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Scuba · #1

Budgie Time Line

1644 --

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman’s survey of New Holland’s [known as Australia after the 1830s] northern coast. Possible first

western sighting of Budgerigars.
1790s –

Following the American Revolution and the loss of Georgia as a penal colony, British convicts are deported to Australia

instead and the island continent is opened to British colonists. These first British settlers called Budgerigars “Canary
Birds.”
1794 --

Dr. George Kearsley Shaw (1751-1813), is the first to document the Budgerigar’s existence in his Zoology and Botany of

New Holland and the Isles Adjacent

. The small parrot is called the Australian Splendid Grass Parakeet, which he named

scientifically as

Psittacus undulates

1813 --

John Lewin (1770-1819). Lewin’s Birds of New Holland in 1808, was so popular that it was reissued under the title Birds

of New South Wales

in 1813, and again in 1822, greatly enlarged as A Natural History of the Birds of New South Wales,

Collected, Engraved and Faithfully Painted after Nature.

The books contained illustrations of Budgies.

1831 –

The first live specimen of the Australian Splendid Grass Parakeet (Shaw’s Psittacus undulates) to arrive in Europe was a

small green Parrot that was put on display at in the Linnean Society’s museum in London.
1838-40 --

Sir John Gould (1804-1881), a businessman, publisher, and obsessive bird collector along with his artist wife, Elizabeth

Coxen Gould (1804-1841) voyage to Australia in order to obtain specimens for Gould’s series titled

Birds of Australia

published between 1840-48. Gould reclassifies the Splendid Grass Parakeet, which Dr. Shaw called the

Psittacus

undulates

the Melopsittacus undulatus.

1840 –

Gould brings back to England two live Budgerigars, which become extremely popular and start a booming business in the

capturing and importing of Budgies.
1855 --

The Countess von Schwerin in Berlin, Germany was the first to succeed in the captive breeding of a pair of

Wellensittichzucht [Budgerigars].
1864 –

A Dr. Rey credited by some sources as having developed the first yellow Dilute in Europe.

1870s –

The larger English hybrid Budgerigar was developed in the 1870s, when selective breeding more than doubled the size of

the captive birds.
1870s

– The first of the captive-bred color mutation was developed in England with the Green Suffused (Green Dilute).

1870s

-- Grey-Wing Greens, exist in Germany and Belgium as early as the 1870s, and were known as Apple Greens. However,

they do not appear to have been promulgated until bred purposely in the early 1920s, in England where from 1920 until
1925, they were referred to by a series of names: Apple Budgerigars, May Budgerigars, and Jade Budgerigars.
1872 --

By accident more than plan the Light Yellow mutation appeared from the mating of a pair of Green Budgerigars around

1872, by Mr. J. Boone in Brussels, Belgium.
c. 1875 --

What may have been the earliest red-eyed Lutinos were recorded in Germany and referred to as Kaiserlische Geld

Wellensittichzucht

(Imperial Gold Budgerigar), but in all reported cases the color was lost by 1890, because of a lack of

accurate knowledge regarding propagation.
1875 --

Herr Stechmann of Kassel, Germany produced the first Yellow Budgie.

1877 --

In Germany the first Budgerigar was taught to mimic human speech.

1878

-- The first Sky Blue Budgerigar was reported in Brussels, Belgium.

1879

-- Mr. Kessel of Ukkel, Belgium is recorded as having a red eye Lutino-like chick from Normal Green parents, but is unable

to reproduce the mutation color was lost by 1885, because of a lack of accurate knowledge regarding propagation.
1880

-- Count von Roedern publically exhibited the first Kaiserlische Geld Wellensittichzucht (Imperial Gold Budgerigar) at the

Ornis Show in Berlin, which cause quite a stir in fancier circles.
1881

-- Some sources credit Mr. M. Limbosch of Belgium with the development of the Sky-Blue.

1884 –

Records show that Joseph Abrahams was the first to breed Yellow Budgerigars in England from stock imported from

Belgium.
c. 1900 –

C.H.A. Lienau of South Australia introduced Yellow Budgerigars to collectors in Australia.

1910 --

Blue Budgies reported in Le Mans, France. Later that same year Mr. Pauwels of Belgium exhibits the first Blue Budgie

seen in England at the London Cage Bird Association Show.
1915

– Mr. Blanchard in Toulouse, France documented the observation of the first Dark Green Budgerigar in France during the

summer of 1915. Their existence was initially questioned, but quickly confirmed in 1916.
1915

-- Dark Blue Budgies called “Laurels” were first reported in France.

1916 –

Olive Green Budgies developed from Dark Green Budgerigars appeared in France within a year after the first Dark Green

Budgerigar. The existence of the Olive Green Budgies was initially questioned, but quickly confirmed. J.D. Hamlyn,
imported Olive Greens to England from France in 1918, and C.H.A. Lienau of South Australia imported them from
England in the same year. Lienau is credited with being the first to breed Olive Greens in Australia and did much to fix the
color mutation.
1919 -

- First Cobalt (Dark Blue) Budgies reported in Europe, but not confirmed.

