Colour Strokes

Colour Strokes

Basic colors

The colors of budgerigars are divided into two color series (blue/green), with another three color levels (light / medium / dark).

Color level

bright

medium

dark

Green series

Light green

Green

Olive green

Blue series

Light blue

Blue

Mauve

Dark factors

none

1

2

Furthermore, to the green series belong the gray-greens as well as the lutinos and to the blue series the violets, the grays as well as the albinos.

Green series

Grey green

Lutino

Blue series

Purple

Gray

Anthracite

Albino

Other color variations: Violet factor in the green series as well as slate in the blue series.

Color strokes & plumage characteristics

Abbreviations

Green series

The green series has both the plumage pigment “melanin” (black / brown & blue coloration1generated by microstructures) and the plumage pigment “psittacin” (yellow coloration) which in combination result in a green plumage.

  • Lutino: This has yellow plumage without markings, red eyes and silvery white cheek patches.
  • Black-eye: This has yellow plumage without markings, black eyes and white cheek patches.
  • Dun: this has a strongly brightened yellow plumage, brown or brownish markings, red eyes and brown throat spots, and purple cheek patches.
  • Lacewing: This has yellow plumage with brown markings and brown throat spots and light purple cheek patches.
  • Australian Pinto: This has a light patch on the nape, usually has a yellow band over the belly the wing feathers as well as the long tail feathers are yellow.
  • Recessive piebald: This has irregular, lightened patches (piebald) of yellow over the entire plumage and has a yellow mask extending to the chest.
  • Continental Pinto: This has a light patch on the nape of the neck and the color of the breast plumage usually matches the color of the face (mask).

Blue series

Blue-row lacks the plumage pigment “psittacin”, which is responsible for the yellow coloration.

  • Albino: This has white plumage without markings, red eyes.and silvery white cheek patches.
  • Black-eye: This has white plumage without markings, black eyes and white cheek patches.
  • Dun: This has a strongly brightened blue plumage (almost white), brown or brownish markings, red eyes and brown throat spots, and purple cheek patches.
  • Lacewing: This has white plumage with brown markings and brown throat spots and light purple cheek patches.
  • Yellow face: This represents a peculiarity in the blue series, since it has a more or less intense yellow head color.
  • Australian Pinto: This has a light patch on the nape, usually have a white band across the belly and the wing feathers and long tail feathers are white.
  • Recessive piebald: This has irregular, lightened patches (piebald) of white over the entire plumage and has a white mask extending to the chest.
  • Continental Pinto: This has a light patch on the nape of the neck and the color of the breast plumage usually matches the color of the face (mask).
  • Rainbow: This one is characterized by a color gradient and has the features of light wing, opaline and yellow face. It also has lighter throat spots and dark blue cheek patches.

Other plumage characteristics

  • Collared Pinto: This is not really a color, but a mixture of Recessive and Australian Pinto.
  • Light wing: This has a light wavy pattern with normal plumage colour.
  • Opaline: The fringing of the wavy pattern corresponds to the plumage color and they do not have wavy pattern on the head and nape. In addition, they have a lightened triangle at the top of the wings.
  • Spangle: This has an inverted wavy pattern with dark fringing. The wing feathers are white or yellow with dark edges and the cheek patches are gray, silvery white or a mixture of both.
  • Gray-winged: This has a lightened plumage color, a smoky-gray wavy pattern and smoky-gray throat spots, and pale purplish to bluish-gray cheek patches.
  • Cinnamon: This has a somewhat lightened plumage color and a cinnamon-brown wavy pattern and throat spots.
  • Clearbody (Lightbelly): This one has a heavily brightened plumage, but a normal wavy pattern. In addition, this one has black throat spots and purple cheek patches.
  • Blackface (Blackface): The dark head markings extend across the forehead to the bill, giving them a dark face (mask).
  • Blackwing: This has lightened plumage, while the markings on the wings retain the normal depth of color.