Zebra Finch Color Mutation? I Cannot Figure Out What She Is.

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 9:17 am

Alright, so I bought, what I thought was, a white zebra finch about a month back. When I brought her home and let her into her new cage, I realized wasn't white at all. She is a silver color, but alomst looks cream. And she has a beautiful creamish/light brown belly. Her tail bars are a very diluted grey/silver white the popping cream color. And she has very diluted tear mark, and what seems to look like VERY diluted cheek patches. She has an orange beak, and doesn't sing. She looks alot like this bird:

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/img-species/1z-si.jpg

But she looks healthier than the one above. I'll try getting a good picture of her, she jumps into her nest box and burries herself in the nesting material everytime I try! So, any help is greatly appreciated. I've asked people who own finches, finch and canary breeders, nobody seems to know what she is. Also, what should I breed her with to get more of her color variation, or new colors? Thanks again, sorry it was so long.

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:38 am

She may be a Florida silver or a n Isabel....it is hard to say without a picture. I will post a few of mine in a bit to compare. My Florida. Fancy and. Fawn Isabel produced 4 silvers, some without and some with faint washed out tears.

nelloyello11 · Post by **nelloyello11** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:44 am

She might be a single factor florida fancy.
Check out this page:
http://www.efinch.com/species/ffzeb.htm
Scroll about half-way down the page and there is a picture of a male single factor. There is a range of color, so even if yours is lighter than this one, it may be what you have. One of my pairs gave me two of these hens, one a bit lighter than the other.

Does she have tear marks?

Actually, my avatar is my two sf/FF girls.

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:51 pm

If you can get a picture of her during a calm part of the day like at feeding time we can help you a little better, I amlost want to say she sounds like both mine and Nelissa's girls.

Vargur · Post by **Vargur** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:07 pm

here is one of my fawn Isabel females

Isabella by Elma_Ben, on Flickr

one of my grey or fawn cheek fawn isabels (bird to the left)

isabel female and CFW/CCFW male by Elma_Ben, on Flickr

Agata by Elma_Ben, on Flickr
My gray pied isabel female

maybe your bird is like one of my females birds?

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:11 pm

Yes! She looks absolutely identical to the first bird shown! And has the tail bars of the last bird. It looks like you took a picture of my bird. I wanted her to be an Isabell, now I'm happy to know she is one. Honestly they look like they could be from the same clutch. Thanks soo much. When I get home I'll try posting a picture. They look identical! And for my second question, what do you cross yours with to get other Isabells or cool colors?

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:15 pm

one difference, mine has the same cream color shown on the pied on her back. So does this mean she is a fawn isabell?

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 9:03 am

Is she silver and a fawn color she could be a silver/fawn Isabel.

See if you can get a shot of her for us. That way you can be sure of what you have...she sounds like an Isabel but pictures will tell you what kind exactly.

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:02 pm

I have a couple pictures of her and her tails bars if that helps.

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:04 pm

the pictures make her look kind of white but she's a silver color with fawn

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:23 pm

I got some pictures of me holding her, I was taking her out of her cage to clean it.

Nagdabit · Post by **Nagdabit** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:44 pm

Very pretty young lady you have there. Sure looks like a Florida Silver. We've noticed that there can be a quite a diversity in the base coloring of the SF/FF. We've had both males and females that have ranged from the normal fawnish / silver coloring to an almost white with just a slight silvery sheen to them.

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:48 pm

I agree...I have 4 young ones like that right now.

DanteD716 · Post by **DanteD716** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:16 pm

Florida Silver? Sounds good. What should I breed her with to get other mutations? I can breed her with a normal male but would that get rid of her color? I'd like to see the silver and fawn color on a male.

Post by **finchmix22** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:19 pm

I don't breed zebras, but just had to comment on how beautiful the Florida Silver finch looks! She is amazing. I see why you want to replicate her color.