Ask Lafeber

Pink feet vs. black feet

We recently found a green cheek & it has black feet. Someone is claiming to have lost theirs & sent a picture. Theirs has pink feet. Does the feet color ever change over time? Thanks in advance.

Hi Kelly,

If the feet are different, it’s not the same bird. Green cheeks are nearly as common as pets as cockatiels and parakeets these days. There are many lost ones out there. They come in a variety of color mutations. The normal color of green cheek has dark grey feet. Some mutations do have light or pink feet. I do not think it is age related, as with some other species, because the normal green cheeks start off with grey feet. I am waiting for confirmation from a breeder as to the foot color and whether it depends on the mutation, but that seems to be the case. I will post an update here and send a new notification if I can find out more. But as for the bird you found, it is not the bird you were sent a photo of. Just explain to the owners that the foot color is different and you are sorry, but it isn’t the bird they lost.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda