Budgerigar: Colour Mutations
Type
of Mutation |
Mutations
/ Polymorphisms |
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Base
Colour |
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Markings |
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Facial
Colour |
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Colour
Alteration |
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Colour
Masking |
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Patterns
of White |
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Dilution |
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Feather |
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| Abnormalities |
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Normal Light Green - The Wild-type Budgerigar
The Normal Light Green has a solid lime grass green main plumage colour i.e. from the upper breast to the tail base. The crown, face and mask are brilliant yellow, with a royal blue to purple cheek patch and Normal markings. The tail is dark blue-black. Eyes are dark, bill a greenish horn colour, legs and feet are grey with black claws. Cere is of full pigmentation strength, being bright blue in the adult cock and ranging from chocolate brown to powder blue in the adult hen.
Normal refers to the pure black 'zebra' markings extending from the back of the crown, down the neck, cheeks, nape, back and wings, plus the black mask spots. In the Green series bird, the black is scalloped with yellow and green. As Normal is a marking, it can also occur in any other colour and so alternatively, in the Blue series, the black is scalloped with white and blue.
Light Green can be combined with any other marking, pattern, structural or pigmentation mutation.
Both Normal and Light Green are inheritantly dominant.
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Normal
Light Green cocks |
The Sky Blue has a light sky blue (hence the name) main plumage colour. The crown, face and mask are pure white, with a royal blue cheek patch. The tail is dark blue-black. Eyes are dark, bill a greenish horn colour, legs and feet are grey with black claws. Cere is of full pigmentation strength. When Sky Blue is combined with the Normal gene, the bird has black markings scalloped with white and blue.
The blue gene only affects the yellow psittacin layer which overlays the cloudy structural layer in the feather cortex. The cloudy structural layer is responsible for refracting and reflecting light off of it's textured surface and creating the illusion of blue i.e. most avian species do not possess any blue pigment in their feathers and so the colour blue is due to the way light bounces off the textured cloudy layer and enters our eyes.
In the green series bird, a combination of the yellow psittacin and the cloudy structural layer creates an optical illusion of green plumage (the yellow acts as a filter to the blue feedback from the cloudy layer). Although in the case of the Sky Blue. the blue gene completely removes the yellow psittcin layer and so the bird is visually blue.
Sky Blue can be combined with any other marking, pattern, structural or pigmentation mutation.
Sky Blue is inheritantly recessive.
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Normal
Skyblue cock |
Normal
Skyblue hen |
Opaline
Skyblue hen |
The wild type Budgerigar
The Normal refers to the pure black 'zebra' markings extending from the back of the crown, down the neck, cheeks, nape, back and wings. In the Green series bird, the black is scalloped with yellow and green. Alternatively, in the Blue series, the black is scalloped with white and blue.
The Wild-type Budgerigar is the Normal Light Green.
Inheritantly dominant.
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Normal
Light Green cock |
The Opaline refers to the partial removal of melanin markings extending from the back of the crown, down the neck, cheeks and nape, down to a clear V-shape on the back. There is a ticking and fine laced effect on the latter 'opalined' markings (idealy minimal with no flecking on the crown), with a patch of suffusion of body colour on the rear of the head and back. On the wing markings, the scalloping in the Green series bird seem slightly less defined, becomes greener (i.e. heavy body colour suffusion in the wings), having a greater blending effect into the black markings. Alternatively, in the Blue series, the black is mostly scalloped with faded white.
The Opaline gene causes the redistribution of melanin from the hind neck and the mantle, so that the edges of the feathers alter to the mask and body plumage colour. There is also a very slight dilution in body colour.
Inheritantly sex-linked.
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Opaline
Light Green hen |
Opaline
Dark Green hen |
In the Saddleback, the Opaline effect seems to be blended grey from the nape to the characteristic Opaline V-shape, and then restarts at the wing covert markings, also with a blending of melanin, visable as a greying into the back and shoulder markings. The flight feathers are bicolour - marking base colour and black - there is no inter-medial white section. The resemblance to an Opaline is almost identical in the lack of head markings, yet the markings seem even more diluted and condensed. A big difference to the Oplaine is the fact that there is no body colour suffusion in the markings, rather yellow in Green series birds and white in the Blue series.