1920s --

Scottish Fallow developed. Mr. Jim H. Moffat, Sr. of Ardrossan, Ayrshire obtained red eye without the iris ring and with

pale colorings from Scottish fancier, Mr. Coghill of Nairn and was able to successfully breed them. After Moffat’s death,
the mutation was thought lost. However, in 1986, Mr. Whiteside of Scotland bred a pair of Normal Green appearing
Budgies from Moffat’s old blood line and got Fallow cock chicks. In recent years, Whiteside has sold some of his stock to
Moffit’s son, Mr. Jim H. Moffat, Jr., who has bred these Budgies with some of the descendants of his father’s old stock and
been able to reproduce the rare Scottish Fallow bring it back from extinction.
1920

-- The first Whites Budgerigars, which were not true albinos, occurred in breeding stocks simultaneously in England and

France. Mr. H.D. Astley of the United Kingdom is generally given credit for development of the White Budgie over an
unknown French fancier, because he better documented his breeding of the variety. In American, they are initially called
Peace or Snow Parakeets.
1920 --

The first Crested Budgies were reported in Sydney, Australia. However, little note of this mutation was at the time and the

variety’s survival is owed to Canary and Finch breeder, A. Mathews of New South Wales, Australia rather than its Budgie
fanciers.
1921 --

The Mauve colored Budgie first reported in Toulouse, France the aviary of Mr. Blanchard.

1921 -

- First Blue Budgies successfully bred in Germany.

1923

– G. Hedges, who managed the collection of the famous Mme. Lecallier cross-bred a Sky Blue Budgerigar with an Olive

Green Budgerigar in 1923, resulting in the first Deep Cobalt Blue Budgies.
1924

-- By breeding two Cobalt Budgerigars in hopes of strengthen the deep blue cobalt color mutation the Mauve color mutation

was first documented. In 1925, Mr. C. Balser of France sends Mauves to Germany, where fancier enhance and fix the
variety to the point where later fanciers think of Mauves as a German development.
1925 --

Herr Stefani & Son, breed the first White Budgies (nonAlbino) in Germany.

1925 –

The first official club for English Budgerigar fanciers – the Budgerigar Club was formed in London, England.

1927 --

Some experts cite a Frau Weiss of Graz, Austria for recognizing the Grey-Wing as a new variety in 1927.

1928 –

The first Sky Blue Grey-Wing, which was called a “Pearl Budgerigar” was exhibited, by G. Hedges, who was instrumental

in the development of Cobalts.
1928 -

- The first Violet reported at Mertes, Germany.

1929 -

- First Falban (Fallow) -- a red-eyed Budgerigar cock with pale colorization and normal-like markings was recorded in the

aviary of Herr Augustin of Biel, Switzerland resulting from the pairing of an Olive Budgie with a Green Grey-Wing
Budgie. Unfortunately the mutation was lost when the bird died in 1930.
1930

– The first Fallow Budgie documented as having occurred in the aviaries in Australia.

1930

-- Mr. Harold Piers of Sydney, Australia develops the first Yellow-Wing.

1930 --

Britain’s King George V, ensured that Parakeets would be known among fanciers as Budgerigars, when he agreed to

become the patron of a club for Budgerigar fanciers and requested the name be changed to the Budgerigar Society (BS).
1930 --

Mr. O’Brien of Newtown Sydney, Australia is credited for the Australian Fallow mutation, because it was first documented

in early 1930, in his aviary.
1930

-- The first Pied Budgerigar is produced in England.

1931 –

Mrs. A.R. Hood of California bred two pairs of Green Budgies that resulted in chicks that had deep red eyes and were pale

yellowish-green, with cinnamon wing and tail markings. However, the Fallow mutation was lost by 1935.
1931 --

Mr. Porter in Cocidate, England produces the first Cimmamon.

1931

– The first Cobalt Grey-Wing Budgie and the first Mauve Grey-Wing Budgie produced by G. Hedges.

1931 --

Another lost Fallow mutation occurred in England, where a plum colored-eyed mutation, descriptions of this unique bird

looking similar to the Fallow mutations but with far darker than the Cinnamon color markings have led to speculation that
it may have actually been an extremely rare Brown-Wing mutation. Again the mutation was lost before it could be fixed.
c. 1931 --

The Cinnamon-Wing mutation was produced in England, Australia, and Germany almost simultaneously.

