Know your
Budgies
Coloration Mutations
Base Color
All budgies fall
into one of two basic varieties. Either they have a yellow pigment base or they
lack a yellow pigment base and are therefore white-based. In general, the base
color is visible in the mask feathers and between the black stripes of the head
and wings. (The exception is the yellow-face variety.) Normally, the body
feathers are structured to reflect blue. In yellow-based budgies the blue in
the body feathers combines with the yellow base pigment, which results in a
bright green, the most common variety. In white-based budgies there is no
yellow base pigment, so the blue structure of the body feathers results in
bright blue coloration.
Basic Genetics:
Yellow-base -
dominant
White-base -
recessive
A white based budge results in the common blue variety ,, The yellow based budgie results in the classic green variety
A white based budge results in the common blue variety ,, The yellow based budgie results in the classic green variety
Dark Factor
All budgies have a
level of "dark factor" ranging from no dark factor, one dark factor,
or two dark factors. Wild budgies have no dark factor. Dark factor basically
darkens the blue in the body feathers. (In budgies totally lacking normally
colored feathers, such as albinos and lutinos, the budgie's dark factor will be
present but unknown). A green (yellow-based) budgie with no dark factor will be
the original very bright green; this variety is called "green" or
"light green." One dark factor will result in a darker green; this
variety is called "dark green." Two dark factors will result in a
deep olive drab green color; this variety is called "olive." A blue
(white-based) budgie with no dark factor will be the original bright sky blue;
this variety is called "sky blue." One dark factor will result in a
slightly darker blue; this variety is called "cobalt." Two dark
factors will result in a deep grey blueish color (more grey than blue); this
variety is called "mauve." Within each level of dark factor is room
for some variation in darkness. One sky blue may look a little darker than
another sky blue and one olive budgie may look a little lighter than another
olive budgie. But usually there is no mistaking which dark factor category a
budgie falls into, and the pictures below can be used as a guide.
Basic Genetics:
Dark factor -
semi-dominant
Normal - recessive
1.......No dark factor in a
green (yellow-based) budgie relults in the classic light green variety.
2...........One dark factor in a
green (yellow-based) budgie relults in the dark green variety.
3.........Two dark factors in
a green (yellow-based) budgie relults in the olive variety.
4.........No dark factor in a
blue (white-based) budgie results in the sky blue variety.
5..........One dark factor in a
blue (white-based) budgie results in the cobalt variety.
6.........Two dark factors in
a blue (white-based) budgie results in the mauve variety.
Grey Factor
Gray factor is a
color-adding factor. If a budgie has a grey factor, the color grey is added to
the budgie's original body color. The grey factor is very strong and overrides
the underlying color. Normal yellow-based budgies with a grey factor will be a
grey-green color. Normal white-based budgies with a grey factor will be a grey
color.
Basic Genetics:
Grey factor -
dominant
normal - recessive
Grey factor in a
normal yellow-based budgie results in the grey-green variety.
Grey factor in a
normal white-based budgie results in the grey variety. This budgie is also
dominant pied.
Violet Factor
Violet factor is a
color-adding factor. However, it is not as strong as the grey factor. If a
budgie has a violet factor, you may or may not know it. True violet only shows
up on cobalt budgies (white-based budgies with one dark factor) or, if double
factor, on sky blue budgies(white-based budgies with no dark factor). It is
very hard to tell if yellow-based budgies carry a violet factor. The violet
usually darkens the green of the body feathers similarly to a dark factor.
Sometimes, if you look closely, a violet tinge will be visible on the body
feathers near the feet and vent of a green budgie with violet factor. Sky blue
budgies with one violet factor will have a violet tinge, especially in the body
feathers near the feet, and sometimes look darker than a normal sky blue. It is
very difficult to detect violet factor in mauve budgies.
Basic Genetics:
Violet factor -
semi-dominant
Normal - recessive
Violet factor in a
cobalt budgie or double-factor violet in a sky-blue budgie results in the true
violet variety.
The budgie above ^^ is an opaline violet.
The budgie above ^^ is an opaline violet.
Dilution
In addition to a
dark factor, budgies may also have a degree of dilution. There are four types
of dilution: greywing, full-body-color greywing, clearwing, and dilute.
Greywing budgies have grey markings on head and wings instead of black, and the
body feather color is about 50% diluted (washed out). Full-body-color greywing
budgies have the same grey markings of the greywing but the body color is
brightened (not lightened or diluted). Clearwing budgies have very light or no
markings on head and wings and the body color is brightened (not lightened or
diluted). Dilute budgies are washed out all over. The head and wing markings
are very light, and the body color is about 80% diluted (washed out).
Basic Genetics:
Normal - dominant
Greywing - recessive, co-dominant with clearwing
Dilute - recessive
The greywing variety
has grey markings on the wings and a 50% diluted body color.
Full body colour greywing variety
Clearwing variety
The dilute variety
The dilute variety
has washed out markings and also washed out body color.
Yellowface
Yellowface
Yellowface budgies
are in between yellow-based budgies and white-based budgies. There are
different degrees of the level of yellow pigment, less than the yellow-based
variety. These different levels of yellow pigment are caused by several
different genes. Visually, there are two types of yellow face: Type I and Type II.
In type I yellowface budgies, the mask feathers are all yellow. The yellow may
also show up in the peripheral tail feathers. The yellow is confined to these
areas only and the budgie is normally colored in the body feathers. Type II
yellowface budgies have yellow in the mask feathers and tail, just like the
type I. However, after the first molt at 3 months of age, the yellow diffuses
into the body color and creates a new color, depending on the original color.
