What is a fallow budgie? [ALL MUTATIONS & VARIETIES]

A fallow budgie is a budgie with a fallow mutation, which has different variations and mutations such as English, German, Scottish, Australian, Japanese, bronze, pale, dun, smokey and ashen, light green, dark green, olive green, gray-green, sky blue (light blue), cobalt (dark blue), mauve, violet, gray-blue.

A fallow budgie has a mutation that reduces the eumelanin pigmentation, which eumelanin has two types, called black eumelanin.

The fallow mutation reduces the black eumelanin pigments in the eyes and the body. The reduction in eumelanin pigments causes red eyes and pastel tones, brown markings on the body feathers of the fallow budgies.

The level of reduction in eumelanin pigmentation, combined with other color mutations and variations, produces many results. In addition to that, some typical features are available and shared by many varieties.

How to identify a fallow budgie?

A fallow budgie has a gene that removes black eumelanin from the eyes and the body.

To identify a fallow budgie, breeders should look at eye color and body color. The eyes and the body losses black colors on different levels.

A fallow budgie eye color must be closer to ruby-red color. Fallow gene removes black eumelanin and blood flow in the eyes begins to give the bird’s eye reddish colors in different levels.

A fallow budgie’s body color can have different levels of reductions of black color. Different levels of black color reduction generate different varieties of fallow budgies such as bronze, dun, pale.

Fallow gene removes black eumelanin at different levels. Having or not having a white eyes ring is not an identification feature to be a fallow budgie. But, it is an identification feature in fallow budgie mutations, like German budgie (German budgies have white iris ring).

Here are common fallow budgie features:

1. Orange beak
2. Red or plum eye colors
3. Eyes with or without a white iris
4. Pinkish gray feet
5. Pinkish gray legs
6. Brownish or light blue cere colors in females
7. Fleshy pink or purple cere colors in males
8. Gray and violet cheek patches
9. Markings are located on cheeks, back of head, neck and wings
10. Blueish or brownish gray with a brown quill.

Fallow budgies do not have the ino gene, so colors can be seen, albeit at the lowest level. (Ino gene removes all color pigments and creates albino and lutino budgies.)

What is an English fallow budgie?

An English fallow budgie is a budgie with an English fallow mutation that is one of three fallow mutations named by their location-origins.

An English fallow budgie has clear, bright red eyes without a white iris ring.

What is a German fallow budgie?

A German fallow budgie is a budgie with a German fallow mutation that is one of three fallow mutations named by their location-origins.

A German fallow budgie has deep ruby-red (dark red) eyes with a white iris ring.

A baby or young German fallow budgie has plum-colored eyes until adulthood.

What is a Scottish (Moffat) fallow budgie?

A Scottish (Moffat) fallow budgie is a budgie with a Scottish (Moffat) fallow mutation that is one of three fallow mutations named by their location-origins.

A Scottish (Moffat) fallow budgie has plum-red eyes with the faint iris ring or no iris ring.

What is an Australian fallow budgie?

An Australian fallow budgie has a type of mutation called NSL Incomplete Albinism type of Pale fallow mutation.

An Australian fallow budgie has red eyes with a white iris ring.

An Australian fallow budgie also called Australian fallow, beige fallow, pale brown fallow in various sources.

What is a Japanese fallow budgie?

A Japanese fallow budgie is a budgie with autosomal recessive mutation, white iris rings, and red eyes similar to German and English fallow budgies.

What is a bronze fallow budgie?

A bronze fallow budgie is a fallow budgie variation in which the bird’s black eumelanin pigments are reduced to brown.

What is a pale fallow budgie?

A pale fallow budgie is a fallow budgie variation in which the bird’s black eumelanin pigments are reduced to light brown.

What is a dun fallow budgie?

A dun fallow budgie is a fallow budgie variation in which the bird’s black eumelanin pigments are reduced to grey-brown.

What is a smokey or ashen fallow budgie?

A smokey (ashen) fallow budgie is a fallow budgie variation in which the bird’s black eumelanin pigments are reduced to light gray.

Fallow budgie green series

A green series fallow budgie with a fallow mutation has a visual appearance that is the result of a combination of varying levels of green body color, a fallow mutation, and other mutations of the bird.

What is a fallow light green budgie?

A fallow light green budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has green body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale light green.

Fallow light green budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale light green. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is buttercup yellow and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a buttercup yellow edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal buttercup yellow edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: blueish gray with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow dark green budgie?

A fallow dark green budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has green body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale dark green.

Fallow dark green budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale dark green. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is buttercup yellow and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a buttercup yellow edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal buttercup yellow edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: darker in proportion with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow olive green budgie?

A fallow olive green budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has green body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale olive green.

Fallow olive green budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale olive green. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is buttercup yellow and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a buttercup yellow edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal buttercup yellow edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: darker in proportion with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow gray green budgie?

A fallow gray green budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has green body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale gray green.

Fallow gray green budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale gray green. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is buttercup yellow and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a buttercup yellow edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: gray color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal buttercup yellow edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: brownish gray with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

Fallow budgie blue series

A blue series fallow budgie with a fallow mutation has a visual appearance that is the result of a combination of varying levels of blue body color, a fallow mutation, and other mutations of the bird.

What is a fallow sky blue (light blue) budgie?

A fallow sky blue budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has blue body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale sky blue.

Fallow sky blue budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale sky blue. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is white and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The white color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a white edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal white edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: blueish gray with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow cobalt (dark blue) budgie?

A fallow cobalt (dark blue) budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has blue body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale cobalt (dark blue).

Fallow cobalt (dark blue) budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale cobalt (dark blue). Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is white and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The white color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a white edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal white edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: darker in proportion with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow mauve budgie?

A fallow mauve budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has blue body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale mauve.

Fallow mauve budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale mauve (without gray suffusion). Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is white and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The white color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a white edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal white edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: darker in proportion with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow violet budgie?

A fallow violet budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has blue body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale violet.

Fallow violet budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale violet. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is white and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The white color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a white edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: violet color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal white edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: darker in proportion with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is a fallow gray budgie?

A fallow gray budgie is a fallow budgie variation that has blue body color as the primary color. Besides rump, breast, flanks, and underparts of the bird are pale gray.

Fallow violet budgie characteristics are listed as follows:

1. Body color: rump, breast, flanks and underparts pale gray. Body color darkens slightly from the upper part of the breast to the rump area.
2. Mask: the mask color is white and has six evenly spaced large round brown throat spots. The two outer throat spots are partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The white color of the mask extends over the frontal and crown and merges with the brown color at the back of the head. The frontal feather and the crown area have no markings.
3. Markings: markings on cheeks, back of head, neck, and wings are medium brown with a white edge without any body color or body color variations.
4. Cere: males have fleshy pink cere colors and females have brown cere color.
5. Eyes: red or plum, with iris ring or without a white iris ring or faint iris ring.
6. Cheek patches: gray color.
7. Primary wing flights: medium brown with a minimal white edge.
8. Primary tail feathers: brownish gray with a brown quill.
9. Feet and legs: pinkish gray.

What is fallow split budgie?

A fallow split budgie is a budgie that has a sex-linked gene such as opaline, albino, lutino, lacewing, cinnamon, and in addition to that has the fallow gene, which is recessive.

A split budgie must have one recessive and one sex-linked gene at the same time to be called with “split”.

What is golden face (Australian yellow face) opaline fallow budgie?

A golden face opaline fallow budgie has both opaline mutation and golden face mutation in addition to fallow mutation.

A golden face opaline fallow budgie has pastel colors, silky feathers, and red eyes.

Sources:

1. https://www.world-budgerigar.org/colourstds.htm