African Silverbill mutations

[hanabi]

Are there any African Silverbill experts in the forum? lonchura_boi and others?

This week I was lucky enough to be able to purchase 10 African Silverbills. Then I discovered I was unlucky enough to receive nine cocks and only one hen. Such is life. At first I thought I had two phenotypes, Normal and Chocolate, but while photographing them and adding the images to my website I came across one specimen that looks a little different, with a brown tail (rather than black) and noticeably lighter brown wings and rump. His breast looks the same as a Normal though. Here is an image showing all three mutations, with the guy in question on the top row:



Here is a larger image:
African Silverbill - three phenotypes

I know of the Fawn and Cinnamon mutations, and I am wondering whether he may be either of those?


Thank in advance for your help.

Cheers from Japan.

[isobea]

hanabi - Ross, unfortunately I cannot help you with your mystery bird (but I sure like him).
I noticed that you keep pin tailed parrot finches and chestnut breasted munias - both have been on my wish list for years. Occasionally you can find the munias but they are always expensive and would have to be shipped. To my knowledge there are no pintails anywhere in the US. You are very lucky. Scaly breasted munias (spice finches) are pretty common now in LA, Orange and San Diego counties mingling happily with our sparrows and other wild finches. We have a flock of about 15 that come to our feeder and the bird bath.
Iso

BTW, really nice photographs!

[Sheather]

It is a fawn morph. The genetics should be the same as for fawn societies, recessive.

[hanabi]

Hello Sheather

What does a "morph" mean? Fawn should be autosomal inheritance (otherwise it would be called a Cinnamon = sex-linked inheritance). Does a "fawn morph" simply mean a less-dilute version of fawn?

Hi isobea

To my knowledge there are no pintails anywhere in the US. You are very lucky.

Pintails are very difficult to obtain here in Japan too. I had to ask an importer, and it took two year before I obtained my two hens and a cock. I was told by someone here that Pintails are a little weird, and he was right. I never once heard a single sound from any of them; not even a peep. Not once did the cock sing or display. Nothing in over two years. And absolutely no breeding activity of any type. Perhaps my three were all old. In any case the cock died so now I have two hens that I need to find another cock or two for.

Chestnut Breasted Munias and Spice Finches were also hard to come by here until I badgered my importer. Now myself the a few of my "bird friends" have enough stock to provide a reasonable amount of genetic diversity that we plan to maintain. I'm still trying to obtain Black-Headed Munia and White-headed Munia, but no luck yet.

BTW, really nice photographs!

Thanks. Good photos take a huge amount of time, especially without top-quality (expensive!) equipment. I take 200 to 500 images per bird and then have to sort through them to select the best dozen or so ("best" = in-focus and good pose). I "make do" with the equipment I have so they are not the best of quality unfortunately, but good enough for me.

Cheers.

[Sheather]

I mean it's a mutation, like fawn society finches or zebra finches. I haven't read about fawn silverbills but it was bound to occur at some point, the brown tail and wings is indicative of it having the fawn mutation.