Dilute Budgerigar Mutation - Appearance

Appearance

The Dilute mutation changes the body colour of the wild-type Light Green to yellow, with a variable amount of light green suffusion. The suffusion is deepest on the rump and around the vent. The spots and markings on the wing, head and neck, which are black in the wild-type, are pale grey. The cheek patches are pale lavender and the long tail feathers are pale bluey-grey. The eyes remain normal, with white irides when adult. There is considerable variation in the intensity of the green suffusion, but the best exhibition birds of the 1930s showed very little and also had very faint wing markings. These are the Dilute Light Greens, usually known as Light Yellows.

The green suffusion becomes progressively darker when single and double factors of the Dark mutation are present. These are the Dilute Dark Greens and Dilute Olives, usually known as Dark and Olive Yellows. When the suffusion is particularly heavy the bird is known as a Suffused Yellow.

In the blue series the absence of the yellow pigment turns the body colour to white, although this is usually suffused with blue, often quite heavily. When the suffusion is light, Dilute Skyblues are known as Whites; when it is heavy they are known as Suffused Whites. Dilute Cobalts and Mauves are usually known as Suffused Whites.