FAWN PIED DIAMOND SPARROW - FIRST SIGHTING AND FIRST PHOTO

[Sally]

Congrats, wildbill! It's always so rewarding to finally get results after working so hard and so long. Stunning birds!

[lovemyfinch]

Congratulations on such a magnificent accomplishement

[DanteD716]

these are the grandparents on the fathers side

[ http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac278/wildbill2010/P1000776.jpg ]

That fawn hen is one of the most beautiful birds I have seen!! I think I can say, fawn firetails are the only mutations prettier than the wild type

[wildbill]

pied hen to above young




father to the above mutations




few fawns






danted716
this shot especially for you. young diamond produced from a fawn and cinnamon diamond sparrow mating

[wildbill]

if you think they look a bit cold - your right its almost lunch time and its only 3 degrees and windy.

[Sally]

3C is pretty darn cold. We had a high of 90F or 32C today, and we think that is cool for August in Texas! Do your birds stay in an enclosed part of the aviary? Do you provide any heat, or are they just very tolerant of the cold? Those birds are so gorgeous!

[wildbill]

hi sally
how are you. no heat but the aviaries are fully enclosed. even though it's 3 outside it's probable 5 or 6 degrees inside. most important no drafts.
best about diamonds by 5pm they are either in the nest with their young or in their sleeper nest, which is very untidy and about the size of a football, constructed with a couple of thousand bits of long to short med/course grass and lined with emu feathers.
just took this photo of a breeder nest. hen has young so was out feeding. you can look but don't touch

[Sally]

Oh my, they really make a messy, unconstructed nest, don't they? So different from the tight round nests my Cordon Bleus make. You have more than one pair breeding right now, then? Is that normal for them to go to nest in the middle of winter?

[wildbill]

yes with diamonds you need plenty of nesting material at all times. they seem to regulate their breeding season and avoid the very hot months of summer.
several pair are nesting and there's probably 30 birds either too young or resting after a double clutch.
diamond sparrows are within a 20 mile radius from where i live in oz - so they are classed as local
.

[wildbill]

one month later and the fawn/pied is into the moult





normal pied nest mates

[debbie276]

very pretty

[cindy]

Adorable little thing!

[wilkifam]

Stunning birds!

[Martie]

Beautiful!

[lovemyfinch]

Wonderful accomplishment and beautiful birds