Several color mutations have occurred in captive populations:
- American Dilute (Recessive): Plumage is a light cream. It looks similar to the Cinnamon, except for the dark bluish beak and dark feet. The eyes are dark. Hatchlings are covered with white down.
- Cinnamon (Sex-linked): Plumage mostly lime green with a lighter, almost pale color to the feathers. The head is tan and the tail feathers are a lighter maroon than in normal Green-cheeked Conures. The beak and feet are light-colored. The eyes are ruby red that tend to fade with exposure to sunlight.
- Yellow-Sided (Sex-linked): From behind this mutation looks like the original (wild) green-cheek conure. It differs in that the chest is a bright yellow, the tail color ranges from maroon to light red. The beak and feet are dark-colored. The eyes are dark. The plumage of subsequent generations lightens and the beaks tend to get lighter. Hatchlings are covered with white down.
- Pineapple: This mutation is a visual Cinnamon and Yellow-sided combination, with the light-colored head of the Cinnamon and the yellow sides of the Yellow-sided mutation. The chest is brightly colored. The head is tan-colored and on the back they have lime green feathers – like a Cinnamon. The tail feathers are the same as a Yellow-sided showing a halo effect. The eyes are ruby red.
Related Web Resources: Green-cheeked Conure Information … Green-cheeked Conure Breeding
- Suncheek (Sex-linked and recessive): A new visual American Dilute/Yellow-Sided Conure/cinnamon mutation. The head is light-colored. It has an orange and golden yellow chest, pastel crown, pastel lime back, platinum-blue flight feathers, and a bright orange-red tail feathers. The wings are a lighter yellow. The feet and beak are white. The eyes are ruby-red. (New mutation bred by Steve Garvin: www.feathert.com/suncheek.html).
- Turquoise (Recessive): Larger in size than other Green-cheek mutations. The plumage is mostly blue-green and green. The chest feathers are greyish and the tail feathers are grey.
- Mint – a visual Turquoise – American Dilute. The plumage is a very pastel color, except for the silver head and the platinum-colored tail. The eyes, feet and beak are dark.
The ‘Cinnamon‘ or a ‘Pineapple‘ mutations are easily confused — please refer to the insightful article by Marcy Covaul, President, Pyrrhura Breeders Association, for more information. Is It a “Cinnamon” or a “Pineapple”?
