FINCHforum

I have noticed on my juvie red lines that the fusion bar is one of the first things to color up.

Not hard to see the line at all is it.
nice pictures!

Looks like that is going to be a bold fusion line! Great pics.

Stupid question but what is the "fusion line"? I am guessing that it is the sternum on the chest of these birds. If so all four of my male yellow backs started with purple in that area so that would agree with your finding. The other area that seems to be coming in first is the yellow on each side of the abdomen.
Lori

lstyles wrote:Stupid question but what is the "fusion line"? I am guessing that it is the sternum on the chest of these birds. If so all four of my male yellow backs started with purple in that area so that would agree with your finding. The other area that seems to be coming in first is the yellow on each side of the abdomen.
Lori

The fusion line is a mutation in some birds where it appears that there is a red line merging the purple breast to the yellow underbelly. If I remember correctly if you actually hold the bird and blow on the feathers of it there are no red feathers but something (I forget) makes it appear red.

Ok so I was wrong...it is the horizontal junction between breast and belly. Now I get it. Thanks for clearing that up.
Lori

The fusion line is a red line that seperates the purple chest from the yellow belly. This trait is seen in the wild gouldians to different degrees but in the captive bred birds it has all but disappeared. There are some breeders working with trying to get it more prominent and I think this fellow will have a really nice, wide bar
Here is another , a dilute that I bred raised and bred this year. His chicks are not coloring up yet but I am hoping he passes the trait on.




You can see the red line better when you lift the feathers. The feather that creates this line is actually 3 colors on the same feather, purple, red and yellow

Leave it to Candace to clear everything up! Thanks! I currently have a RH/LB/GB with a fusion bar, I'm hoping to breed him soon and can't wait to see his offspring.

Hey, I'm learning all this as I go along..... this one just popped up in one of my lines last year. That's when I learned about red lines... now I watch and try and breed for it. But thanks for the vote of confidence
I bet a lilac breast with the fusion line is awesome looking. I've seen the purple breast and white breast with it but never the lilac. Cool

Here I got a few quick pics of him just now. I have two LB males and he is the lighter of the two. He almost looks like a dirty white breast but he has gone through 2 molts and still has the purple. His fusion bar is not as bold as others but I sure see it.


Here you can see a WB, him, and a PB for contrast. Can you pick "him" out?


Here is a solo shot of him.

I think he has a georgeous fusion bar.

I really like that red fusion bar! I am going to have to look for that in birds in the future.
Lori

He is Gorgeous JR! I want one Thanks for posting the picture, It really shows up on that breast as it does in the white breast ones.
Hopefully he will pass it on to some of his chicks