Help figuring out a zebra

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:12 pm

I inherited a zebra that does not look like anything I could find info on.

It is a male, and has the typical male feather patterns: orange cheek, black band on the chest and brown band on the side.

BUT...here are the differences
- the gray on his head, back and wing is very dark, not like the light gray on zebras that I've seen in the stores and my gray male.
- the brown band on the side is SOLID brown, not spotted like my other males

I'll try to get a few pix of him.

Any help on what variety of zebra this guy is?

He is kinda scraggly and is missing feathers (plucked?) so I'm trying to get him to feather out; food is both seeds and pellet, feather fast is on order, and today he has started eating egg. Took him a few days to eat the new food, I think he was on a 1 variety seed diet before.

thanks.

summert85 · Post by **summert85** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:23 pm

if you get a pic. that would help.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:47 pm

I will try again tomorrow.
They are now lights-out.

I am trying to get a shot with both males, so you can see the difference between them.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:41 pm

I'm web challenged as to linking photos since I rarely do this.

But here are links to where I was able to upload his photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83018399@N ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83018399@N ... otostream/

He is scragly and missing some feathers on the back of his neck and upper back. Someone suggested that he might have been plucked on before I inherited him.

for comparison, this is my gray zebra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83018399@N ... otostream/

As you can see, there are differences between him and my gray zebra:
- top of wings are DARK gray, vs medium gray
- the gray on his head is darker than on my gray zebra
- brown band on his side does not have spots
- under his chin, the narrow horizontal lines do not go all the way across, there is a white area in the middle.

Also he does not sing/cherp like my gray zebra. He has a higher pitched cherp, like he is a different bird species. I have not heard him sing yet, he just cherps and peeps.

Thanks much

Rayray · Post by **Rayray** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:46 pm

its defenately a regular zebra , although its a mixed breed with 2 colors, thinking of wildcolor times white ( as grandparents ) ... pitty it looks a bit sick or old !!

ray

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:25 pm

He is a Pied Zebra. The white parts make him a Pied. If he didnt have the white he would be the regular colored kind. Pied will also make the spots missing some as he is Pied there too but not with white feathers. Your other male looks like a Fawn to me. That is why he is lighter. It looks like you have a Pied Gray male and a Fawn male. The one does not look so good. He looks stressed. Do you have a light on him?

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:27 pm

Ray
He was really pittyful when I got him.
I think the prior owner/his kid did not care for him. The guy showed me a bag of cockateel (sp?) seeds, so I'm pretty sure that the bird was on a poor diet.

He is eating better (pellets, mixed seeds, egg, lettuce, cuttlebone, vitamins), and is looking better each day. I did not see him in the bath, but his feathers look clean and lays a lot nicer, like he was in the bath.
I'm hoping that with better food and care he will feather out.

Oh his other noises are
- an "AAArw"
- also a sound like tooting on a wooden whistle (the long tubular type)
Like he picked it up from another species.

thanks
Gary

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:29 pm

The Zebras pick up their song from their dad so they will each sound a little different. Glad he is doing better! Definitely sounds like the other owner was not a good one.

franny · Post by **franny** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:55 pm

He sure is a cute little guy. Hope he blossoms under your care. Just shows how important it is to do some research and feed them a good diet. Glad that he's starting to look better. Means he's likely feeling a lot better, too.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:41 pm

@BirdCrazy

I have 2 daylight compact flouressent lamps over the cage.
Is that OK?

That pix of my other male (not the scraggly one) did not come out well.
His wings are gray and his underside is white, no trace of brown under there.
I'll have to try to get a better shot of him.

On the other hand, his mate definitely has a brownish under side, and so do all the chicks. The chicks have not gone through/finished their molt so I don't know what their adult coloring will look like. If the underside is light brownish as juvenilles (like mom), will it be same as adult, or could it turn white (taking after the dad)?

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:11 pm

I meant a light for heat since he looked pretty bad. Flourescents wouldn't be warm enough. Since he is doing better though I wouldn't worry about heat for now.

I haven't bred Zebras for years so I can't comment on the chicks. I don't remember that type of stuff about them anymore. I do remember that they change quite a bit from chick coloring to adult. Good luck with them!

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:51 pm

BC

Ah OK, I've been thinking about heat.

I used to use a 60w incandescent, before I got the daylight CF lamps.
Every once in a while I see them "puffed up" and was wondering if they needed some warmth. But the lamp would go off at night.

Ambient temp in the room during the winter will drop to mid 50s when the house thermostat shuts off.

Maybe one of those IR ceramic reptile heaters with a screw in lamp base. Is 50w enough, or should I get a 100w one. If that heater will be running 24/7 I would rather get as low a wattage as I can get away with to keep the heating cost down. Also when I go to 100w I have to use a ceramic base for the lamp holder and I have to figure another way to mount the reflector.

thanks

franny · Post by **franny** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:56 pm

I would think that the lower watt would be fine, as long as there's a perch quite close. It's surprising how much it they throw off.

ac12 · Post by **ac12** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:28 am

Thanks Fran
I'll go look for one of those heaters tomorrow.

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:40 am

I have a few pied zebra's. Here is one of mine sitting in the centre. A lot of people don't like them but I think they look cute

FINCHforum

Help figuring out a zebra

Help figuring out a zebra

Here is a link to his picture