The free Budgerigar Genetics Calculator that predicts budgie offspring mutations instantly. Covers Opaline, Cinnamon, Ino, Spangle, Pied, Dark Factor, Grey, Violet, Yellow Face, Anthracite, Blackface, Blackwing, Clearflight Pied, Easley Clearbody, and more. No account, no signup.
No Account Needed
This genetics tool is designed to instantly predict offspring mutations for any budgerigar (budgie) pairing, from common Light Green and Sky Blue to complex combinations involving Dark Factor, Grey, Violet, Yellow Face, Spangle, and the sex-linked mutations Ino, Opaline, and Cinnamon. Select parent colors, add mutation traits, and get clear probability outcomes in seconds. No account required. No data collected. This is a complete 2026 build engineered to handle every documented budgie mutation pairing, exhibition lines, colour pet stock, and rare combination breeders all use the same engine. Privacy Policy →
How to Use
Choose a base color for each parent, Light Green, Dark Green, Olive Green, Sky Blue, Cobalt, or Mauve. The dark factor (0, 1, or 2 copies) is embedded in the base color name. Then add mutation traits like Opaline, Cinnamon, Ino, Spangle, Pied, Grey, Violet, or Yellow Face. The genetics engine calculates all possible offspring combinations and shows each one as a percentage.
In budgerigars, Ino, Opaline, Cinnamon, Slate, Texas Clearbody, and Lacewing are sex-linked recessive (SL), they behave differently depending on whether the carrier is a cock or hen. Hens cannot be splits, they either show the mutation visually or don't carry it at all. Cocks can carry the gene without showing it. This calculator handles sex-linked inheritance automatically, showing cocks and hens in separate columns.
Dark factor is incompletely dominant. Each copy visibly darkens the body color. Zero copies = Light Green / Sky Blue. One copy = Dark Green / Cobalt. Two copies = Olive Green / Mauve. Pairing two Cobalt birds gives 25% Sky Blue, 50% Cobalt, 25% Mauve offspring, the classic 1:2:1 Mendelian ratio for incomplete dominance. This is why dark factor is one of the easiest mutations to predict and control in budgerigars.
Grey, Violet, and Yellow Face are autosomal incompletely dominant modifiers, each can be Single Factor (SF, one copy) or Double Factor (DF, two copies). Grey factor turns the body grey on blue series or grey-green on green series. Violet adds a violet sheen most visible on cobalt blue (historically called Visual Violet, now uniformly labelled Violet Cobalt). Yellow Face adds yellow pigment to the face on blue-series birds. The calculator tracks all combinations independently.
This budgerigar genetics calculator is used by breeders across South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. Whether you are an exhibition-line breeder, a pet stock breeder, or a hobbyist working with colour mutations, the tool works the same everywhere. No account needed, no language barrier. Open it on any phone or computer, anywhere in the world.
This calculator covers 23+ documented budgerigar mutations, base colour (Green/Blue), Dark Factor, Grey Factor, Violet Factor, the sex-linked Ino-locus allelic series Ino / Texas Clearbody (with Texas Clearbody dominant over Ino), sex-linked Opaline / Cinnamon / Slate / Lacewing, autosomal recessive Recessive Pied / Fallow / Black Face / Blackwing / Saddleback, the dil-locus allelic series Clearwing / Greywing / Dilute (with proper co-dominance modelling, Clearwing × Greywing → Fullbody Greywing, Clearwing dominant over Dilute), and autosomal incompletely dominant Spangle / Dominant Pied / Clearflight Pied / Yellow Face / Goldenface / Grey / Violet / Anthracite / Easley Clearbody. The engine maps directly to inheritance models published in A Guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots (Dr. Terry Martin, 2002), World of Budgerigars (Cyril H. Rogers), and the peer-reviewed Lacewing research of Inte Onsman at MUTAVI Research (Belgium / Netherlands).
Supported Mutations
Trusted by Breeders In
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no cost. No account, no subscription, no ads. Built by KinBird Aviary as a gift to the global budgerigar breeding community. It will stay this way permanently. No personal data is collected when you use the calculator, see our Privacy Policy for full details.
A "split" bird visually appears normal but carries one copy of a recessive mutation gene. When paired with another split or a visual mutation bird, they can produce mutation offspring. The calculator shows all splits in the predicted offspring with their exact probability.
