Can someone tell me what they know about Budgie eyes ?

 

My 2 birds have 2 solid black eye dots. I have seen some amazing members pictures of their budgies with black & white eyes too.

 

What is the reason of this eye difference ? Is it the breed of the bird ?

 

Is it only in cocks ? or can hens have the black & white eyes too ? Is it something that happens in age ?

 

Any info would be great thanks !

The white you are referring to is the iris ring that you can see. In varieties such as the Dark Eye Clears, Recessive Pieds (for example) you will not be able to see the iris ring giving them the look of dark black eyes such as my Pretty in my signature. Other varieties such as the normals, spangles, dominant pieds (for example) will have the visible iris ring that can range from very light to not as light.

 

If you post a picture of your birds we can help you determine their variety.

 

Also babies budgies do not have visible iris rings depending on the variety as they get older usually around 4 months and up you will start to see the iris ring becoming more visible.

Elly said it all

Would love to see a picture of your birds.

I would love to show you a picture of my boids ... but I am poor & have no camera.

 

Sorry.

 

But .... see the 1st lovely little yellow green budgie in this cute animation here ?

 

 

Well that's exactly what both my birds look like. Green & yellow with solid black eyes.

 

I am curious about the white & black eyes because its so different ! It looks amazing & makes some of your birds stand out so well.

 

I wondered if it was something that happens with maturity. Or if it is only on some of the birds due to coloring & type. Like I said. I have no idea why some birds had the white & some didn't.

 

I am getting an idea now by your reply's.

 

Thanks.

Edited February 1, 200817 yr by NickNack

how old are your birds? They sound like babies.

I was going to say if they're yellow and green like that bird perhaps they're not normal green at all but a Pied?

that first budgie in the animation would be a green normal and even if it was a pied it would be a dominant and not recessive. I am thinking these 2 budgies are babies. :sad:

I understand it is portraying a normal green in the picture, but to someone inexpeirenced who owns a R.Pied i'd have thought it could possibly get confusing?...

your right libby didn't think about that

You know we have a great mutation page under the FAQ maybe you can find a picture of one that looks like your budgies and we can assist you .

SMART PEOPLE YOU ARE !!!!!! I looked in the members pics files & found 2 perfect duplicate pics of what my birds look like. In fact ! If I didn't know for sure ... I'd say ... I think someone was in my house & taking pictures of my birds behind my back ... these are dead ringers for my birds !I've had these 2 birds more then 8 months now. The previous owners who were strange bird collectors that had no idea how to take care of birds of any kind, they were BUSTED by the Humane Society. These people said they owned the hen for more then a year & the cock was almost 8 months old when he was taken from these people.So both birds are over & about 1 1/2 & 2 1/2 years old. They have none of the baby black bands on their noggins. These previous owners had seaguls & chickens, parrots & pigeons & black birds, crows & sparrows, wrens & every wild bird in Ontario in their small crowded 1 bedroom apartment. They were collectors of the worse kind. They took in sick & injured birds & they didn't cage any of them. The Board of Health had to condem their apartment due to the smell & bird droppings affecting other tenants in the building.Most of the birds were destroyed due to severe health problems. I was lucky & begged for the chance to save the 2 budgies. You would have died if you saw what I was given ... they sure didn't look like healthy like these pics below. They were the saddest depressed stressed out birds I ever saw.Now they are stunning & healthy !

 

this is what the cock looks like

 

& the hen looks like this.

 

Give me your best ideas !Thanks Again.

Edited February 1, 200817 yr by NickNack

The first one is a normal green cock and unless he has a large white spot on the back of his head then he would be a dominant pied. He will acquire his iris rings as he ages.

 

The second one as libby had said above is a recessive pied and SHE will keep her black eye look.

 

They are very cute.

There has been good information given on the eyes. Recessive pieds and black eye clears don't have irus rings Cinnamons have plum eyes when hatched but slowly turn black with an irus ring as they mature. Fallows have Plum eyes and inos have red eyes.. Normals and dominant varieties have black eyes with irus rings..... This is the word from the books..

 

But wait. Nature can't read.. I have a double factor Spangle with out Iris rings.. and have seen a recessive pied with one irus ring. It wasn't a double factor Dominant pied either. So when identifying the bird don't let one condition dictate the variety. Look at the whole bird and it's parents make up.

 

Those two birds will also have different colour beaks and feet. The hen will have an orange beak and pink feet as she is a recessive pied. She may or may not have iris rings (recessive pieds usually don't).

 

As he is a normal variety he should have iris rings.

HAha Well said Daz, i too have an odd ball in my flock a Df spangle without a blue cere, always pink...

Still cute though!

Some people get confussed because they see a bird and the discription does match exactly what the book says. Genetics are perfect but over a large number of birds and nature is not always right. It makes mistakes, that is why we have so many beautiful budgies.

Excellent info everyone. Thank you !

 

Nope .. the weebil boy doesn't have a white spot on the back of his head so I guess he is a normal green cock. So he won't get the white eye rings ? Is that the rule ?

 

It's great knowing now what I have. I had no idea there were so many different colours & types of budgies. They seem to get more & more beautiful as they are being cross bred with other colors & types.

 

I am happy knowing about the eyes & changes & will look forward to seeing it happen with future birds.

 

Thanks again for all the help & info.

Your normal green will still get iris rings with age

Normal greens DO have iris rings if they are true to type

Very nice ... I will look forward to seeing the change happen for the Weebil.

 

When does this occur ? Roughly how old before the eye begins to change with white ?

The iris rings comes in between 4-8 months.

I got a good look at the Weebil this morning. And they are there !

 

He does have the white iris rings. So cool !!!!!!

 

I guess I really didn't notice with the darkness & the light of our winter. Not much sunshine in Ontario these days.

Cool, I hear you not much here in Ohio either , but spring is coming soon.

The first one is a normal green cock and unless he has a large white spot on the back of his head then he would be a dominant pied. He will acquire his iris rings as he ages.

 

The second one as libby had said above is a recessive pied and SHE will keep her black eye look.

 

They are very cute.

 

Dominant Pieds can also have a eye without the iris ring. This happens when the pied variegation travels up to the head which can also wipeout the mask spots and turn the cheek patches to white. Using eyes to identify budgies can be unreliable .