Poor Lil' Thing - Strawberry Finch in Denver

[CoMtnGal]

lovezebs I'm planning on it!

[lovezebs]

CoMtnGal

I hope you get to bring him home, where you can offer him a good life

[CoMtnGal]

I called this morning. Lil bird still at the vets. Got to keep his foot. Should be at the store tomorrow for me to pick up.

[w.l.]

CoMtnGal

With a discount or for $75?
Either way, I hope you will make each other happy!
And then the search for a mate can start...

[CoMtnGal]

Yeah, w.l. still too much in my opinion! But he's here. But I need to check the book - maybe a female?

[Barbara]

CoMtnGal poor little baby.looks like he has been thru a lot glad he has a good home now

[isobea]

CoMtnGal - Connie, I'm so glad you rescued this poor little guy! They are wonderful birds and I love their song.
It looks to me like there are a few reddish feathers on his chest - that would make him a male.
Iso

[lovezebs]

CoMtnGal

Poor little fella.
I'm glad you picked him up and brought him home.

Here are some pictures to help you figure out if your boy is a boy or a girl...
1) A pair (male on right, not in breeding colours)
2) Male in breeding colours
3) And Female


Good luck.

[CoMtnGal]

I put a small lamp at the bottom of he cage he's in, on the side that has nice potting soil. Low dishes with water and seed. Came home from being out and he was so totally soaking up the heat and obviously warm and happy.

[ann]

I just love a happy ending!

[w.l.]

lovezebs

Your female on the 3rd pic is a female indeed, but not a strawberry, I'd say!

The standard way to sex them out of color is to see if there are white spots on the red rump. Males have them, females don't.
But this specimen is so poorly feathered, that a lack of spots could be due to the lack of feathers bearing them!

[w.l.]

CoMtnGal

Do I see it correctly that the right foot is badly swollen?
In that condition the price was no bargain indeed!
Let's hope he (?) will recover nicely.

[finches247]

I would say the bird in question looks like a male to me.

Strawberry Finch have the heaviest moults out of all estrildid Finch species as they have a breeding plumage and a non breeding plumage.They are the only species in the Estrildid Finch family to Moult like this and also that 3rd photo down is a Gold Breasted Waxbill Hen.

[Sally]

So glad you got him, looks like a male to me, as any red feathers on the breast indicate a male that is not in breeding plumage, but rather either going out or coming into breeding plumage. I'd offer this little one egg food for the extra protein, and the heat lamp should help.

[Tish]

Awe poor little thing, I'am glad you got the finch.