In budgerigars, Ino, Opaline, Cinnamon, Slate, Texas Clearbody and Lacewing are sex-linked recessive (SL). For sex-linked mutations, hens cannot be splits, they either show the mutation visually or don't carry it at all. The calculator automatically separates cock and hen offspring predictions for SL traits. Read the full Opaline Genetics Guide →
Yes. Each parent can carry up to 6 mutation traits simultaneously. The engine correctly handles combined mutations, for example, a Cobalt Opaline Spangle SF bird paired with a Light Green / Blue Cinnamon hen will show all possible offspring combinations including doubles and triples.
Yes, it works everywhere with an internet connection. The calculator is actively used by budgerigar breeders in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the UK, and across Europe and the US. There are no country restrictions, no downloads, and no installs required. The same budgerigar genetics calculator runs on any Android phone, iPhone, or computer in any country. It works equally well for exhibition-line breeders and pet-stock colour breeders.
Because the dark factor is a separate gene from the blue locus, and embedding it into the base color name matches how budgie breeders actually think and speak. A "Cobalt" is genetically bb at the blue locus + Dd at the dark factor locus (heterozygous, one dark factor). A "Mauve" is bb + DD (homozygous, two dark factors). By baking dark factor into the base name (Sky Blue / Cobalt / Mauve, Light Green / Dark Green / Olive Green), the user picks one option and the engine handles both gene loci correctly. Two Cobalts paired produces 25% Sky, 50% Cobalt, 25% Mauve, the 1:2:1 incomplete-dominance ratio.
For incompletely dominant mutations like Spangle, Grey, Violet, Yellow Face, and Dominant Pied, Single Factor means one copy of the mutation gene (heterozygous), Double Factor means two copies (homozygous). SF and DF often look visually different. A DF Spangle is nearly all yellow (green base) or white (blue base) and is often confused with Lutino/Albino. A DF Grey is slightly more saturated than SF Grey. A DF Yellow Face shows stronger yellow expression than SF. The calculator outputs SF and DF separately so breeders can plan exhibition pairings precisely. Read the full Spangle Genetics Guide →
Violet is an incompletely dominant gene that adds a violet sheen. Its most striking visual effect appears on a Cobalt blue base (one dark factor), historically called "Visual Violet" by exhibition breeders. The calculator now uniformly labels these birds as Violet Cobalt (SF) or DF Violet Cobalt for consistency with other shortcut naming. The genetic mechanism is unchanged, Cobalt + Violet factor (Vv or VV). Violet on Sky Blue gives Violet Sky Blue (a paler lavender wash); Violet on Mauve gives Violet Mauve. This is documented in Terry Martin's 2002 reference. Read the full Dark Factor Genetics Guide →
They are two completely separate genes with different inheritance modes. Recessive Pied (also called Danish Pied or Harlequin) is autosomal recessive, both parents must carry it for chicks to show it visually. It typically produces large irregular yellow or white patches over the body. Dominant Pied (also called Banded Pied or Australian Pied) is autosomal incompletely dominant, a single factor (SF) bird shows a clean band of pied across the chest, while a double factor (DF) bird shows much more pied area. The calculator handles both gene types correctly and shows split (carrier) percentages for the recessive form.
Lacewing is sex-linked recessive. It is the result of a crossover between the Cinnamon and Ino genes on the Z chromosome, first identified in a UK lutino strain in 1948 by R.J. Watts. The phenotype is a pale yellow body (Yellow Lacewing on green base) or white body (White Lacewing on blue base) with brown wing markings and red eyes. The Belgian/Dutch research coordinator Inte Onsman of MUTAVI Research confirmed in published findings that Lacewing is the recombination product of Cinnamon and Ino on the same Z chromosome rather than a separate allele. In the calculator, select Lacewing directly, the engine handles sex-linked inheritance automatically (cocks can be split, hens cannot).
Clearflight Pied (Continental Clearflight Pied) is an autosomal incompletely dominant mutation at the Pi locus, originating in the Netherlands. It is a separate gene from the Australian Dominant (Banded) Pied. When a budgerigar carries both a Clearflight Pied factor (SF or DF) and a visible Recessive Pied, the emergent Dark-Eyed Clear (DEC) phenotype appears, a pure yellow or white body with normal dark eyes (not red like Lutino/Albino). The calculator automatically detects this combination and labels offspring as Dark-Eyed Clear (SF) or Dark-Eyed Clear (DF) per the international judge specification.
