Anthracite budgies [Appearance, Breeding, Genetics]

It’s believed that the first anthracite mutation appeared in Germany in 1998.

The anthracite budgerigar mutation is an extremely rare color mutation.

A budgie breeder Hans-Jürgen H. Lenk (RIP) was able to breed an anthracite budgie in 1998. Lenk had reproduced many anthracite budgies and also gave three anthracite budgie males to other breeders.

The anthracite mutation is quite similar to The English Grey budgie mutation. Many breeders assume that the anthracite mutation is a re-emerged version of the English Budgie mutation. However, this topic is still controversial.

📚 Table of Contents (👁️ Be sure to check it out!)

I. The appearance of anthracite budgies

II. Mutations and genetics (How do you breed an anthracite budgie?)

II.I. Anthracite budgie breeding expectation table

III. Are anthracite budgies rare?

IV. Anthracite budgie photos

The appearance of anthracite budgies

Anthracite budgies have an anthracite-colored body, back, chest, flanks, and belly. Usually, the color depth is equal on every part of the body.

The anthracite budgies have black markings on the head, neck, back, and wings. The black markings cover the main color of the body, which can be white or yellow.

Flight, tail feathers, and throat spots are black. The face mask is white or yellow, based on the main base color of the budgie.

Legs and feet are gray or blue to silver-gray, and eyes are black with a white iris.

Here is a table of information about the appearance of the anthracite budgies:

Body-color	Trunk, back, chest, flanks, and belly evenly anthracite.
Markings	Black on the head, neck, back, and wings on a white or yellow background.
Flight feathers	Black, jet black
Tail feathers	Black, jet black
Face mask	White or yellow
Cheek spots	Charcoal grey, deep black
Throat Spots	Black
Legs and feet	Gray or blue to silver-gray
Eyes	Black with a white iris

The anthracite budgie appearance table

Mutations and genetics (How do you breed an anthracite budgie?)

The anthracite mutation is a recessive mutation.

To breed a budgie that visually looks like an anthracite budgie, both parents must have anthracite genes.

The anthracite mutation can be combined with other mutations such as opaline, yellow face, spangle, and pied.

It is a new challenge for budgie breeders to breed new combinations of anthracite mutation with blue and green series.

Anthracite budgie breeding expectation table

DF Anthracite x DF Anthracite	100% Anthracite
DF Anthracite x EF Anthracite	50% EF Anthracite 50% DF Anthracite
DF Anthracite x Normal	100% EF Anthracite
EF Anthracite x EF Anthracite	25% Normal 50% EF Anthracite 25% DF Anthracite
EF Anthracite x Normal	50% Normal 50% EF Anthracite

Anthracite budgies breeding expectation table

Are anthracite budgies rare?

Yes, anthracite budgie is a new mutation compared to other well-known mutations. The anthracite mutation began to be systematically produced in 1998 at the earliest.

Anthracite budgie photos

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