Yellow-headed Stars

Post by **Sally** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:47 pm

Does anyone know anything about yellow-headed or yellow-faced Stars? I have 5 Star babies (had 8, but that is the snake in the bird house story). They are out of a pair of red-headed Stars. The babies are starting to color up, and four of them have the normal red beak of a red-headed Star finch. One has a yellow beak. In pictures of yellow-headed Stars, they have yellow beaks. I'm thinking maybe one of the parents is carrying the gene for yellow heads. I guess I will have to wait a bit longer to see if it gets any color on its head, and if so, what color it will be.

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:48 pm

I don't know anything about it, but I'd love to see a pic. That'd be pretty cool if your birds were carrying a recessive gene, breeding them'd be like a box o' chocolates!

Post by **Sally** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 6:58 pm

I will have to get some pics one of these days. I have my brother's hand-me-down digital camera, and I still don't know quite how everything works. Then, I will have to learn how to post pictures. Another forum that I belong to, about planted aquariums, has a thread all about how to post pictures, so I need to read that.

If this is a yellow-head Star, I will be sure to keep him/her and then look for a mate.

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:08 pm

You are so lucky.

I hope you get a yellow. I think they are pretty.

My female has the red around her face but her beak is more yellow/orange than red. A breeder at the bird fair told me she might have a yellow gene.

My stars are still sitting on their third clutch, first two didn't make it.

I'm hopeing that in a day or two they'll hatch. It was 14 days as of yesterday, if not I'll remove the nest, as she has laid enough eggs.

How many days did yours incubate ?

Post by **Sally** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:36 am

It was about 14 days, though mine have never tolerated much nest peeking. Stars have a reputation of being careless parents--they don't mind laying the eggs, but often won't incubate or later feed the babies.

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:11 pm

I believe the yellow faced mutation is autosomal recessive