Budgerigar Mutations & Breeding

Color Mutations

There are presently at least 32 primary mutations in the Budgerigar Parakeet enabling hundreds of possible secondary mutations (stable combined primary mutations) and color varieties (unstable combined mutations) .

Mutations can occur in the …

• color of the plumage and pattern: albino, blue, cinnamon-ino (lacewinged), clearwinged, dark, greywinged, opaline, pieds, spangled, dilute (suffused), and violet; and
• feathers: crested

They are divided into two basic series of colors:

• white-based (blue, grey and white) and yellow-based (green, grey-green and yellow).

Each of those 32 primary mutations belonging to either one of the 4 basic groups of mutations classified in Parrot species genetics, namely:

• Albinism: where eumelanin is reduced in ALL body tissues and structures deviding into 2 sub-groups ; Complete-Albinism and Incomplete aka Partial Albinism,
• Dilutism:where eumelanin is always +/- incompletely (never completely) reduced virtually only in feathering,
• Leucism: where eumelanin is reduced virtually only in feathering and devides into 2 sub-groups ; Total-Leucism and Local-Leucism,
• Melanism: where eumelanin is +/- increased virtually only in feathering.

Each of those 32 primary mutations inherit either:

• autosomal-Co-Dominant (A-Co-D), autosomal-Complete-Dominant (A-C-D),autosomal-Incomplete-Dominant (A-I-D),autosomal-recessive (A-R),autosomal-Poly-Genic (A-P-G) Sex-Linked-recessive (S-L)

It must be noted that : the word autosomal is often replaced as a synonym by the NSL acronym standing for Non-Sex-Linked.

Here’s a listing of the Budgerigar aka Budgie Parakeet’s 32 primary mutations genetic identities, followed by their common names in parenthesis, followed by their according allele and /or Locus symbols and ending with their genetic inheritance ;

Blue Loci (plural of Locus):

• Dark-Factor: D-Locus : A-Co-D with regards to only other Blue Loci alleles and /or always otherwise A-I-D
• Blue: bl*bl : A-Co-D with regards to only other Blue Loci alleles and /or always otherwise A-R
• BlueII: blII-Locus : A-Co-D with regards to only other Blue Loci alleles and /or always otherwise A-R
• YellowFacedBlue: blII*yf : A-Co-D with regards to only other Blue Loci alleles and /or always otherwise A-R
• GoldenFacedBlue: blII*gf : A-Co-D with regards to only other Blue Loci alleles and /or always otherwise A-R

Structural mutations :

• Crest-Factor: Cr-Locus : A-P-G Dark-Factor: D-Locus : A-I-D Grey-Factor (Dominant-Grey-Factor): G-Locus : A-C-D grey-factor (english-recessive-Grey-Factor): g-Locus : A-R grey-factor (australian-recessive-Grey-Factor) : ag-Locus : A-R Violet-Factor: V-Locus : A-I-D

Dilutistic mutations :

dil-Locus (Dilute Locus) multiple-allelic-series :

• Suffused (Dilute): dil*dil : A-Co-D with regards to only other dil-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise A-R
• ClearWings: dil*cw : A-Co-D with regards to only other dil-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise A-R

GreyWings: dil*gw : A-Co-D with regards to only other dil-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise A-R

Local-Leucistic (Pied) mutations :

• ADM (Anti-DiMorphic) Pied(danish-pied, recessive-pied, harlequin): s-Locus : A-R
• Piebald (Australian-Pied): Pb-Locus : A-C-D
• Pied(Continental_Dutch-Pied and Clear-Flighted_Dutch-Pied): Pi-Locus : A-C-D

Total-Leucistic (Clear) mutations :

• Spangle-Factor: Sp-Locus : I-D
• Dark-Eyed-Clear: dil*cw / dil*gw : is not a genuine primary mutation but a mutation variety produced by the visual combination of ADM-Pied and either Dutch-Pied varieties : A-Co-D

Albinistic mutations :

NSL-Albinism (recessive-albinism) : a-Locus : multiple-allelic-series :

• NSL-Ino (recessive-Ino): a*a : A-R
• Bronze_Fallow (german_Fallow): a*bz : A-Co-D with regards to only other a-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise A-R *This mutation more precisely belongs in the Incomplete-Albinistic mutations but it was necessary to display it’s relationship with the a-Locus*
• Brown or BrownWings (sepia): b-Locus : presumed A-Co-D with regards to only other a-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise A-R *This mutation more precisely belongs in the Incomplete-Albinistic mutations but it was necessary to display it’s relationship with the a-Locus*

Cinnamon (CinnamonWings): cin-Locus : S-L-R

• Dun_Fallow aka Grey-Brown_Fallow (english_Fallow) : df-Locus : A-R
• Faded : fd-Locus : A-R
• possible Beige_Fallow aka Pale-Brown_Fallow (australian_Fallow) : pf-Locus : A-R
• possible Plum-Eyed_Fallow (scotish_Fallow) : pl-Locus : A-R

SL-Albinism : ino-Locus : multiple-allelic-series :

• SL-Ino : ino-Locus : S-L-RSL-Clear Body : ino*cl : SL-Co-D with regards to only other ino-Locus alleles and /or always otherwise S-L-R

Melanism :

• BlackFace : bf-Locus : A-R

Other mutations :

• DarkWings : dw-Locus : A-I-DDominant-ClearBody : Cl-Locus : A-C-DOpaline : op-Locus : S-L-RSaddleBack : sb-Locus : A-RSlate : sl-Locus : S-L-R

Further Budgie Reading

• Budgie as Pets
• Clean Food and Water
• Budgie Diet
• Feeding Your Budgies
• Minerals And Trace Elements for Budgies
• Vitamins for the Budgerigar
• Budgie Diseases
• Breeding Budgies

Gaurav Dhir

Gaurav is an animal enthusiast. He lives in beautiful Ontario with his energetic family. As a part of his work at beautyofbirds.com, he has been working with ace parrot trainer, Cassie Malina to understand bird behavior and learn more about how he can train his feathered companions.

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