# Eye colour



## FredaH

Three siblings from different clutches all with different eye colour - is this because ferals have a diverse genetic mix or does this happen with thorough breds too? 




























Also what would you use to moisturise their beaks, I'm thinking olive oil?


----------



## Chuck K

Pigeons have four basic eye colors orange, yellow, pearl, and bull (dark with the absence of color usually due to white on the head).

You see grades of these colors according to the gene pair present. You might see very dark orange which is the general condition for feral pigeons or light orange indicating they could carry yellow or pearl.

Young will also see some strange off colors in some birds. I had a roller cock bird that had green eyes which turned a dark orange when he was about two years old. You will see an almost white phase of pearl in some breeds like flights. Brown also has a an eye color associated to it called false pearl.

With young birds like the ones in your pictures the eye color will likely change as they age. It is usually set by the time they are five or six months old. I have seen many that the eyes in the young were light bluish gray only to change to orange as an adult.

Some stains of racing homers have eyes that contain blue, purple, and violet in the mix. In fact many homers don't have one solid eye color through the whole iris. They can have some brilliant looking mixes.


----------



## Skyeking

*I never knew there were 4 basic eye colors, quite interesting topic, thank you for sharing Chuck.

I am moving your thread to the genetics forum, Freda, in case you are wondering what happened to it. 

Thank you.
*


----------



## FredaH

Thank you for your reply Chuck, so my birds eye colour will possibly change as they age? That's a shame because I rather like gideons light eyes but I'm sure he will be handsome whatever the colour. Very interesting reply, many thanks. 

Thank you too Skyeking,


----------



## Chuck K

FredaH said:


> Thank you for your reply Chuck, so my birds eye colour will possibly change as they age? That's a shame because I rather like gideons light eyes but I'm sure he will be handsome whatever the colour. Very interesting reply, many thanks.
> 
> Thank you too Skyeking,


The light gray will almost certainly change. I think that one may be a pearl eye as an adult. If it is the eye will be even lighter than it is now. It is unusual to see pearl in feral pigeons. The other two look like some shade of orange most likely dark than at present.

The young bird in the picture was about two to three months old when the photo was taken. It had gone through a first molt, but the eye hadn't reached the final color. I don't have a picture of it as an adult but the adult eye has turned lighter.


----------



## Chuck K

Skyeking said:


> *I never knew there were 4 basic eye colors, quite interesting topic, thank you for sharing Chuck.
> 
> I am moving your thread to the genetics forum, Freda, in case you are wondering what happened to it.
> 
> Thank you.
> *


Well in reality there are only three. I included bull as a fourth but a bull eyed bird is not caused by a color factor. It is caused by a lack of pigment in the eye. This condition is associated with recessive white or in some breeds with white markings on the head. In birds that are badge marked many times one eye will be colored and the other bull. If you exam bull eyes closely you will seen an almost hidden rich reddish orange.

The three actual basic colors in order of dominance are orange, yellow, and pearl. I have always read that in order for pearl to show the bird has to have two of the recessive genes that create it. There are other factors that I believe are either linked to eye color or change the color. For instance a brown pigeon almost always has what is called a false pearl eye, but I once had seen a brown spread racing homer hen with a bull looking eye that showed the deep red. Many of the dilute birds I have had show a light yellow eye which I believe may just be the effect of dilute on an orange or darker yellow eye.


----------



## FredaH

Thanks again, these birds fascinate me more each day. I'm glad I asked about eye colour and will watch closely for changes, such incredible birds.


----------



## jak2002003

*eyes*

I love the bright fiery orange eyes... almost red!

I also like the black bull eye on white birds.. makes they look really soft and cute.

There is a video on YouTube of high flying pigeons... all adults.. which have lovely green eyes... and he is breeding just for the green eyes. 

I have one pigeon have one black bull eye and one silver eye... I hand reared him and he is my special pet one.

Your pigeons look very beautiful.

PS. My Old Dutch Capuchines started producing young with lovely deep blue eyes. But as they fledge and start getting their first adult feathers their eyes go to the normal silver colour... sadly...


----------



## ArcherPigeons

Chuck K said:


> Some stains of racing homers have eyes that contain blue, purple, and violet in the mix.


Does anyone have any photos of this? I've also heard of green eyes in homers, and have spent _years_ looking for them but never seen them!


----------



## Chuck K

Chuck K said:


> The three actual basic colors in order of dominance are orange, yellow, and pearl.


It seems that I may have misspoke when I stated there are three basic colors. Most of the genetic researchers information since making that post indicate that there are only two basic pigments in the pigeon eyes, and the various colors are expressions of those two pigments. The two pigments are the orange and pearl. The yellow may be caused by carrying one gene for each of the pigments. The reddish colors may be caused by the presence a lot of blood vessels on the surface of the iris. The science for the other colors is not to my knowledge known nor understood at this point in time.


----------



## ArcherPigeons

Chuck K said:


> The science for the other colors is not to my knowledge known nor understood at this point in time.


I would _love_ to investigate this if I could ever find one. I've heard of greens, blues, purples... I even found a flyer with a green-eyed racing hen and asked to buy her, but she was lost on a race before I could!


----------



## Chuck K

ArcherPigeons said:


> I would _love_ to investigate this if I could ever find one. I've heard of greens, blues, purples... I even found a flyer with a green-eyed racing hen and asked to buy her, but she was lost on a race before I could!


I have only seen pictures of most of the eye colors that show up in homers. I have one homer with a pearl eye the rest are the yellow orange. 

I did have a cock roller that the eyes turned green out of the nest and stayed that way for two or three years, but they eventually turned orange.


----------



## ArcherPigeons

Green eyes typical of the Syrian Tarbesh pigeon.


----------



## Jay3

Gee, that's really pretty/


----------