The rest of the bird, incuding the tail feathers, legs and feet, are as a usual Normal bird.
The Saddleback can be combined with any other colour, but it is best not to mix with Opalines, Spangles or Clearwings, as this type of breeding would ultimately destroy the variety.
Inherantly recessive.
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Saddleback
Olive |
Saddleback
Sky Blue |
The Cinnamon gene acts to measurably dilute eumelanin via incomplete oxidation. Thus the melanin is represented as brown rather than black. There is a light brown suffusion overlaying the plumage colour, which ultimately visually dilutes the depth of colour by up to 50%, making them appear rather 'washed-out'. This effect turns a Light Green from a rich grassy green to a light lime, and a Sky Blue to a powder blue. In the Cinnamon, the black head, back, and wing markings of the Normal are replaced with brown.The tail is blue with a hint of cinnamon. Cheek patches are unaffected.
Chicks hatch with plum-red eyes, which gradually change to dark by the time the chick is a week old. Also, cocks generally have a deeper body colour than hens.
Inherantly sex-linked.
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Cinnamon
Light Green hen |
Cinnamon
Light Green hen |
Cinnamon
Sky Blue hen |
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Opaline
Cinnamon Sky Blue hen |
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The Brownwing appears visually as a Cinnamon except for the markings being deep dull dark brown, not Cinnamon, plus as the Brownwing was developed from the Clearwing, it has an undiluted body colour - the Cinnamon causes a slight dilution. Also on hatching chicks do not have red eyes - their eyes, throughout life are dark with a white iris. The Brownwing is another Factor mutation, occuring in three shades when combined with the Dark Factor.
It is best to breed a Brownwing to a Greywing to preserve the colour.
Inherantly recessive, being genetically similar to the Fallow.
As it is a Dilute, the Greywing gene causes the markings to become silver grey and the body colour to be diluted to about 50% of the original colour. The tail becomed light blue with a grey overcast. The cheek patches become light blue-purple.
Inherantly recessive, but co-dominant to Dilute.
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Greywing
Light Green cock |
Greywing
Light Green cock |
Greywing Grey-Green cock |
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Greywing
Sky Blue hen |
Greywing
Sky Blue cock & hen |
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Greywing
Sky Blue cock |
Greywing
Cobalt cock |
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Greywing
Mauve hen |
Greywing
Grey cock |
Greywing
Yellowface Type 1 Grey cock |
The Spangle gene causes inverted markings i.e. finely edged/scalloped
with black, with the base colour (yellow or white) being on the
inner of the feather. This inversion also includes the mask spots
which should consist of a dark banded clear ring, rather than
the solid spot of the Normal. Cheek patches can vary from undiluted
to silvery-white.
The Spangle is a double factored mutation, meaning a bird can be either Single Factor (SF) or Double Factor (DF). SF birds show the typical Spangle markings, whilst DF bird are completely devoid of markings or body plumage colour. Therefore, a Green series DF Spangle is pure yellow and a Blue series DF if white i.e. visually identical to Dark-eyed Clears.
Spangle can be combined with any mutation although Cinnamon and Dilutes would reduce the markings. Also be careful with Opalines. Whilst a good Opaline SF Spangle can be beautiful, there is the danger of washing out the wing and spot markings.
Inherantly incomplete dominant.
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Opaline
SF Spangle Dark Green hen |
Opaline SF Spangle Light Green cock | Opaline
SF Spangle Light Green cock |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Light Green cock |
Opaline
SF Spangle Dark Green hen |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Dark Green hen |
Opaline
SF Spangle Light Green cock |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Light Green hen |
Opaline
SF Spangle Olive cock |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Sky Blue hen |
Opaline
SF Spangle Sky Blue cock |
Opaline
SF Spangle Cobalt Violet cock |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Grey cock |
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Opaline
SF Spangle Yellowface Type 1 Sky Blue hen |
Opaline
SF Spangle Yellowface Type 1 Cobalt Violet cock |
DF
Spangle Yellowface Type 3 Blue series cock |
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DF
Spangle Green series cock |
DF
Spangle Blue series cock |
Clearwing - Yellowwing & Whitewing
A Clearwing has very faint, non-defined, or ideally, no wing markings, only full strength base colour, be it pure yellow or brilliant white. Although a Clearwing with truly "clear" wings is a rare find - Most still retain at least a hint of light grey markings. The main plumage colour and cheek patches are not diluted and should be as dark as possible.
