Budgie Dilution Mutations: Dilute, Greywing, Clearwing & Full-Body Color Greywing

Introduction

The dilution gene in budgies is one of the most fascinating and versatile genes. Unlike many mutations that only affect a single trait, the dilution gene can create four completely different visible mutations: Dilute, Greywing, Clearwing, and Full-Body Greywing. Understanding these mutations is essential for breeders, hobbyists, and anyone interested in budgie genetics.

In this guide, we’ll cover how each mutation looks, how to tell them apart, and the genetics behind how a single gene can produce so many different variations.

The Dilute Budgie

The Dilute mutation reduces the bird’s color intensity by up to 90%.

• Body color: Extremely faint, pastel wash (about 10% of normal).

• Wing markings: Very light, sometimes nearly invisible.

• Cheek patches: Pale lavender or washed out.

• Throat spots: Extremely faint or absent.

• Tail: Very pale blue or green, sometimes nearly white.

Dilutes are often confused with Clearwings, but the key difference is that Clearwings keep a strong body color, while Dilutes look soft and ghostly all over.

Dilute

The Greywing Budgie

The Greywing mutation reduces body intensity by about 50%.

• Body color: Pastel version of the normal shade.

• Wing markings: Distinct but light grey (not black).

• Cheek patches: Pale violet.

• Throat spots: Present, but diluted to grey.

• Tail: Muted, greyish-blue or dull green depending on the series.

Greywings look like a softer, faded version of a normal budgie, making them easy to distinguish from Dilutes.

Greywing

The Clearwing Budgie

The Clearwing mutation is the opposite of Dilute in many ways.

• Body color: Full intensity, as bright as a normal budgie.

• Wing markings: Extremely faint, almost invisible.

• Cheek patches: Strong and vivid, just like a normal bird.

• Throat spots: Often reduced or missing.

• Tail: Fully colored.

Clearwings can easily be mistaken for Dilutes since both have very faint wing markings. The key difference is body color and cheek patches: Clearwings are bold and bright with strong cheeks, while Dilutes are washed out with pale cheeks.

Clearwing

The Full-Body Greywing Budgie

The Full-Body Greywing (FBG) combines traits of Greywing and Clearwing.

• Body color: Bright and bold like a Clearwing.

• Wing markings: Soft grey like a Greywing.

• Cheek patches: Slightly paler than normal, but contrast appears stronger thanks to the bright body color.

• Throat spots: Diluted grey, more visible than in Dilutes.

• Tail: Rich, full-colored tail.

FBGs are sometimes called the “best of both worlds”: bright body from the Clearwing, gentle grey wings from the Greywing.

Full Body Color Greywing

Visual Comparison of Dilution Mutations

Before we dive into the genetics, let’s take a side-by-side look at how these four dilution mutations compare in their visible traits.

Key Takeaways:

• Dilute is the faintest — pastel body, pale cheeks, almost no throat spots.

• Greywing has a half-strength body with light grey wing markings.

• Clearwing is the opposite of Dilute — bright, bold body color with ghostly pale wings.

• Full-Body Greywing combines both: a Clearwing’s strong body color with a Greywing’s soft grey wings.

Now that we’ve compared how each mutation looks on the outside, let’s see how they’re all connected on the inside through the fascinating genetics of the dilution gene.

The Genetics Behind the Dilution Gene

The dilution gene has multiple alleles at the same locus:

• Dil (Dominant normal): Produces a normal-looking budgie.

• dil (Recessive): When paired (dil/dil), produces a Dilute.

• dilgw (Greywing allele): Produces a Greywing when combined with itself (dilgw/dilgw) or with dil (dilgw/dil).

• dilcw (Clearwing allele): Produces a Clearwing when combined with itself (dilcw/dilcw) or with dil (dilcw/dil).

• dilgw/dilcw: Produces a Full-Body Greywing, since both alleles share expression (co-dominance).

The Clearwing allele (dilcw) and the Greywing allele (dilgw) have a very unique relationship. They are co-dominant with each other, which means if a budgie has one of each, both traits show at the same time — creating the Full-Body Greywing.

At the same time, both dilcw and dilgw are dominant over the simple recessive dil. So if either is paired with dil, they will show as Clearwing or Greywing.

However, they are still recessive to the normal dominant form Dil. If a budgie carries even one Dil, the normal coloring masks everything else, and the bird looks normal.

So in short:

• Dil (dominant) hides everything.

• dilcw and dilgw (co-dominant) compete only if Dil (dominant) is absent.

• dil (recessive) only shows if paired with another dil.

In simple terms:

• Dilute = dil/dil

• Greywing = dilgw/dilgw or dilgw/dil

• Clearwing = dilcw/dilcw or dilcw/dil

• Full-Body Greywing = dilgw/dilcw

Common Confusions

• Dilute vs Clearwing: Both have faint wing markings. Look at the body and cheek patches — Clearwing is bold and vivid, Dilute is soft and pastel.

• Greywing vs Full-Body Greywing: Both have grey wings. Look at the body — Greywing is faded, FBG is bright.

Punnett Square Examples of the Dilution Gene

Punnett squares are a simple way to visualize how budgie mutations are passed on. Here are five examples showing how the dilution gene and its alleles create different outcomes.

Example 1: Normal Carrier × Normal Carrier (Dilute outcome)

• Parents: Dil/dil × Dil/dil

• Punnett square:

Results:

• 25% Normal

• 50% Normal but carriers

• 25% Dilute

Example 2: Clearwing × Greywing (Full-Body Greywing outcome)

• Parents: dilcw/dilcw × dilgw/dilgw

• Punnett square:

Results:

• 100% Full-Body Greywing

Example 3: Full-Body Greywing × Greywing

• Parents: dilcw/dilgw × dilgw/dil

• Punnett square:

Results:

• 50% Greywing

• 25% Full-Body Greywing

• 25% Clearwing

Example 4: Normal Clearwing Carrier × Normal Dilute Carrier

• Parents: Dil/dilcw × Dil/dil

• Punnett square:

Results:

• 75% Normal-looking budgies

  • 25% Normal (no mutation carried)

  • 25% Normal carrying Dilute

  • 25% Normal carrying Clearwing

• 25% Clearwing

Example 5: Greywing × Dilute

• Parents: dilgw/dilgw × dil/dil

• Punnett square:

Results:

• 100% Greywing

Conclusion

The dilution gene is a perfect example of how fascinating budgie genetics can be. With just one gene, we see four beautiful mutations — each with its own unique look. Whether you’re a breeder, enthusiast, or just love learning about budgies, understanding these differences helps you appreciate the incredible variety in these birds.