FINCHforum

This is really odd but Flit, a beautiful dark Fawn and his fawn female have produced 5 more young. Thet fledged a week ago and I noticed two of them have black smudges in the cheeks.

one more...

Very interesting ! I think I read or was talking with someone that fawn bc's often don't get their dark cheek patches until they molt. Very exiting to see if this is the case how old are they now?

They fledged last weekend and are huge! I know the mothers background but not the dad, Flit. Their first clutch showed signs of being split to BB. I would love to see if these will have Black cheeks, if so I have a female full BC I can pair one with. The hint of the cheek patch is funny since a full BC baby fledges with full cheek patches.

The female from Flit's first clutch is now paired with a FF. We shall see what comes of that pairing. A FF male with a fawn split to BB and now maybe BC in the gene pool.

The FF mixed with the BC gene turn all black to gray...add BB it will remove the gray cheeks in the female....add fawn and you can end up with an all white bird with a buff belly. Anything is possible with these guys...looking at a deep fawn with dark orange cheek it never seemd there may be BC in there!

I don't know if it helps or not but I have had several fawn BC's and their cheeks came in very early. Could tell in the nest that they were BC's. Very similar to the grey BC's.
Lori

Lori...I also have BC and BCCCFW, their cheek patches are apparent in the nest box, before they fledge. This is I think a mix of mutations.

...I did hear somewhere that in some rare cases bc's don't get their cheeks until their first molt.

But this sure might be some strange mix.

Tell them to molt faster haha!

Each clutch is like a wrapped Christmas or Birthday present. Don't know what you got until it's opened up, I mean molted up.

I know John...it is fun waiting for the hidden surprise!!!