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I have pair of bourkes, Hen is a pink, cock is a rosie split to pink (so I was told) yet the chicks I get out of them have the darker heads on them. My question is how do I get the nice, pink colored rosie? Do the normal rosies have the 'dirty' head? Another question is, I was told that the cock is split to pink, yet someone online tells me that is not possible. Can a bourke be 'split' red eye (pink)? If the male is split and the hen is a pink, shouldnt I at least get a pink once in awhile? Thanks!!!

1. Cock Bird cannot be split to Pink. Pink is a double mutation combining the Rosy Bourke with the yellow/cream Bourke. Since you say your Cock is Rosy, then he can be split to Cream, which migjht give you cream, depending on the hen, and if she is really a pink, then you can get pinks.
Red Eye can also be a cream or a pink, but being split to cream would not give red eyes.


Your babies sound like Rosy Bourkes and when young they will have darker heads and darker markings, but usually the males molt out of it and the hens retain that dark color.
There many Rosies of different quality out there, some are just perfect clear pinkish colored and will produce like offspring. There are also others that produce very darkheaded Rosies.

Mutation is right. There are many different color variations of the Opaline Bourke ( rose ) here in the U.S. When I first started in Bourkes all the birds you saw were a true salmon pink color with "clear" or "white" faces. Over time I have noticed that the selection of quality fell to the wayside for quantity and the all mighty dollar. Through a good selective breeding program we as breeders of Australian Parakeets can achieve the colors that are desired and the quality of stock that will help in developing the colors and mutations that already exist in Europe. A year ago i started breeding grass keets again and trying to find the colors and mutations that i wanted was difficult. I took in some not so perfect birds but have potential in from there back ground. I will soon see what developes.

As too many statements that have been made pertaining to the "rainbow" Bourke ( which is technically a Opaline a.k.a. Rosie) This is not a new color but a stepping stone to produceing many new mutations such as the " green" opaline, "blue" opaline and the "yellow" opaline. If the breeders hold back the best bird with the most of a certain color such as blue and pair that to another bird of the same richness and depth in color you can start on a great new mutation. As for now a group of the blues and greens have been brought into the country in hopes to start a genetic base for these mutations.

We have a long way to go on color mutations in the Bourke parakeet here in the states. As a breeder of bourkes right now i am currently in the process of produceing a quality Rose Opaline. Good luck to you all on your color endevors, and remember enjoy every surprise that hatches.