FINCHforum

Okay, so this is my friend Lori's bird and I told her I'd get some opinions on it. When I saw it, the breast looked light blue. She said when she holds him and runs her fingers through the breast feathers, some are blue, some are white. The feathers on the breast are mixed blue and white to make it appear light blue. Also, very strange head coloring. Behind the black ring is very dark and almost looks like another ring. You'd have to see this bird to appreciate it. It's beautiful and unusual. Here are some pics, although they do not capture what you can best see with the naked eye.

Another pic with his mate. Compare breast shades...

sorry i have no idea but he is amazing

Im looking at the pictures on my cell phone so they're not that large but it looks like it could be melanistic.

debbie276 wrote:Im looking at the pictures on my cell phone so they're not that large but it looks like it could be melanistic.

That was something I had suggested as well. Would that mean that it would molt into a white breast after awhile?

he is beautiful!! have they breed yet?

That was something I had suggested as well. Would that mean that it would molt into a white breast after awhile?

If he is melanistic he would most likely molt out white breasted.

summert85 wrote:he is beautiful!! have they breed yet?

No, he has not been bred. My friend said that the females she has tried pairing him with do not seem to like him

I believe Candace has/had a similar bird with the blue in his breast. Perhaps she will see this post and have some insight.

This bird looks like a few things going on...
The melanistic coloring (black) around the head...
http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm03.htm
the dirty white breast of the breast.. Also called blue bar by some lacks any black/mealanistic modifications anywhere on the body. This only affects the breast area,without any black.
http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm27.htm
It is hard to tell sometimes what is going on. Most times the bird will regain the normal colors once diet and sunlight are improved. The main cause of melanistic coloring.
Sometimes the melanistic colors are in the first set of feathers and once the bird molts the next year, the color return to normal.
Sometimes however, even with great diet and plenty of natural sunlight and with subsequent molts the bird retains the blue coloring. This may be the start of a new mutation and not simply a modification due to enviromental conditions..... only time will tell
Very interesting oddball, though I would recommend ensuring this bird gets a varied diet, including complete minerals and some sunshine

My friend provides a great diet for all of her birds. Each cage has it's own lighting. Not sure if it is full spectrum. The bird was obtained from another breeder and was still in juvie feathers when she got it. That link on the breast color looks spot on to her bird, except hers was more evenly blended and a hint darker. I hate that they call it a "Bad white breast". I find it rather lovely, though not the norm.

I too love the blue breast...also hate the term dirty white breast
I glad your friend had put the bird on a good diet, though the results of it won't be evident until next molt. Melanistic is suspected mostly to come from bad lighting... at least that is what I have been able to find in print from my research. I hope hers retains some of the blue...mine did
Post with last years and this years pictures after the molt. This bird had plenty of access to the Florida sunshine
http://finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12559&start=0

How old is this bird and how many times has it molted?

Nice color!

khoderic wrote:How old is this bird and how many times has it molted?

Nice color!

It is under a year old I believe. It's current feathers are from it's first molt. I guess we shall see when it has molt #2.