"Blue" Head

[nixity]

I picked up a BH SF Pastel Blue male today from a local breeder and friend of mine.
She mentioned to me on the phone she thought his head looked a bit unusual and maybe she should keep him, but she's got two of his brothers still and needs to make space. I didn't really think anything of it.

When I saw the bird it was in a cage in her car covered by a towel and I couldn't really see much but what looked like maybe a bit of blue suffusion from his halo creeping up.
When I got him home and got him out of the cage it was a different story.
I was blown away.. this bird might as well have a blue head.
The only other time I've seen anything like this is recently on the Erthrura site - http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm72.htm
Also a BH SF Yellow.



See slight trace of blue in cheek, bib and on top


Top of head:



Left side of face:

[jamezyboo21]

Wow!! That's crazy, but i like it.

[Domenic]

I'm glad a talented breeder stumbled on him. I can't wait to see what you would do with this guy Tiffany.

[lovemyfinch]

Definately unique, and beautiful

[nixity]

I'm not keeping him - I got him from her to try to sell him next weekend :/

[Pukasand]

Stunning! What would you pair him with? I'm afraid to ask how much?

[nixity]

Well he's not as much as she was originally asking ;P
I would probably suggest pairing him with a Normal/Blue or a Yellow/Blue.
I'd be interested to see how the silvers come out.

He should be /White or /Lilac if I remember his parentage correct.

I am over whelmed with mature males with NO mature females though, so it doesn't make any sense for me to buy him from her when the last thing I need is another male that I couldn't breed right now anyway

[Domenic]

Oh well that stinks! Why don't you sell a few of your males and keep him?

[CandoAviary]

Interesting I have seen few pastels so I'm not sure if they had much blue in the head or not. I guess this one got stuck in the moult? I see many head feathers as juvies. Do you think he will color out blue headed when he completes his moult next year?
I had a regular dilute that had some darker grey on the head...the color like in the skynet link you posted but not that much blue.(sold him) The lighter shade normal green dilute that I kept has developed a very nice shade of blue to the top of the head and an even light grey on the cheeks. I find the blue shades in the dilutes most beautiful I will have to keep my eyes out for a blue headed pastel
Here is my little fellow:

[CandoAviary]

I picked up a BH SF Pastel Blue male today from a local breeder and friend of mine.

The only other time I've seen anything like this is recently on the Erthrura site - http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm72.htm
Also a BH SF Yellow.

Tiffany,
You say also a BH SF yellow... or (green dilute) is the one in the skynet site picture.

The bird you have is a BH BB sf.... different mutation, Right?
I don't think they have a Blue body bird with a blue head on their site.... maybe send a pic to them. I know they are always interested in the different and unusual birds.

[nixity]

I just meant they are both SF Yellow..

A Pastel blue is just a SF Yellow Blue Bodied bird...

[nixity]

I had a regular dilute that had some darker blue on the head...the color like in the skynet link you posted but not that much blue.(sold him) The lighter shade normal green dilute that I kept has developed a very nice shade of blue to the top of the head and an even light grey on the cheeks. I find the blue shades in the dilutes most beautiful I will have to keep my eyes out for a blue headed pastel
Here is my little fellow:]

Oh awesome so you have one too!
How old is yours? Has it molted a second time and the blue feathers persisted?

[CandoAviary]

He didn't get the blue feathers until he moulted this spring. He is in the first picture of this post I made back in January.
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... +up#p81287
When he got his original adult colors he had a very even shade of grey to his head...now it is turning blue. He His brother that had the darker head that I just sold with a bunch that went to GA had no blue on his head before or after the moult. I had another one that was a darker blue and grey that I now wish I had kept. I wonder how he turned out after his first adult moult. I don't have my bird records in front of me but I believe he is about 15 months old.

[nixity]

In that case it really makes me think the color will persist, don't you?

With the birds that appear "noble blue" like Liz's birds did, I believe they molted into that color with the first adult molt, then molted out with the second molt - maybe she can chime in and confirm/clarify?

With this bird as well - I saw this bird months ago and he did not have this.
He, too, apparently has developed this color after the fact.
Yes he is still missing some adult feathers in his head, too, so it'll be interesting to see what happens when he molts again.

I see this alot with BHs, the failure to fully molt out the head.. I'm not sure why.. definitely see it much more in BH than RH..

That's not a bad idea Domenic - I just couldn't pick which males to get rid of.. I've kept them all for pretty good reasons so it's hard to now turn around and try to pick which ones would go

[Pukasand]

Well, Tiffany, what's one more mouth to feed? I vote 'keep him'. The opportunity may never arise again. I think you will regret it, if you let him go.