Budgerigar (standard/wild-type) colour mutations
46 Budgerigar (standard/wild-type) colour mutations, with the inheritance of each, how it looks, and whether a bird can be split for it.
| Mutation | Inheritance | Looks | Can be split? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark factor (dark green/cobalt with one dose; olive/mauve with two doses) | Incomplete dominant | Darkens the body color: one dose gives dark green (or cobalt in blue), two doses give olive (or mauve). | No – appears with one dose (SF) and two doses (DF) in different degrees |
| Blue (sky blue) | Autosomal recessive | Eliminates the yellow pigment so green turns to blue and the face is white. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Yellow-face type I (turquoise) | Autosomal recessive | A bird of the blue series with a light yellow face confined to the mask. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Yellow-face type II | Autosomal recessive | A yellow face that extends over the body to give a bluish-green (sea-foam) color, especially with a double dose. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Goldenface (aqua) | Autosomal recessive | A dark golden face and strong yellow spread over a blue body. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Violet factor | Incomplete dominant | Gives visual violet when combined with blue + one dark factor (cobalt); on green it gives a darker color. | No – appears with one dose (SF) and two doses (DF) in different degrees |
| Dominant Australian grey | Autosomal dominant | Turns blue into grey and green into grey-green; the tail is black. | No – if present it shows |
| Recessive English grey | Autosomal recessive | Recessive grey — very rare or extinct in breeding. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Anthracite | Incomplete dominant | A very dark charcoal color, especially with two doses (DF) in the blue series. | No – appears with one dose (SF) and two doses (DF) in different degrees |
| Slate | Sex-linked recessive | A dark bluish-grey color different from the dominant grey. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Dilute (suffused) | Autosomal recessive | Greatly dilutes melanin: a pale yellow/white body with a shade of the original color and pale wings. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Clearwing (yellow-wing/white-wing) | Autosomal recessive | A strong full-colored body and wings almost free of black markings. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Australian clearwing | Autosomal recessive | A third allele at the dilute locus according to MUTAVI. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Greywing | Autosomal recessive | Wing markings are grey (~50% of black) and the body color is diluted ~50%. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Full-body greywing | Combination | The result of combining the Clearwing allele with Greywing: grey wings and a full-colored body. | Depends on the component mutations |
| Recessive pied (Danish/harlequin) | Autosomal recessive | Irregular yellow/white patches, black eyes without a white iris ring, the male's cere pink/purple. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Australian dominant pied (banded) | Autosomal dominant | A light band across the abdomen and patches on the wing. | No – if present it shows |
| Dutch pied (clearflight) | Autosomal dominant | A clear head patch at the back of the head and clear flight and tail feathers. | No – if present it shows |
| Dark-eyed clear (DEC) | Combination | A clear yellow or clear white bird with a black eye and no markings at all — from combining Dutch pied with recessive pied (DF). | Depends on the component mutations |
| Spangle | Incomplete dominant | SF: reversed wing markings (black edges and a light center) and light throat spots in the middle. DF: a clear yellow or white bird with a black eye. | No – appears with one dose (SF) and two doses (DF) in different degrees |
| Ino (lutino yellow / albino white) | Sex-linked recessive | Complete absence of melanin: yellow with red eyes (on green) or white with red eyes (on blue). | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Albino | Combination | Pure white with red eyes. | Depends on the component mutations |
| Creamino | Combination | Creamy white with a yellow head and red eyes. | Depends on the component mutations |
| Lacewing (cinnamon-ino) | Combination | An ino bird with light cinnamon/brown wing markings. | Depends on the component mutations |
| Pallid | Sex-linked recessive | Partial dilution of melanin; pale grey markings and a dark eye with a ring. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Pearly | Sex-linked recessive | An allele at the ino locus according to MUTAVI. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Texas clearbody | Sex-linked recessive | An almost clear body with dark wing markings. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Dominant clearbody (Easley) | Autosomal dominant | A clear body with normal wing markings. | No – if present it shows |
| Cinnamon | Sex-linked recessive | The black markings become brown and the body color is lighter; the chick's eyes are burgundy at hatching. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Opaline | Sex-linked recessive | Pigment redistribution: clear head and nape, a clear V between the shoulders, and the body color shows on the wing. | Only males can be carriers; the female either shows it or does not carry it |
| Recessive non-sex-linked ino | Autosomal recessive | Complete ino but not sex-linked — very rare or extinct. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Bronze fallow (German) | Autosomal recessive | Melanin dilution with red eyes with a white ring. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Pale fallow | Autosomal recessive | Red/burgundy eyes and light grey-brown markings. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Dark fallow (dun) | Autosomal recessive | English fallow according to Wikipedia. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Scottish fallow (plum eye) | Autosomal recessive | Dark plum eye and diluted markings. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Faded (pale) | Autosomal recessive | General dilution and grey-brown markings — very rare. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Brown wing (sepia) | Autosomal recessive | Brown wing markings — rare/perhaps extinct. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Blackface | Autosomal recessive | Excess melanin: darkened face and chest with black streaks. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Dark wing | Incomplete dominant | A modifier that darkens the wing; shows more with Dilute and Greywing. | No – appears with one dose (SF) and two doses (DF) in different degrees |
| Saddleback | Autosomal recessive | Saddle-shaped back markings — very rare. | Yes – the male and female can be carriers (split) without it showing |
| Crested (circular/half-circular/tufted) | Autosomal dominant | A crest of feathers on the head in different shapes. | No – if present it shows |
| Mottled (mottle) | Polygenic | Light feathers appear gradually with age in a patchy way. | Cannot be traced accurately |
| Half and half (half-sider) | Not genetic | Half of the bird is one color and half another, with a dividing line down the middle. | Not inherited |
| Feather duster (fluffed feathers) | Unknown | Feathers that grow without stopping and are curly, resembling a duster; usually appears in English budgies. | Unknown |
| Visual violet | Combination | The best violet color = blue + cobalt + violet factor. | Depends on the component mutations |
| Rainbow | Combination | Multiple pastel colors on a blue body with a yellow face. | Depends on the component mutations |
The Zajel app has a genetics calculator that shows the expected chick colours of any pair before you pair them.