Plumage colour variations in the Agapornis genus: a review

The genus Agapornis consists of nine small African parrot species that are globally well known as pets, but are also found in their native habitat. Illegal trapping, poaching and habitat destruction are the main threats these birds face in the wild. In aviculture, Agapornis breeding is highly popula...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ostrich 2019-01, Vol.90 (1), p.1-10
Main Authors: van der Zwan, Henriëtte, Visser, Carina, van der Sluis, Rencia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agapornis
aviculture
Birds
Breeding
Breeding methods
Color
Environmental degradation
lovebirds
molecular breeding tools
Parrots
Pets
Plumage
Poaching
Psittacidae
Species
Variation
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Summary:The genus Agapornis consists of nine small African parrot species that are globally well known as pets, but are also found in their native habitat. Illegal trapping, poaching and habitat destruction are the main threats these birds face in the wild. In aviculture, Agapornis breeding is highly popular all across the globe. Birds are mainly selected based on their plumage colour variations but very little molecular research has been conducted on this topic. There are 30 known colour variations amongst the nine species and most of these are inherited as Mendelian traits. However, to date none of the genes or polymorphisms linked to these variations have been identified or verified. Due to unethical breeding practices, the need for the development of molecular tests such as identification verification tests or species identity tests is growing. Future research is paramount to ensure the conservation of wild populations as well as aiding breeders in improving breeding strategies.
ISSN:0030-6525
1727-947X
DOI:10.2989/00306525.2018.1540446