Recessive Pied is an autosomal recessive gene. This mutation breaks melanin patterns by removing melanocytes throughout the plumage, where there is an absence of melanin the pied is present.
The recessive pied for Cockatiels is adm short for (Anti-Dimorphic) this means that there are no clear differences between males and females. When there is a clear distinction between male and female it is referred to as normal dimorphism.
This mutation was established in the United States of America between the 1940’s and 1950’s and is the most widely known and oldest mutation in this species.
There are multiple genes involved when a pied pattern is produced, some of these genes produce significant changes where some produce minimal changes.
Birds with very few markings are known as heavy pied and a pied bird with dark eyes that has no visual markings is known as a clear pied or “bull’s eye”. A pied with a symmetric horse shoe print on the shoulders is known as a “saddleback’’.
It is considered undesirable to pair Recessive Pied to Lutino, Dominant Silver, Olive and Emerald as these mutations heavily reduce/remove melanin and the contrast between pied markings and melanin pigments would not be obvious.