Pink Billed Owl Finch?

[PacificaFinches]

Happy Friday, everyone!

I have a question for those of you who are experienced with Owl Finches and their genetic variation. My finches are the white-rumped variety.

I was documenting and re-caging some of my 2012 Owl Finches today and I noticed something that I didn't notice before. A couple of my Owls have either a full pink beak or part of their beak is pink. I am not an Owl Finch genetic expert, but I have had them in the past and spent a lot of time today looking at pictures online. I can't find any mention or picture of Owls with pink bills. In my experience, they have dark beaks as chicks/juveniles and silver/gray beaks as adults. I do have fawn Owls and some are split to fawn, but even those ones all have silver beaks. Any thoughts on why a couple of my finches might have pink bills?

It was hard to snap a picture with my phone, but I have attached some that might indicate what I'm talking about.

Thanks!

R.J.

[birdclaws]

We had an owl like this as well... over the course of a few months it started changing back to the normal bluish grey.

[cindy]

just out of curiousity....what were the parents given as food to feed the young? what is their diet now?

[GB1]

That is cool! I think they are all very pretty.

[PacificaFinches]

Thanks for all the replies. I suspect it will change back, seeing as the others with pink in their beaks have areas of pink and areas of silver/gray, meaning it is not "all or nothing."

To answer your questions: They receive a seed diet and protein-type soft foods such as Miracle Meal and/or Quiko egg foods (sometimes hard-boiled eggs, instead). Seed makes up the bulk of the diet, plus occasional fruits or veggies.

What is interesting is that the Owls have all had the same diet, but it is just one family bloodline that has the pink or pinkish beaks. I will keep watching the one with the completely pink beak to see if it changes back. Otherwise, perhaps I will try breeding for that beak coloration.

Two more close-up pictures are attached.

Cheers,

R.J.

[Sally]

Quite unusual! My fawn Owls had lighter beaks, but never anything so pink as this. It will be interesting to see if it maintains that pink color, and if so, if it passes it on in breeding.

[Mae]

It is defiantly cute!

[bugaboo5]

What a pretty bird! Love the pink beak.

[Finnie]

That is interesting. Is there anything else different about the ones with pink beaks?

If you selectively breed for this trait, I would be interested to see if anything else comes along with it. For instance, when they selectively bred foxes for tameness, their ears became dropped instead of pricked.

Also, if you want to breed for this trait, I was recently reading in a parrot genetics book that when most people have something new they want to figure out, their first impulse is to inbreed to cement the new trait. The author says that is a mistake, and that the first generation should be an outcross, and then go back and inbreed or linebreed for the second generation.

Just thought I'd throw that in, in case it helps. It seemed pertinent to your case.

[cindy]

There are pink beaked shaft tails, I have them in my stock, they showed up in the last clutch the parents had. The beak did remain pink.

[lawnsofdawns]

Very pretty! As Brian mentioned, we had an owl with a pink beak. It faded back to silver/blue eventually. Here's the thread about it with pictures:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18793

[PacificaFinches]

I have never bred for a new trait like that so I probably won't now.

I should have looked on the forum for the previous thread on the topic. I appreciate the link.

My Owl stock also comes from Rich's Finches in California, so maybe it's something in some of those bloodlines. Plus, some of these birds are fawn or split, so that may also factor in. I'll have to see if the beak turns as it gets older (it isn't a year old yet).

I don't think I'll specifically try to breed for that trait, but it was an interesting find.

Thanks, all!