Lavender waxbills

[w.l.]

Your poor hen doesn't look her best, but should improve in the aviary if not earlier!
So what was the obvious color difference?
Black vent on male, grey on hen?
As for the red, lack of it indicates a young bird, I think.

[isobea]

w.l. - What they showed me was that the amount of black by the vent was larger in the males. Also more red than the female. There were actually two guys (long-time, experienced employees) who checked the birds in question and both agreed that this should be a pair. A bird friend of mine had told me ask specifically for one of the employees as he is the only one he has been dealing with for years. For me, it was my first time at MBF so I followed his advice.
Only time will tell.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Hi Iso,

Didn't realize there were pictures already, thank you

Your poor girlie looks like someone has been doing quite the job on her little neck. Let's hope it's not your little boy (although he looks very sweet and innocent . My RC-CB girl, plucks my RC-CB boy, and it drives me crazy. She looks gorgeous, he looks like a shorn chicken

The Lavenders are lovely elegant birds, and your kids (plucked or not) are no exception.

I think I'm due for a visit to the Pet Shop, sigh....
I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket

Enjoy the new kids.

P.S.

Still awaiting the butt pictures, lol. Ask everyone to take a bow...

[w.l.]

lovezebs

Congrats to the decision!
Hope the Lavenders are still waiting for you there.

[isobea]

It's getting dark outside and my lovelies are doing this really cool, quiet and sweet back and forth twittering. Is that any indication I might have a pair w.l.?

lovezebs - Elana, these birds came out of different flights so my male is definitely not responsible for the plucked-chicken look.
I am very happy I usually get gift cards for massages or books, not for pet stores...
Iso

[w.l.]

isobea

Honestly, I wouldn't be sure.
Someone on this forum (Sally?) wrote in the past that she had 2 DNA-sexed males that were behaving like a true pair, even building a nest a sleeping in it together.
I'd say some twittering could just be socializing. But with 2 freshly imported adults of different color, you should have a good chance of a true pair anyway.

[isobea]

w.l. - I hope you are right. Now that it is pretty much dark, they just chirp quietly most of the time (very short, one syllable chirp). The back-and-forth twittering sounds more like a whole 'sentence'. So hard to describe.
I think I listen to them all the time and try to figure out what it all means because I haven't had birds in the house in over 25 years and really enjoy them.
Iso

[lovezebs]

w.l.

If it's meant to be, it will be.

[lovezebs]

isobea

Gift cards to my Pet Shop are the best.

Whenever anyone askes "So really, what would you like for..."

I never even hesitate, lol.

[isobea]

lovezebs - but look, they always get you in 'trouble'. I remember many posts of yours where you went to the pet store just to get food...
If they gave me pet store gift cards, I would by now have had to add on to my aviary, dug another pond, reinstated my aquarium,...
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Would that be so bad really?

[isobea]

Good morning everyone, I noticed that when the wild lesser goldfinches come into our yard, there is a certain call they have that sounds similar to one of my lavenders - and my 'male' responds promptly. Have any of you noticed the same thing? Are your lessers back? Ours had disappeared for a few months but now the sow thistles and dandelions are blooming and setting seed and they love those.
Iso

[marymac]

isobea@w.l.

I was the person who had to take the LAVENDERS back. I was so sad. But the female was dive bombing and harassing the poor male for 2 days. His only safe spot was to hang sideways on the cage. He was exhausted and she was too. I'm pretty sure that a bonded pair had been separated. They came from a large outdoor area so there was no way to know.

They were so beautiful. I will try again one day!

Iso, did Woo from Magnolia Bird farm sex your birds???? My friend says he's amazing with his knowledge and dance like skills at catching the finches!!!

[isobea]

marymac - No, Stafford helped me. He was highly recommended by another bird friend who will deal with him only when going to Magnolia. He only works three days a week and I was lucky to call and go up on a day when he was there. But yes, I watched him catch several birds with super sonic speed. Until I saw this I was wondering how he could catch a specific bird (meaning a lavender) in this big and tall aviary with maybe three different species in it.

I just noticed that you have blue caps... and that you are in Peoria... and that Peoria is right next to Phoenix... and my son will be in Phoenix at a trade show from Friday until Saturday afternoon... and I've been looking for a female blue cap since last October...

Well, I can dream, can't I?
Iso

[w.l.]

marymac

Maybe your "female" was actually a second male, unless they were DNA-sexed?
That would explain it.