Difference between a chocolate self and black brown society?

[wilkifam]

Ivan Montes may have the names of some good florida breeders. If you would like to to ask him, I will.

[Icearstorm]

wilkifam

Thank you! That would be very helpful

[w.l.]

wilkifam

Please post some pics of your Selfs (Selves?) too!
Nice to see someone has both - we all too often read that this or that bird just doesn't seem to be available in the US, or only with great difficulty or for high prices.

[w.l.]

isobea

It's not easy to find quality pics of many munias, is it?
For some rarer species, it is hard to find any photos at all.
Random internet searches for certain species often turn up a bunch of irrelevant photos of other species.
Mind you, I think the illustrations in that book do justice to most species, especially the measured drawings are really life-like.
The http://orientalbirdimages.org and http://www.hbw.com/ibc sites tend to be good for reliably identified photos with locality.
For more common species, like the White-rumped Munia, there's an amazing selection of photos from different locations, illustrating various subspecies.

For all the different mutations and hybrids produced and established in captivity, I still think the diversity and beauty of wild species created by Mother Nature can't be beaten!
For example the laborously created black-brown society is a fine bird indeed, but to me the glossy black Black and White Mannikin is still much more beautiful - even if it comes with a devillish personality!
Not interested in that btw? Cheap and readily available in the US, for a change, but along with sharpii, I rate it as one of the two most beautiful Lonchura species.

FB_IMG_1443753127155-2.jpg

[w.l.]

Btw, having just searched the hbw site for images of B&W Mannikins, I noticed that they now put it, along with 3 other African mannikins, into the separate genus Spermestes instead of Lonchura - as has always been done by German authors, btw.
This now makes these mannikins (including Sharon's bronze-winged) even more distant from the munia/nun-related New Guinean "mannikins", and in my experience their aggressive behaviour alone would justify such a split!

[lovezebs]

w.l.

The Black and Whites, are stunning looking birds.
Once again, I had the opportunity to grab some of them, from the same breeder that had the Black Socies. Someone on the Forum here disuaded me, due to their questionable personalities.

[w.l.]

lovezebs

They are definitely not birds for a mixed aviary, and in a cage one shouldn't even keep more than one pair of the same species together, but if you could house a pair in a separate cage, their personality should not be an issue.
Their beauty alone easily justifies giving them a cage of their own, I think.
Surely, you don't keep all your birds mixed?

[isobea]

w.l. - First of all thank you for the links to the images (the ones you posted earlier). I am behind with everything today so just caught up on this threat. I agree with you that the drawings in the munia book are exceptional in their detail and accuracy. I still love to see photos of the different species, though. After Christmas, when things around here have settled down a bit (and we hopefully get some rainy days), I will make time to check out those links.
As gorgeous (and tempting) as those black and white ones are, they wouldn't fit in with the birds in my aviary - and I don't want to have birds in a cage inside the house.

lovezebs - You are so lucky to have pet stores nearby that actually sell interesting and some rarer birds. Around here all the small, independent pet stores (except one) went out of business years ago and we are left with Petco and Petsmart, both of which sell mostly hookbills, a few societies and zebras and an occasional canary. Without the people in our local bird clubs it would be very sad indeed.
Iso

[isobea]

I just checked Birds Express and they have black and whites for $35 a piece. Otherwise it's very slim pickings during the winter months. Fine with me because I wouldn't want to risk putting new birds outside right now even though our temps are relatively mild.
Iso

[w.l.]

Come on Iso, couldn't you put a flight cage in the house even for a pair of B&Ws?
Remember the imports may stop any time, and then these shiny black little devils may become almost unreachable, as has happened to the Asian munias.
For now however, I think the price is hard to complain about.

The Finchfarm has both B&Ws and Chestnut-breasts available.
Their "product description" of the B&W claims they are "friendly, talkative and social birds". Just the thing for your communal aviary, aren't they!
Mine however, chased weavers and sparrows twice their own size away from the food tray, and when I tried to keep 2 pairs together, the 1st eventually quietly killed the 2nd despite initially cozily bunking down in the same nest all together.
They also describe the possibly even more aggressive Bronze-winged Mannikins as "sweet little birds, adorable, active, vivicious".

[isobea]

w.l. - No, no, no, don't talk me into it. No cages in the house. I do realize the price is great and eventually I might regret this, but I really should work on simplifying my life, not making it more complicated. Eventually I/we would like to travel more. There are still parts of the US I haven't been to (others I would like to go back to), most countries in Europe are uncharted territory and so is your neck of the woods (do you have a guest room? Hint, hint, hint).
Iso

[Babs _Owner]

wilkifam

Ohhh boy would I ever! Only problem is I have to wait until my gouldians color up and I start selling a few of them to justify the shipping cost to Bill.

I want them NOW!! That picture is GORGEOUS!

You and I will be on the horn with each other in the spring!

Oh boy! oh boy!

[wilkifam]

wilkifam

Please post some pics of your Selfs (Selves?) too!
Nice to see someone has both - we all too often read that this or that bird just doesn't seem to be available in the US, or only with great difficulty or for high prices.

Here are a few

Ivan Montes always has birds available too, and Su Yin - Both in Washington. Both Ship.

I've complete phased out Pieds. Concentrating on Nice Society Finches.

[wilkifam]

a few more including some pearls

[wilkifam]

wilkifam

Ohhh boy would I ever! Only problem is I have to wait until my gouldians color up and I start selling a few of them to justify the shipping cost to Bill.

I want them NOW!! That picture is GORGEOUS!

You and I will be on the horn with each other in the spring!

Oh boy! oh boy!

Looking forward to it! Would LOVE to have some more folks concentrating on breeding nice Euros and Selfs.