In the case of the sky blue variety, as seen below, the type II yellowface
creates a seafoam green color, but in the type I yellowface the body color
remains sky blue.
The yellowface type
I variety has a bright yellow face but the yellow does not affect the body
color or appear in the wing feathers.
The yellowface type
II variety has a bright yellow face. The yellow mixes with the body color and
diffuses into the wing feathers as well.
creamino
Yellowface shows up
with varying shades of yellow (depending on the yellowface genetics of the
budgie) in the ino variety. These are sometimes called creamino.
Yellowface shows up
with varying shades of yellow (depending on the yellowface genetics of the
budgie) in the ino variety. These are sometimes called creamino.
Lutino/albino
Lutino/albino
effectively erases all color and markings of a budgie, leaving only the base
color (yellow or white). Lutino and albino are the same variety; they are just
different names for the same variety in yellow-based budgies and white-based
budgies. Lutinos are yellow based budgies,and are all yellow with red/pink eyes.
Albinos are white-based budgies and are all white with red/pink eyes. There are
two mutations which show up on the lutino/albino. Cinnamon causes the head and
wing markings to show up in a light brown color, creating the lacewing variety.
Yellowface causes the albino, normally all white, to show different degrees of
pale yellow. These budgies are sometimes called creamino. If it is a yellowface
type I the yellow will be restricted to the mask area. If it is a yellowface
type II, all the albino's feathers will be a creamy off-yellow color. The cere
of the male lutino/albino budgie does not change normally. Adult male
lutinos/albinos have purple ceres. Adult female lutinos/albinos have the normal
white/tan/brown ceres.
Basic Genetics:
Sex-linked (on the Z
chromosome)
The lutino variety
is all yellow with red eyes.
The albino variety
is all white with red eyes.
The lutino variety
is all yellow with red eyes.
The albino variety
is all white with red eyes.
Striping Pattern
Mutations
Opaline
Opaline is a
striping pattern mutation. It reverses the striping pattern on the head
feathers so that there are thicker white areas and thinner black stripes.
Another feature which adds to the beauty of this mutation is that the body
feather color runs through the stripes on the back of the neck and down through
the wing feathers. Opaline budgies' tails are characteristically patterned with
light and colored areas running down the tail feather.
Basic Genetics:
Sex-linked (on the Z
chromosome)
Spangle
Spangle causes the
markings on the wings and tail to be reversed. On the wings, instead of the
normal black feathers with white edges creating the normal striping pattern,
the feathers are mostly clear (yellow or white) with a thin black stripe at the
edge. Sometimes the spangle mutation causes a little bit of the body color to
show up between the stripes on the back of the head. Unlike the opaline,
spangle does not cause the body colors to spread throughout the feathers of the
neck and wings. However a budgie can be both spangle and opaline, causing a
unique pattern of color dissipating through the wings.Genetically double-factor
spangles are all yellow or all white (depending on base color). You can tell a
budgie is double-factor spangle because its irises lighten normally with age.
Comparatively, lutinos/albinos have red eyes and dark-eyed clears have dark
plum eyes throughout their lives.
Basic Genetics:
Spangle - dominant
Normal - recessive
A spangle budgie that is also opaline will have a pattern of color through the wings.
Above. A genetically
double-factor spangle budgie is all clear (all yellow or all white) with normal
eyes (black with light irises at maturity).
Cinnamon
Cinnamon causes the
normally black markings of the head and wings to turn brown. The cinnamon
mutation does not affect the color of the body feathers, but sometimes can give
them a cinnamony tinge.
Basic Genetics:
Sex-linked (on the Z
chromosome)
The cinnamon variety
has brown markings on the head and wings instead of black.
Pied Mutations
Dominant Pied
Dominant pied budgies
usually have a distinct pattern. There is always a band of clear body feathers
across the lower-mid belly. This band can be very small to very large,
encompassing almost the entire belly area. This band can also sometimes be
irregular, not forming a complete band across the belly. There is also a band
of clear feathers across the bottom of the wings. This band can be restricted
to the very lower wing feathers or cover almost the entire wing area. Dominant
pieds also always have a patch of clear feathers on the back of the head,
usually about the size of a dime.
Genetically
double-factor dominant pieds are different from the usual described above.
Double-factor dominant pieds have very little markings; most of their feathers
are clear. You can see examples of this below.
The irises of a
dominant pied budgie turn light with maturity. This is a key factor in telling
the difference between a dominant pied and a recessive pied, since recessive
pieds' eyes stay a dark plum color throughout their life.
Basic Genetics:
Dominant Pied -
dominant
Normal - recessive
Recessive Pied
Recessive pied
budgies have, in general, mostly clear feathers on all areas except the rump,
which remains the original body color. In general there is a patch of normally
colored body feathers near the bottom of the belly, with the rest of the body
feathers being clear. Where there are marked feathers on the wings, these
feathers are half clear near the top. The wings can have anywhere from a lot to
very little marked feathers. The feathers on the head are mostly clear except
sometimes for patches near the eyes and top of the head.
The recessive pied
budgie's eyes are dark plum colored and never lighten with age; they always
stay dark. This is how you can be sure a pied is recessive pied, since the
dominant pied's eyes lighten normally with maturity. The cere of the male
recessive pied also does not change normally. Adult male recessive pieds have
purple ceres. Adult female recessive pieds have the normal white/tan/brown
ceres.
Basic Genetics:
Normal - dominant
Recessive Pied -
recessive
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