Gold Breasted Waxbills

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btruckin
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Gold Breasted Waxbills

Post by btruckin » Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:19 pm

Hello,
I just purchased a pair of Gold breasted waxbills and I have a question about the males color. All the pictures I've seen of the males the breast/belly are a bright orange color but the male I received is black with orange about 50% each color. Is this normal? Will the black go away over time? It's a dark black. Not sure of the age of the birds could it just be a young bird? I purchased them from the finch farm so was unable to see them before buying them but they arrived healthy and happy. If I could figure out how to post a picture I would.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Icearstorm
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Re: Gold Breasted Waxbills

Post by Icearstorm » Fri Jul 19, 2019 7:35 pm

btruckin

Provided they haven't sent you the wrong species, I've heard some finches get induced melanism from lack of sunlight. It might go away with a bit of UV/unfiltered sunlight and a good diet.

btruckin
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Re: Gold Breasted Waxbills

Post by btruckin » Sat Jul 20, 2019 1:14 am

Thanks for the reply.
I know it's a gold breasted waxbill I have had them in the past it's just the color that is different from what I have ever seen, It's almost like it's calico not a solid orange. All the males I had in the past were a bright orange on there breast/belly. I might move the cage to an area so they get some direct sunlight and I'm also trying to give them a good diet. I don't mind the calico color but the bright orange stands out a lot more on these little birds.

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MariusStegmann
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Re: Gold Breasted Waxbills

Post by MariusStegmann » Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:33 am

It is just melanism. It just needs some sun and it will return to its original colour.
Marius
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