Easley Clearbody is autosomal incompletely dominant. It originated in California in 1992 with American breeder Steve Easley. The body colour lightens to a clear yellow (green base) or near-white (blue base) while the head and wing markings retain their dark melanin pattern. The distinction from Texas Clearbody is the inheritance mode: Texas Clearbody is sex-linked recessive (different gene, on the Z chromosome), while Easley Clearbody is autosomal incompletely dominant (different gene, autosomal, with visible SF and DF forms). Both reduce body melanin while preserving wing pattern, but breeders should never confuse them, the pairing predictions are entirely different.
Clearwing, Greywing, and Dilute are alleles of the same dil locus (single gene with multiple alleles), not three independent genes. The calculator uses proper allelic series modelling per Wikipedia and breeder consensus: Clearwing is dominant over Dilute, so pairing a visual Clearwing × visual Dilute gives 100% Clearwing offspring (split for Dilute). Clearwing × Greywing produces the hetero-allelic "Fullbody Greywing" phenotype. A visual Dilute can never hide a Clearwing allele, they're on the same locus. Pairing two visual Dilutes always gives 100% visual Dilute offspring (zero Clearwing possible).
This is one of the most important differences between budgie and lovebird genetics. In budgerigars, the Ino gene sits on the Z sex chromosome, making it sex-linked recessive, so hens can be visual Ino but never split. In peach-faced lovebirds, the Ino gene sits on an autosome, making it autosomal recessive, so both sexes can be split. The visual result (full melanin removal, red eyes) is similar, but the inheritance pattern is fundamentally different. Calculators built for one species cannot be reliably used for the other. Read the full Ino, Lutino & Albino Genetics Guide →
The primary reference is A Guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots by Dr. Terry Martin (2002), the most comprehensive scientific reference on psittacine colour genetics, covering budgerigar mutations in depth with documented inheritance models. The calculator's engine maps every inheritance type (sex-linked recessive, autosomal recessive, autosomal incompletely dominant) to the models published in that reference, supplemented by peer-reviewed mutation records from the global psittacine genetics community. No guesswork, no community rumour.
How to Read Your Results
Each result shows a probability, not a guarantee. These are Mendelian inheritance percentages across a statistically large number of chicks. In any single clutch of 4–6 eggs, the actual outcome will vary.
If a result shows 25% Split Cinnamon, it means that on average, 1 in every 4 chicks from this pairing will carry the Cinnamon gene without showing it visually. In a single clutch of 4-6 eggs you might get 0, 1, or 2 split chicks, the 25% is a long-run average, not a per-clutch promise. Over many pairings and clutches, the ratio will converge toward 25%.
When a sex-linked mutation like Ino, Opaline, Cinnamon, or Slate is involved, the calculator splits results into a cock column and a hen column. This is because sex-linked recessive genes behave differently by sex, hens cannot be splits. Any percentage shown under the hen column for an SL mutation means those chicks will be visual, not split.
Visual means the chick shows the mutation in its feathers. Split means it carries one copy of a recessive gene but looks normal, it can pass the mutation to its own offspring. For incompletely dominant mutations like Dark Factor, Grey, Violet, Spangle, and Yellow Face, Single Factor (SF) and Double Factor (DF) look visually different, DF is typically more saturated or expressed than SF.
When both parents carry multiple mutations, the results show every possible combination. A result like "12.5% Cinnamon Cobalt / Opaline" means a chick that visually shows Cinnamon on a Cobalt base and also carries the Opaline gene hidden. These combined outcomes are calculated using independent assortment, each gene pair is calculated separately and then multiplied together for the final probability.
Methodology & Sources
The genetics engine in this calculator is based on the inheritance models documented in A Guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots by Dr. Terry Martin (2002), the standard scientific reference for psittacine colour genetics, with comprehensive coverage of budgerigar mutations. Every inheritance type (sex-linked recessive, autosomal recessive, autosomal incompletely dominant), every allele relationship, and every edge case in the calculator maps directly to documented genetic models. No guesswork, no community rumour, no unverified pairing claims.
The engine was built and cross-validated against real breeding outcomes by experienced budgerigar breeders:
Real-world validation against actual clutch outcomes caught edge cases that pure theory alone would have missed.
Deep-Dive Mutation Guides
Every guide explains inheritance type, pairing predictions, history, and worked examples. Built on the published research of Dr. Terry Martin (2002), Cyril H. Rogers, and Inte Onsman (MUTAVI). See all guides →
Sex-linked Recessive
Body colour extends onto wings · the auto-sex pairing trick.
Sex-linked Recessive
Full melanin removal · why budgie Ino ≠ lovebird Ino.
