BLACKWING AND BLACKFACE MUTATION
-
Blackface Mutation: The Blackface mutation is characterised by a darkening of the face and throat area of the budgie. The feathers in these areas appear black or very dark brown, hence the name "Blackface." The intensity of the black coloration can vary between individuals, ranging from a deep black to a lighter shade of gray. The Blackface mutation is a genetic variation that alters the distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for coloration in budgies and is caused by an excess of melanin.
-
Blackwing Mutation: The Blackwing mutation affects the wing feathers of budgies, resulting in dark-colored wing feathers. The Blackwing mutation creates a striking contrast between the dark wing feathers and the bird's body colour. Like Blackface - Blackwing mutations is achieved by breeding birds with an excess of melanin.
Achieving the Blackwing or Blackface budgie mutation involves selective breeding and careful pairing of budgerigars that carry the genetic factors for this mutation. It is a recessive mutation, which means that both parents must carry the mutation gene for it to be expressed in the offspring.
To achieve Blackface/Blackwing mutation, you need to determine if the Blackwing budgies you obtain are pure Blackwings or split to the mutation. Split birds carry one copy of the Blackwing gene but do not visually display the mutation. It is important to identify these birds as they are valuable for breeding purposes. Pair up a pure Blackwing budgie with either another pure Blackwing budgie or a split bird. Breeding two pure Blackwings will ensure that all their offspring inherit the Blackwing mutation and will be visual Blackwings. Breeding a pure Blackwing with a split bird will produce offspring that carry the mutation but may not visually display it (split to the mutation), but can be used to breed next generation of the mutation and if paired up with another split or full Blackwing - will give more full visual Blackwings.
Here are the breeding expectations for Blackwing (or) Blackface budgies. Take them into consideration if you plan to achieve Blackwing (or) Blackface offspring. The example below refers to Blackface mutation but it would be the same for Blackwing.
1. blackface x blackface = 100% blackface
2. blackface x normal/blackface = 50% normals/blackface and 50% blackface
3. blackface x normal = 100% normal/blackface
4. normal/blackface x normal/blackface = 25% normals, 50% norm./blackface and 25% blackface
5. normal/blackface x normal = 50% normal and 50% normal/blackface
​
Number 4 and 5 options are not advisable if you hope to get material for future Blackwing/Blackface babies, as they produce Normals and Normals split for BW/BF and you couldn't tell which one's which, since they are visually the same. So best option is to either pair up two BW/BF or at least one full BW/BF and other parent needs to be split. (*Split - meaning it carries BW/BF gene but it's not visual; will pass it forward to the the next generation though)
Both Blackwing and Blackface have significant bars on their upper chests and sometimes rest of the front body. Body colour might be blue, green, grey or yellow, depending on the colour variants used for pairing. Very often lower abdomen is darker in colour and gets faded towards the neck. But there are also solid colours, again, all depending on colour variants used for breeding. There is also a combination of Blackface/Blackwing mutation that looks almost black all over the body.
