International Parrotlet Society
Exhibition Standards for Forpus Parrotlets

Scale of Points 100

Conformation 30
Condition        20
Deportment        15
Color                 10
Body                 10
Head                   5
Wings                   5
Feet                       5

General Description:

1. Full round head. Wide forehead. Beak should be proper length with no overgrowth or crookedness. Eyes should be clear and bright centered on each side of the head. Pupil may or may not be seen. Eye may be dark or light.
2. Neck should be proper length not snaky or excessively long.
3. Shoulders should be close to the body.
4. Breast should be full and rounded but not excessively fat. (No split down the middle.) There should be no dips or lumps.
5. Back line should be straight from head to tail without a hollow look.
6. Wings should be held tight against the body, flights should not droop. Wings should not cross. Wing tips should meet in the middle of the back and form a point.
7. Tail in a straight line with the body and come to a point. All 12 feathers intact and form a point at the end.
8. Legs and feet should be straight with no crooked toes. Must be able to perch properly. All toes and nails should be present. Nails may dark, light or both. Nails should not be overgrown.
9. All feathers present and held tight against body. It is common for parrotlets to puff out and raise their feathers. This should not be considered a fault.

Pacific Parrotlets - Medium-size bright olive green parrotlets 4.5" in length 28-32 grams. Both sexes have pink beaks and legs. Both males and females have streaks behind the eye.

Nominates - Females are olive green with light green faces, eye streaks and under parts. Males have cobalt blue backs, rumps, flights and eye streaks.

Lucidas - Both males and females have bright lime green faces. Females have light blue, turquoise or teal rumps, eye streaks and sometimes wings. Males have silver or gray wings and eye streaks are thick and encircle the back of head.

Color Mutation Nomenclature

Color mutation parrotlets have the same requirements of size and conformation as normal parrotlets. Many color mutations have soft feather tone and should not be faulted. As more colors are developed it is anticipated this standard will be amended to include new mutations. This list was compiled by Rainer Erhart, Ph.D.

Dilute (formerly "American Yellow"): Female even lemon yellow throughout, becoming more yellow with age; dark eyes. Male of a deeper shade of lemon yellow and more grayish back; a bright yellow mask, light blue behind the eye and inner wings and rump also light blue (some yellow males have deep blue rumps, a possible sign of the subspecies of F. c. lucida). Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Blue: Female blue throughout; slight variations of blue from grayish blue to almost sky blue; (dark blue streak behind the eye and a blue rump represent markings only for Forpus coelestis); dark eyes. Males have turquoise blue facial mask, a distinctly gray blue back and deep blue inner wings and rump.
Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Fallow: Female distinctly yellow green throughout, some more yellow than others; a slightly lighter mask and bright red eyes. Male generally lighter with a deeper yellow mask; bluish stripe behind the eyes, blue wings and rump. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Green Pied: Female with light yellow markings mostly around head; dark eyes. Males with deeper yellow pied markings most common in neck, belly, rump and tail. Inheritance: appears to be incomplete dominant.

Lutino: Female buttercup yellow throughout, eyes bright red, primaries yellow white. Male like female except for a deep yellow facial mask, and a white streak behind the eyes; rump and the inner and outer primaries white (these are the same feathers that are blue in a normal Pacific). Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Pastel (formerly "European Yellow"): Female lemon yellow, similar to American Yellow but not as even; dark eyes. Male a greener lemon yellow than female, often unevenly distributed with spangle-like markings; blue stripe behind the eye and blue inner wings and rump. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Recessive Cinnamon, aka Isabel: Female lime green, darker than Fallows; dark red or plum-colored eyes, almost black when mature. Male similar to female, with much lighter mask; blue eye streak and blue inner wings and rump. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Combination Mutations

Albino: A cross-mutation between Lutino and Blue. Both female and males are pure white, with bright red eyes. (Under ultraviolet light the male rump will show as blue violet). Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Dilute-Blue (formerly "American White"): A cross-mutation between American Yellow and Blue. Female whitish blue throughout, dark eyes. Male similar to female, but with blue on inner wings and rump. Both sexes become lighter with age. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Fallow-Blue: A cross mutation between Fallow and Blue. Female light blue with red eyes. Male similar to female also with red eyes, inner wings and rump are blue. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Pastel-Blue: A cross-mutation between Pastel and Blue. Female light blue but distinctly more bluish than the American white; dark eyes. Male similar to female but more mottling or lacing in feathers and inner wings and rump are blue. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Yellow-Fallow: A cross-mutation between American Yellow and Fallow. Female bright yellow with a slight hint of green; eyes dark red. Male similar to female but with a golden yellow facial mask, light blue inner wings and rump. Inheritance: autosomal recessive.

