Shaftails....beaks (poke, poke...oh Liz question!)

[cindy]

Liz, remember the topic on my last shaftail clutch where the beaks on some were a skin color then turned pearly pink? This is one of the shaftails that kept some pink in the beak (camera stinks!). In person looking down from the top it takes on a pearl pink hue with light traces of orange. The camera does not allow for me to focus on it well.

What happened with your youngsters?

I am taking this male out and putting him to breed with a new female today or tomorrow. While holding him I will try to get a descent picture of the beak.

[CandoAviary]

How lovely he is!!! I have read about these in europe as a mutation. Maybe you have a start of a new line
I would keep and breed him too...oh how I love those oddballs

[cindy]

Candace, in person the beak is really pretty...almost a soft pinkish coral I'm going to use two different cameras to see if I can get a good shot of the top of the beak (gotta catch him in the flight first...he is a big guy, and fast!!)

I'm not sure what background my new female shaftail has so we shall see what babies come of it. I still have this boy's mother, the father had a bit of an accident and passed away. I don't know if I want to mess with any inbreeding even once to see if the pink is something that came from her (red/orange beak) or his father (light orange beak). The female I would pair him with is unrelated and has a an orange red beak.

Their is another male like him but his beak has just a trace more orange to it.

[L in Ontario]

They look beautiful Cindy! I sold all mine and didn't notice a difference any more at that time.

[cindy]

Thank you Liz....I want to set him and the unrelated girl up this week, hopefully we can get a few more like him. For some reason he is a bruiser to compared to his siblings.

[L in Ontario]

A husky sized Shaftie with a uniquely coloured beak - sounds like a great potential stud!

[cindy]

And he has attitude to!!!!