Autosomal Incomplete Dominant
Reverse wing markings · why DF Spangle looks like Lutino.
Autosomal Incomplete Dominant
Banded Pied vs Recessive Pied, the two pied gene systems explained.
Autosomal Incomplete Dominant
Sky → Cobalt → Mauve · the classic Mendelian ratio.
Rare Mutation Blog
Deep research articles on the newest and rarest budgie mutations. Brazilian Manto Negro, Dutch Blackface, Venezuelan Blackwing. Origins, genetics, breeding strategy, and pairing predictions. Read all blog articles →
🇧🇷 Brazil 2021 · Autosomal Dominant
Brazilian Black Mantle by Ley H. Silva Filho. Dominant inheritance, no splits, 2025 SOCO Cup Best in Show winner.
🇳🇱 Netherlands 1992 · Autosomal Recessive
Discovered by Mr. Van Dijk at a Dutch market in 1992. MUTAVI bf allele documentation, Double Black combinations.
🇻🇪 Venezuela 2002 · Autosomal Recessive
Venezuelan Blackwing by Edixon Laya, stabilized by Alejandro Álvarez, UK debut March 2019 by Don Dickson.
Scientific References
Every inheritance model in this calculator is grounded in peer-reviewed or definitively published research. Where multiple sources differ, the calculator follows the model most consistently supported across UK, Australian, and Belgian/Dutch research communities, the three traditions that produced most of the science of budgerigar mutation genetics.
A Guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots. ABK Publications, Tweed Heads NSW, Australia. ISBN 978-0-9577024-7-9. The standard global reference for psittacine colour genetics, 700+ photographs, 80+ species, with comprehensive coverage of every documented budgerigar mutation including standardised international nomenclature. The calculator's allele models, including the autosomal incompletely dominant series (Dark Factor, Grey, Violet, Yellow Face, Goldenface, Spangle, Dominant Pied, Clearflight Pied, Anthracite, Easley Clearbody), the sex-linked Ino-locus allelic series (Ino / Texas Clearbody), sex-linked Opaline / Cinnamon / Slate / Lacewing, the autosomal recessive series (Recessive Pied, Fallow, Black Face, Blackwing, Saddleback), and the dil-locus allelic series (Clearwing / Greywing / Dilute), map directly to Martin's published inheritance tables. [National Library of Australia ↗]
World of Budgerigars. Beech Publishing House, UK. Cage & Aviary Series, 5th Revised Edition, ISBN 978-1-85736-270-1. The definitive UK historical reference. Documents the discovery, naming conventions, and breeding history of UK-origin mutations, including Lacewing (R.J. Watts, 1948), Recessive Pied (Danish, 1932), Opaline (Australia, 1933), and exhibition-line type standards. Cited in academic discussions of budgerigar colour genetics worldwide. [Amazon UK ↗]
Dark-Eyed Clears (DEC) · Inte Onsman, MUTAVI Research & Advice Group. Establishes DEC as an emergent phenotype that appears when a bird carries both visible Recessive Pied and a Clearflight Pied factor (SF or DF). The calculator's automatic DEC detection, labelling offspring as Dark-Eyed Clear (SF) or Dark-Eyed Clear (DF), is implemented per international judge specification matching Onsman's published rules.
The Lacewing: An Enigma in Budgerigar Breeding · Inte Onsman, MUTAVI Research & Advice Group. Investigates Lacewing inheritance from the 1946 lutino strain origin onwards, including the 1976 unexpected event in offspring of a normal split-lacewing cock. Concludes Lacewing is the recombination product of Cinnamon and Ino on the Z chromosome rather than a separate gene, confirmed by 2007 follow-up work on sex-chromosome crossing-over in male budgerigars.
Wikipedia: Budgerigar Colour Genetics · Comprehensive, community-maintained reference documenting all primary budgerigar mutations, their allele symbols, inheritance types, and historical origins. Particularly authoritative on the dil-locus allelic series (Clearwing/Greywing/Dilute co-dominance) and the standardised inheritance type classifications (A-I-D, A-Co-D, S-L-R) used by international breeder communities.
Crossing-over in the Sex-chromosome of the Male Budgerigar · Inte Onsman, MUTAVI Research & Advice Group. The foundational paper establishing that the Cinnamon and Ino loci sit close enough on the Z chromosome that genetic crossing-over occurs at a measurable rate in male budgerigars, providing the molecular mechanism for Lacewing formation and informing modern sex-linked pairing predictions.