Green Rump Parrotlets - Small bright apple green parrotlets 3.5" in length, 18-28 grams. Pink beaks and legs.

Nominates - Females have yellow above the cere between the eyes. Males have even amounts of cobalt on the primaries and turquoise on the secondaries. Back and rump are emerald green.

Deliciosus - Smallest parrotlet. 3" in length, 18 grams. Females have very small band of yellow above the cere. Males have a light turquoise wash across the rump and more turquoise than cobalt on the wings.

Viridissimus - Largest Green Rump parrotlet. 4" in length, 28 grams. Darker green than nominate. Females have large amounts of yellow on the face including forehead and sometimes cheeks. Males have more cobalt than turquoise on the wings.

Cyanophanes - Males have more dark blue feathers on the upper wing than the nominate. This forms a patch of color that can be seen when the wing is folded. The female is indistinguishable from the nominate.

Cyanochlorus - Males are very similar to the nominate, however, the females are a much lighter shade of yellow-green.

Spectacle Parrotlets - Small parrotlet. 3.75" in length, 25-27 grams. Legs and feet are pink. Males have blue and females have emerald rings around the eyes.

Nominates - Males are deep forest green with violet blue rumps, backs, wings and eye rings. Females are lighter than males but dark green with lighter faces and under parts. Eye ring is emerald green.

Metae - Males have bright green heads with yellow-green faces and throats. The eye ring is a thin partial line of blue feathers. Females are lighter green than the nominate.

Caucae - Identified by its large, heavy beak. Blue plumage of the males is lighter and less violet than the nominate.

Blue Wing Parrotlets - Medium parrotlet 4.5" 30-35 grams. Bright emerald green. Larger eyes than other parrotlets. Legs and beak are gray.

Nominates - Males have dark violet blue rumps, backs and wings. Females have more yellow-green around their face.

Flavissimus - Paler green with more yellow under parts, both males and females possess bright yellow faces and cheeks which are very prominent. Blue on males is also lighter and more turquoise than violet.

Flavescens - Plumage is which is lighter and more yellow than the nominate. The blue on the males is also lighter. Both males and females have more yellow on the face, forehead and throats.

Crassirostris - Males have gray violet primary coverts and secondaries are dark violet blue. Females are smaller than the nominate and are darker green. The upper beak is compressed laterally in the middle, which is prominent in both sexes.

Olallae - Dark green birds with the males’ rumps and wings darker blue than in the nominate.

Spengeli - Males can be distinguished from the nominate by the dark turquoise blue rumps. The primary coverts are violet blue with the secondaries being dark turquoise. Females have more yellow on the forehead.

Mexican Parrotlets - Stocky, barrel-shaped bright green parrotlets. 4.5" in length 35-40 grams. Gray beaks and legs.

Nominates - Males have turquoise backs, rumps and wings. Females are bright almost chartreuse green and beaks do not turn gray unless in breeding condition.

Pallidus - Both males and females the plumage is lighter green with a gray tinge and the under parts are more yellow than the nominate.

Insularis - Dark green head, back and wings as well as blue-green under parts. The face is yellow-green and the males’ rumps and wings are darker turquoise than in the nominate.

Yellow Face Parrotlets - Largest parrotlet. 50 grams and 5.5" in length. Black stripe runs down the front of the upper mandible. Legs and feet are pink. Males have deep violet blue wings similar to male Pacifics. Also have blue eye streaks. Females also have blue rumps, backs, wings and eye streaks but are lighter than males. Both males and females have bright yellow faces, cheeks, chins, foreheads and under parts.

Sclater's Parrotlets - Large parrotlet 5" and 40 grams. Darkest parrotlet. Upper mandible is gray and lower pink. Feet and legs are gray brown.

Nominate - Males' lower back and rump are deep violet blue that are darker than in any other species. Wings are also blue violet. Females have no blue markings with their general plumage being paler than the male. The forehead, forehead and cheeks are yellowish green.

Eidos - Males are lighter green and have lighter blue than in the nominate. The females are also lighter green with more yellow, especially on the breast.

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