mutation history of the budgerigar

the first budgerigar recorded was in the late 1700s by colonists near parramatta,australia.the native budgerigar is light green with a yellow head and black bands running along the back of the head and wings.the first known captive breeding took place in europe in the mid 1850 leading to the colour mutations we now see today.

yellow was the first colour variation recorded in 1870 in germany or belgium.shortly afterwards came skyblue in 1878 but was sadley lost due to lack of breeding knowledge but at a later stage the dutch bred the sky blues.

laurel was first recorded in france in 1915 and was quickly followed by olive in 1916 by breeding the laurels together.cobalt and mauve followed as the olive and laurel birds were mixed with sky blue.

whites were recorded in england and france in 1920 by breeding yellows with blues.

grey wings appeared in germany and belgium in 1875 in the green birds and 1928 in the blues.

clear wings appeared in australia in the 1930s

fallow appeared in england,australia and europe in the 1930s and the danish pied in 1932.

saddlebacks were recorded in sydney in along with the australian dominant grey in 1934 quicly followed be the british recessive grey.

voilet was claimed by australia,denmark and scotland in the 1930s.

the yellow faced blue was recorded in england in the mid 1930s.

both australian and dutch dominant pieds appeared around 1932.

the continentel clear flights appeared in belgium in 1946 and the cinnamons in australia,england and germany around 1932-1934.

lutinos and albinos appeared in the 1930s but are now better known as just inos.the lutino being the green series and the albino being the blue series.

opaline was established in australia and scotland in the early 1930s.then the lacewing in australia.

the most recent mutation is the spangle and occuring in the avairy of mr melv jones of melbourne ,australia in 1974.