The White - A Challenge

Colin Putt

Identification errors are often made between, the Normal White of both light and dark suffusion, (or Dilute as it is sometimes called) the Greywing and the Whitewing. With the exception of the Whitewing there are few of these varieties seen at shows and so many newcomers and even experienced fanciers have little opportunity to compare live specimens to the written word. However, I will further clarify some of the distinguishing features of these three recessive mutations to assist in identification.

A White stranger in the nestbox!

The Normal White appears in nests far more unexpectedly than the other two varieties, due largely to their popularity in the past and the fact many present day Greens and Blues carry this dilute as a recessive character. When a Blue is paired to a Normal White of either light of dark suffusion, all the young will be carrying the White character. It is only when two birds which are both masking this factor are paired together do we see the mutation visually.

This recessive characteristic can be passed down through many generations, because a pure Blue paired to a Blue/White will give 50% of each, but all the birds will look alike. We cannot distinguish a "split" bird, so tests over several nests is necessary. On the positive side, the unexpected does make the hobby more interesting. Good record keeping is a must, but so often a bird is bought without a pedigree so the unknown is brought into play.

Having referred to the White of light and dark suffusion I must point out the differences. The former shows only a pale blue, violet, cobalt, or mauve body colour. The dark suffused bird shows its body colour clearly and often gets mistaken for a Greywing or a Clearwing. In addition the body colour can also be light or dark grey, a colour I particularly like.

Comparing White to Whitewing

Although Normal Whites of dark suffusion and Whitewings may show similar wing markings, they differ in their depth of body colour. The Whitewings have a deep, rich coloured body which is invariably almost full depth on the rump and rail with the cheek patches as deeply coloured as Normals. Whites of dark suffusion can also have bright cheek patches and tail but not of the intensity of Whitewings.

A useful guide also is that the Normal Whites of dark suffusion show narrow wing barrings whereas the Whitewings show considerably wider barrings. Obviously, an Ideal Whitewing should have a pure wing but we seldom see a bird even approaching the Ideal in the UK.

Visual Greywing wing markings

As seen from the previous comments, most Whitewings carry quite wide visual greyish wing markings. and are often mistaken for Greywings. Examples of this can be seen at the Specialist & Rare Varieties Shows in the UK. However, the breeder can distinguish between the two kinds if the body colour, even if not of ideal depth, is always richer in colour than the Greywing, which is of a softer, less intense colour. Greywing cheek patches are approximately half the depth of the Whitewing. The tail feathers of Greywings can be deep in colour but not the rich tone of the Whitewing

A further complication is the existence of two shades of Greywing. those with dove grey wing colours and those approaching black/grey. The lighter variety can be mistaken for Whitewings but if the points mentioned previously are considered, the problem of identification should be resolved.

Recessive

Whitewings and Greywings can appear from two Normal looking parents which indicates one parent IS carrying Greywing or Whitewing and the other the same or the White character. Many Whitewings and a Greywings carry White, as white is as White is recessive to both. When mated to Normals they can produce both Normal/Greywing and Normal/White with no visual difference. This can lead to surprises for breeders when a rich coloured bird with grey wings appears. Such a bird is the combination of Whitewing and Greywing and IS known as a Full Bodied Greywing. I must stress that no bird can be split for Greywing and Whitewing. Greywing and White, or Whitewing and White at the same time.

The White of light suffusion is seldom seen these days and as a result of the problems raised at shows and by breeders over the identification of these Whites, the late Cyril Rogers gave the following description which should prove very helpful. "The suffusion should be of the palest tone of Sky, Cobalt, Violet, Mauve or Grey. The Cinnamon, Dark-Eyed Clear and Opaline forms are excluded from the White of Light Suffusion classes."

Colour Standard for White of light suffusion

Mask:: Pure white as free from even faint grey throat spots as possible.
Eyes:: Normal black.
General Body Colour:: Lower back, rump, breast, flank and underparts very faintly suffused with one of the blue series shades with silvery-white being the ideal.
Back of head, neck, mantle, wings and tail:: Showing faint undulations with complete absence being the ideal.

This description will clarify the colour recognition of the White of light suffusion. thereby avoiding problems of wrong classing that some fanciers have experienced.

The Normal White being recessive to every other variety makes it a difficult challenge for a specialist but very worth while. The Specialist and Rare Variety Show has classes for Whites as do many of the other burgeoning specialist shows now appearing around the country, Weston-super-Mare, Bury and Warrington being just three. Such shows are well worth visiting, just to see what the lesser varieties look like. Once seen, Whites may be just the challenge you want within the hobby.

Other pages in this section:

The White - A Challenge
Some Thoughts on the Buttercup Yellow

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