How can you tell the difference between a dominant pied (single factor), clearflight pied and a rececessive pied budgie?
Here are some of the common differences between these 3 mutations with pictures to help you identify them. Look at the pied markings on the wing, chest and tail pied markings, the eye color, and the cere color in mature males for the best indications of which mutation your budgie is.
Single factor dominant pieds, cleardflight pieds and recessive pieds generally have two different colored eyes.
Single factor dominant pieds and clearflight pieds will have all black eyes with white iris rings. Recessive Pieds will have completely black eyes, with no iris ring present.
SF dominant pieds will typically have a complete or broken band of pied feathers across their belly. A clearflight pied on the other hand will have a mostly solid body color, with a small amount of spotchy pied markings on the upper chest/crop area. Recessive pieds often have the most pied markings on the chest/belly, with most of the body color being low on the belly between the legs.
SF dominant pieds usually have pied flight feathers and shoulders, which are more uniform in markings. Clearflight pieds will typically have pied flight feathers, although some will have more. Recessive pied markings tend to be more splotched in nature and more random. They can vary from almost no pied markings at all, to nearly completely pied wings. They will also have a grizzled grey look to the non-pied wing feathers.
SF Dominant pied, as well as clearflight pied males typically have a all blue cere. On occasion if the pied effects the cere it will be a mottled blue/pink, but this is not very common as it is with DF dominant pieds. Recessive pied males will keep a light pink/purple cere through out their whole life.