A Little Bit about Pacific Parrotlets
Pacific parrotlets, also known as Celestial parrotlets, belong to the family Psittacidae, family Forpus, and species Coelestis. They are native to Ecuador and Peru in South America. These lovely birds were first imported into the United States in the early 1900s and into the 1960s. With the passage of CITES, or Convention on the Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, the importation of this species became a challenge. According to the CITES website, the purpose of this agreement is to "regulate the trade [on wild animals] requires international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation." Although the importation of pacific parrotlets is not prohibited, it has become increasingly more difficult over the years.
Today, a decent sized network of breeders exists in America. Species commonly bred include pacifics, green rumps, and (more recently) spectacleds. The goal for the future of these species is to preserve the integrity of the captive gene pool. This can be accomplished by maintaining detailed aviary records, networking with other breeders/ hobbyists, and ensuring the health of breeding stock.
Many beautiful color mutations of pacific parrotlets have developed over the years. These mutations include green, blue, American yellow), American white, turquoise, American turquoise, green pied, blue pied, American yellow pied, American white pied, turquoise pied, Ameican turquoise pied, green fallow, blue fallow, yellow fallow, white fallow, turquoise fallow, green marbled, blue marbled, yellow marbled, white marbled, turquoise marbled, gray, gray pied, gray fallow, and many combinations of these mutations.
Today, a decent sized network of breeders exists in America. Species commonly bred include pacifics, green rumps, and (more recently) spectacleds. The goal for the future of these species is to preserve the integrity of the captive gene pool. This can be accomplished by maintaining detailed aviary records, networking with other breeders/ hobbyists, and ensuring the health of breeding stock.
Many beautiful color mutations of pacific parrotlets have developed over the years. These mutations include green, blue, American yellow), American white, turquoise, American turquoise, green pied, blue pied, American yellow pied, American white pied, turquoise pied, Ameican turquoise pied, green fallow, blue fallow, yellow fallow, white fallow, turquoise fallow, green marbled, blue marbled, yellow marbled, white marbled, turquoise marbled, gray, gray pied, gray fallow, and many combinations of these mutations.