studies, it has been determined that the species’ health is negatively impacted by the impending desire to produce colorful feathers.

It is important to have your pet parakeet checked every six months by a veterinarian to make sure that they have no hidden health problems.

You should ensure that the breeder of the purple parakeet you decide to purchase from has a solid reputation before you consent to purchase one from them. Make sure there are no problems with the birds that they are breeding.

The United States and Europe are also home to budgerigar breeders and you can find them online. It is also possible to find a parakeet through a parrot rescue organization, although they may not have purple ones.

It is generally possible to get honest and precise information about your bird’s health from these organizations. Also, they can give you tips on what to feed, how to care for, and where to keep your pet.

Conclusion

It is hard not to fall in love with the beautiful and entertaining purple parakeets. Parakeets require a similar level of nutrition, exercise, and shelter as other birds. Maintaining the health of your parakeet requires both a proper diet and regular exercise.

As the parakeet is a social animal, companionship is vital to its well-being, and the owner or another parakeet must provide it with it.

WBO Colour Standards (world-budgerigar.org)