Green series Clearwings are often given their own name: Yellowwing. As are the Blue series Clearwings: Whitewing.
Clearwing occurs in combination with any other colour.
Inherantly recessive, but dominant to Dilute.
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Clearwing
(Yellowwing) Light Green cock |
Clearwing
(Yellowwing) Light Green cock |
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Clearwing
(Whitewing) Sky Blue hen |
Clearwing
(Whitewing) Sky Blue cock |
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Clearwing
(Whitewing) Sky Blue cock |
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The Rainbow is an unofficial name for a Blue series Opaline Clearwing Yellowface Type 1 and as such they are not actually a seperate mutation, just a composite, and so when exhibited are shown as Clearwings. Occassionally, Blue series Opaline Greywing Yellowface Type 1, Blue series Opaline Dilute Yellowface Type 1 and Blue series Opaline SF Spangle Yellowface Type 1 are also referred to as Rainbows (the latter Spangle Rainbow is much easier to produce then a Clearwing Rainbow and results in a large exhibition bird).
An American variety is the Seafoam, also another unofficial name for a Rainbow composite variety, typically in Yellowface Type 2, whereby there are absolutely no wing markings.
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Rainbow:
Opaline Clearwing Yellowface Type 1 Cobalt cock |
A very new mutation which is melanistic i.e. the gene cause the lay down of more melanin than is normal. Creates an extension of the markings to include a black barred forehead, mask and breast, with an excess and merging of the mask spots, yet the body plumage colour remains bright with no grey suffusions.
Inherantly recessive.
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Blackface
Cinnamon Light Green hen |
Blackface
Cobalt Violet hen |
Yellowface (Yellowface Type 1 & Yellowface Type 2) & Goldenface
The Yellowface, or as it is techinally known, the Yellowface Type 1 gene causes a lemon yellow head, face and mask and yellow edge on the tail feathers. The yellow colour is resticted to the head only - the yellow does not suffuse into the main body colour (although ocassionally graduates slightly into the upper breast), but will suffuse into any other white areas on the wings, back, nape and head.
It is a co-dominant mutation i.e. factored - SF and DF; and DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue are always visibly non-Yellowfaced and just look Blue with a white face. Pairings:
Parents |
SF Yellowface Type 1 Blue | X |
Blue | DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue (visual white-face blue) |
X | Blue | SF Yellowface Type 1 Blue | X | SF Yellowface Type 1 Blue | |||||
| Offspring |
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100% SF Yellowface Type 1 Blue |
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Parents |
DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue (visual white-face blue) | X | SF Yellowface Type 1 Blue | DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue (visual white-face blue) | X | DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue (visual white-face blue) | ||||||||
| Offspring |
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100% DF Yellowface Type 1 Blue (visual white-face blue) |
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Normal
Yellowface Type 1 Sky Blue cock |
Normal
Yellowface Type 1 Cobalt cock |
Normal
Yellowface Type 1 Mauve cock |
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Opaline
Yellowface Type 1 Mauve hen |
Opaline
Yellowface Type 1 Grey cocks |
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Yellowface Type 1 can occur in any mutation, but are best seen on Blue series birds. If combined with a Green series bird, the yellow-face will be invisible.
The Yellowface Type 2 gene still a co-dominant gene and thus is factored and the DF birds are still visually Yellowface - they are not hidden as a white face; BUT the Yellowface Type 2 gene is dominant to the Yellowface Type 1, meaning that it is visually expressed and the Type 1 is masked in a genotypically Type 1-Type 2 bird.
