Greywing Budgerigar Mutation - Appearance

Appearance

The body colour of the Greywing variety is about half the intensity of the corresponding normal variety, and the wing, head and neck markings are similarly reduced in intensity from black to mid-grey. The spots are grey and the cheek patches are pale violet. The tail feathers are grey with a bluish tinge. The overall effect is a very pleasing combination of pastel shades, particularly so in the blue series.

In comparison to other varieties, the grey markings on a Greywing are of a similar intensity to the brown markings on a Cinnamon, maybe a little deeper, and considerably deeper than those on any Clearwing or Dilute. The body colour is deeper than most Dilutes, yet much paler than the body colour of Clearwings.

As with Dilutes and Clearwings, there is considerable variation in the depth of body colour and wing markings of Greywings. Greywings at the paler end of the range correspond with the World Budgerigar Organisation's standard of 50% of the intensity of normal colouring, while those at the darker end approach the depth of colour of normals. Greywings which are split for Dilute are often slightly paler than pure Greywings.

When pure-breeding (homozygous) Greywings are paired with pure-breeding Clearwings the resulting offspring, known as Full-bodied Greywings, are quite distinct in appearance from both parents. They have a body colour almost as deep as the corresponding normal variety and with the rich sheen of the Clearwing, but with medium grey markings marginally darker than the parent Greywing. The tail and flight feathers are like the parent Greywing, but the cheek patches are violet, almost as dark as those of the corresponding normal.