Exhibition Budgerigars - Clearwings

Brian Byles

Clearwings, like Greywings, have suffered as a result of the appearance of Cinnamons, or rather the devastating way Yellow-wings and Whitewings have been mixed with these Dilutes by people who did not understand what they were doing or should have known better.

See top Clearwings bred in Australia, where generally, they have been kept clear of Cinnamons and Greywings, and it is easy to see why so-called Clearwings in the northern hemisphere look entirely different. Clearwings Down Under may not have the size of their European counterparts, but colour and contrast is far superior.

So what is the best way of breeding good-quality exhibition Clearwings? First and foremost, the exhibition breeder needs stock which is free of Cinnamon and Greywing characteristics. Assuming this is possible, the way ahead is to select pairs which show good wing colournbsp;- wings which are yellow or white and free from markings. Body colour should be about the same as good Normals. Any dilution of colour will be penalized by judges.

The most straightforward way of breeding Clearwings is to keep matings within the variety either Whitewing cock × Yellow-wing hen or vice versa. Mating Yellow-wing Greens to Whitewing Blues will provide a balance, assuming of course, that other visual features are all that they should be. As with Normals, the visual qualities of Clearwings must be there - over and above those peculiar to the variety - if success is to be achieved.

All Clearwings must have good size, large heads, good deportment and balance, like any other colour or variety. The gamut of matings available to the specialist breeder is as wide as those which others can use. Yellow-wing Light Green × Yellow-wing Light Green finds favour with a lot of breeders. Bring in the dark factor, for example Yellow-wing Dark Green or Yellow-wing Olive, and the results can be that more interesting and provide a wider variety of colours that can be shown, bearing in mind that the colour expectations which are applicable to Normals apply in the same way to Clearwings.

To make that perfectly clear, two light factor birds - Normal or Clearwing, mated together result in all light factor birds. Pair light factor to single dark factor and the result will be 50% of each. However, when two single dark factor birds are paired together, the theoretical result is 25% light factor, 50% single dark factor and 25% double dark factor. Mating single dark factor to double dark factor results in 50% of each, the actual results depending upon whether or not the matings involve Yellow-wing Light Green × Yellow-wing Dark Green, Yellow-wing Dark Green × Whitewing Skyblue or Whitewing Cobalt × Whitewing Skyblue.

Because colour is so important in Clearwings, there are champion breeders who refrain from using Yellow-wing Greys and Yellow-wing Grey Greens in their stud because colour can be deadened as a result. Others believe that these colours, because of their usual superior size and type, have a role to play.

In the past, Grey Yellows and Grey Whites, which came from outstanding Normals, like those bred by Harry Bryan and Alf Ormerod, were much sought-after. But, while they had excellent size, their use often also resulted in a deadening of colour that resulted in offspring having to be paired back to the best-coloured Clearwings. Anyone who is undecided on these tactics should try test matings and come to their own conclusions.

Most Clearwing breeders use good quality Whites and Yellows to maintain size in their birds. Welshmen, Edgar Jenkins and Basil Joslyn, both unfortunately no longer with us, recommended their use and had many successes as a result. These recessive colours are particularly useful when they have come from top-quality studs of Normal, as they do from time to time. Indeed, many leading Clearwing breeders keep their eyes open for Yellows and Whites bred in this way because they know that their size, head qualities and general appearance can do much to help them produce winners.

However, use Whites and Yellows too much and it can result in Clearwings displaying a loss of body colour and cheek patches that are pale in colour, instead of the depth of their Normal counterparts. Some Clearwings are so poor in colour that they cause comment and, worse, confusion among judges and exhibitors alike.

One final point, where it is intended to exhibit Cinnamon Clearwings, they should be entered in the AOC classes at Budgerigar Society patronage shows.

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