The medium lemon yellow colour works just like the Goldenface, whereby the yellow can suffuse into the entire plumage, including the wings and body giving a greenish hue to the blue. This suffusion occurs after first adult moult.
Parents |
SF Yellowface Type 2 Blue | X |
Blue | DF Yellowface Type 2 Blue (visual yellowface) | X | Blue | SF Yellowface Type 2 Blue | X | SF Yellowface Type 2 Blue | |||||
| Offspring |
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100% SF Yellowface Type 2 Blue |
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Parents |
DF Yellowface Type 2 Blue (visual yellowface) | X | SF Yellowface Type 2 Blue | DF Yellowface Type 2 Blue (visual yellowface) | X | DF Yellowface Type 2 Blue (visual yellowface) | ||||||||
| Offspring |
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100% DF Yellowface Type 2 Blue (visual yellowface) |
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Cinnamon
Yellowface Type 2 Sky Blue hen |
The Goldenface, or Yellowface Type 2, results in a deep shade of yellow and causes the yellow to suffuse into the entire body colour after first adult moult. Therefore the entire body has a yellow suffusion, causing a green tint in a Blue series bird.
Goldenface can occur in any mutation, but are best seen on Blue series birds. If combined with a Green series bird, the yellow-face will be invisible.
Inherantly co-dominant, just like the two Yellowface genes, but like the Yellowface Type 2, DF birds are still visually Yellowface, only of a deeper yello- they are not hidden as a white face.
Parents |
SF Goldenface Blue | X |
Blue | DF Goldenface Blue (visual yellowface) | X | Blue | SF Goldenface Blue | X | SF Goldenface Blue | |||||
| Offspring |
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100% SF Goldenface Blue |
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Parents |
DF Goldenface Blue (visual yellowface) | X | SF Goldenface Blue | DF Goldenface Blue (visual yellowface) | X | DF Goldenface Blue (visual yellowface) | ||||||||
| Offspring |
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100% DF Goldenface Blue (visual yellowface) |
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Opaline
SF
Goldenface Grey
cock |
Normal
DF
Goldenface
Grey |
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Full-Crested
Opaline DF
Goldenface SF Spangle Sky Blue hen |
Opaline
DF
Goldenface SF Spangle Sky Blue Violet hen |
Opaline
DF
Goldenface SF Spangle Mauve Violet cock |
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The Dark Factor causes the diameter of the spongy layer which hold the melanin granules to decrease, which in turn results in a lessened reflectance and refraction of light, and thus the strength and concentration of the colour seems visually increased and darkened. Therefore the main plumage is darkened by one shade. The Single Factor (SF), or one dark factor (i.e. one dark gene), in the Green series, alters the Light Green into the Dark Green and the Sky Blue to Cobalt in the Blue series. A Double Factor (DF), or two dark factors (i.e. two dark genes) produce the Olive and the Mauve.
The Dark Factor can be combined with any other marking, pattern, structural or pigmentation mutation.
Dark Factor is inheritantly incomplete dominant.
Green Series:
Dark Green
The
Dark Green has a solid bottle green main plumage colour. The cheek
patch becomes a dark royal blue to purple. The tail is a very
dark blue-black.
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Normal
Dark Green hen |
Opaline
Dark Green hen |
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Normal
Dark Green cock |
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Opaline
Dark Green hen |
Olive (aka Double Dark green)
The Olive has a very dark olive green main plumage colour. The cheek patch becomes a very dark navy blue to purple. The tail is a very dark navy blue-black.
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Normal
Olive cock |
Normal
Olive cock |
Normal
Olive hen |
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Normal
Olive cock |
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Opaline
Olive cock |
Blue Series:
Cobalt (Dark Blue)
The Cobalt has a dark cobalt blue main plumage colour. The cheek patch becomes a dark royal blue to purple. The tail is a very dark navy blue-black.
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Normal
Cobalt cock, Opaline Cobalt cock, Whitewing Cobalt hen |
Normal
Cobalt hen |
Opaline
Cobalt hen |
Mauve (Double Dark Blue)
The Mauve has a very dark purple-blue-grey main plumage colour. The cheek patch becomes a very dark navy blue to purple. The tail is a very dark navy blue-black.