1932 –

German breeder Herr Schumann of Magdeburg developed the “Falben” (Fallow) described having red eyes, a paler body

color compared to then other Budgies, with brown throat spots and wing markings. A short time later, a second German
breeder, Herr C. Balser, obtain some of Schumann’s

Falben Budgies and between the two of them they managed to

increase the numbers of the

Falbens and from their stocks descend the majority of modern Fallow Budgies in Europe

today. Recently this mutation has been reclassified as a Bronze Fallow
c. 1932 –

The first true Albino evolved in the early 1930s in England, from Blue series Budgies around the same time in Germany

Herr Fischer produces a sex-linked Albino and Herr Böhm a recessive Albino.
c. 1932

-- The first Danish Pied produced when Mr. C. Enehjelm first bred recessive Pieds in Denmark. He along with two others

Mssers Riis-Hanssen and Reddersen exhibit these in Copenhagen that same year.
1932-36

– The modern deep bright yellow Lutino Budgie, appeared in a breeders’ flocks in England, continental Europe, and

Australia almost simultaneously. The Lutino is an albino mutation from Green series Budgies. Although the Lutinos are
recognized as being a sex-linked mutation, there existed certain lines of recessive Lutinos up and until the late 1960s.
1932

-- The first dominant Australian Pied developed in Australia.

c. 1933

– The famed breeder, Burton of Sydney, Australia is credited as having the first Violet Budgie bred in Australia, but it was

not confirmed until 1934 and documented as a mutation until 1936, by Mr. Harold Piper.
1933 --

Australian Cinnamon-Wing Budgies were produced for the first time in South Africa. Australian fancier, S.E. Terrill spent

several years working with the Australian Cinnamon-Wings to fix the mutation.
1933 –

The first Clear-Wing Budgies are produced in Australia.

c. 1934

-- The first Yellow Grey-Wing Budgie developed in Australia.

1934

-- First Opaline Budgie was discovered in captive wild Australia budgies in Adelaide purchased by S.E. Terrill. He was able

to successful bred the mutation from which all Opaline mutations in Australia descend.
1934

-- The first Grey Budgie discovered in Australia. Mrs. S. Harrison of Murrumbeena in Victoria, Australia purchased from a

dealer a Grey Budgerigar of unknown origin, being the first person to recognize the Grey as a mutation. Mrs. Harrison
established the variety and after a few breedings and had birds of several shades of dominant grey. Soon afterwards Mr.
E.A. Brooks of Mitcham, Surrey, England bred the a recessive grey English Budgies to followed by Herr Karl Feyh of
Chemintz, Saxony, Germany. It is unfortunate that the recessive English Grey and Feyh’s German Grey lines did not
survive the turbulent years of the Second World War
c. 1935

– The Welsh Budgerigar Society founded.

1935

-- Budgerigar Society of New Zealand founded.

1935

– The first Australian Pied exhibited.

1935 –

First Yellow-Face Blue evolved in Denmark and then in England in 1937.

1935 -

- T.S. Bowman of Carlisle, England bred a Grey colored hen with a bluish tinge, which he called Slate after the color of

Welsh roofing slates commonly used in the United Kingdom that came from a Cobalt cock and a Sky Blue hen.
1936 -

- The Budgerigar Society of South Africa Founded.

1937 --

Yet, another Fallow-type mutation evolved in 1937, in England, in the aviary of a Mr. F. Dervan of Luton, Bedfordshire,

which had a brighter red eye without light iris ring of the German variety.
1938 --

The Budgerigar and Foreign Bird Society was founded in Canada.

1938 -

- Just prior to the Second World War Australian Crested Budgies were introduced to the United Kingdom (U.K.) by Mrs. R.

Brown of Morecambe, Lancashire, England and into continental Europe by other breeders, where they did cause much
interest.
1939 –

A second strain of Crested Budgie reported in continental, but the devastation of the Second World War keep its numbers

relatively small. There is some doubt about its origin and it may in fact have been descended from Australia birds that had
been brought to Britain.
Between 1939-45

– During World War II, organized Budgerigar clubs and societies in Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Netherlands,

Belgium, France, Denmark, Greece in Europe and Singapore, Malaysia, The Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines in Asia
outlawed by occupying Axis forces
Early 1940s –

A third Crested Budgerigar strain, the American strain, evolved in Mexico and smuggled across the border into the

U.S. where the mutation was quickly fixed and bred successfully.
Between 1940-45

-- Light Green Dutch Pieds developed in German occupied Netherlands during World War II.

Between 1940-45

– Clear-Flighted Dutch Pieds developed in German occupied Belgium during World War II.

1941 --

The American Budgerigar Society founded.

1945 --

Mr. Reamakers of Brussels, Belgium breeds the first dominant Pieds.

1946-47

– The Great Scarlet Red Budgie hoax – red dyed Budgies imported to England, South Africa and Australia from India.

1947 --

The first dark-eyed White and Yellow Budgies appear in the Low Countries and Denmark.

1948

-- Following World War II, Nederlandse Grasparkieten Club [Dutch Budgerigar Club] re-established.

1948

-- The American Strain of Crested Budgie introduced to Canada and soon afterwards England and the rest of Europe.

1948

– Lace-Wing Budgie mutation was first reported in England, but not documented until 1953.

1948

– Type 1 Rainbow Budgies first developed in England.

1950 --

The Easley Clearbody produced by Mr. C.F. Easley, in Rialto, California

1952

– Following World War II, d'Ondulées Belge - Belgischer Wellensittich Verein [Belgian Budgerigar Society] re-established.

1952

-- The Great Western Budgerigar Society founded.