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Normal
Mauve hen |
Normal
Mauve cock |
The Violet Factor intensifies colour by changing the diameter of the vacuoles in the spongy layer which holds the melanin granules, creating a varied distribution of melanin in the barbs. This increased spacing fo the melanin granules causes violet light waves to be refected instead of blue.
The Violet Factor can be combined with any colour mutation in both the Green and Blue series, but to see the Violet Factor in it's best form, it is best to try and breed the Violet into a Cobalt line. The effect is also intensifed by the amount of Violet Factors the bird posesses: one (SF) or two (DF) genes.
Violet Factor is inherantly dominant.
Blue Series:
Cobalt Violet
The Cobalt Violet has a dark cobalt blue-purple main plumage colour. The cheek patch becomes a dark royal blue to purple. The tail is a dark purple-black.
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Normal
Cobalt Violet cock |
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Opaline
Cobalt Violet cock |
Normal
Cobalt Violet hen |
Normal Mauve Violet cock |
The Grey Factor changes the structural location of melanin at the centre of the barb, preventing the reflection of blue light waves. Thus Green series birds become Grey-Green and blue series become Grey.
Another double factored mutation which means a Grey can be SF or DF.
The Grey has a solid grey main plumage colour which can vary in intensity - occurs in Light, Medium and Dark Shades, according to whether the mutation is combined with the Dark Factor. There is a bluish tinge on the sides of the neck. The tail is black. Eyes are dark, bill a greenish horn colour, legs and feet are grey with black claws. Cheek patches are a purple-grey.
Inherantly dominant and can be combined with any other mutation.
Green Series:
The Grey-Green has a solid grey-green main plumage colour. When acting on the Light Green, it becomes Light Grey-Green; Dark Green is Medium Grey-Green; and Olive is Dark Grey-Green. The tail is black. Eyes are dark, bill a greenish horn colour, legs and feet are grey with black claws. Cheek patches are a purple-grey to slate.
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Normal
Light Grey-Green hen |
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Normal
Light Grey-Green cock |
Normal
Medium Grey-Green cock & Opaline Dark Grey-Green Hen |
Blue Series:
The Grey has a solid grey main plumage colour. When acting on Sky Blue, it becomes Light Grey; Cobalt is Medium Grey; and Mauve is Dark Grey. The tail is black. Eyes are dark, bill a greenish horn colour, legs and feet are grey with black claws. Cheek patches are a purple-grey to slate.
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Normal
Medium Grey cock |
Opaline
Light Grey cock |
Normal
Light Grey cock |
Grey Yellow & Grey White
The Dilute plus the Grey Factor.
Recessive Grey (aka English or Australian Grey)
In comparision to dominant Grey Factor birds, Recessive Greys can be distinguished by the following: he body colour is rather patchy or mottled; they don't possess the bluish tinge on the sides of the neck typical of dominant Grey; pale grey cheek patch, blending into the body colour; the upper surface of the tail coverts and flight feathers are satin grey, with the quill and underneath being black; rump and back are especially glossy.
Occurs in Green and Blue series birds.
Inherantly recessive.
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Opaline
Recessive Grey hen |
The Slate Factor occurs in three shades: Light, Medium and Dark, but are of a much reduced gradation than the Dark Factor. The gene works best on the the Blue series, where the main body plumage will take on it's name-sake: a dull dark slate-bluish-grey with no violet suffusion, but with a slight patchy/mottled appearence and a darker rump.
Markings are jet black. Cheek patches are dull blue with no violet - similar to the mauve. Tail feathers are a dull deep blue. The dullness of the colour is most likely due to the presence of excess melanins in the cortex of the feather, aswell as the medulla, overlying an intense blue effect. Slate Mauves are the darkest coloured Budgerigars apart from the very rare Anthracite.
The Slate can be easily distinguished from a Grey Factor bird by the Slates' bluish undertones within the body plumage and a deep dull blue tail feather- a Grey is simply pure grey with no blue suffusion and black tail feathers.