Canary color change

[theblackbird]

Hey guys,
Was wondering what it meant if my canaries underbelly started to turn a pale white/ yellow. This is just her feathers, not to do with her vent or anything. I noticed the color change about two weeks ago. Originally she is colored green/brown like a sparrow, now her underfeathers are starting to get lighter.
I have heard that they can change color, like if you feed them carrots they start to go orange, and apart from adding fresh apples and vegetables to her diet, I don't see how it could have made such a change. I just want to make sure this is nothing to worry about. Behavior and eating habits have not changed at all, and she is still as healthy as before as I can visually see no illness.

Thanks, any info would be nice.

[lyzzyjayne]

Before a female Canary incubates her eggs, she will sometimes pull out some feathers to give the underbelly better contact with the eggs. I think the color you are talking about is primarily yellow underneath brown feathers making the green appearance. Maybe she is broody and has pulled out her green top layer?

[theblackbird]

Okay, could be. She does like to groom a lot, although I haven't seen her doing it, doesn't mean she doesn't. She has been rather interested in the nest lately.
Thank you, this may be it.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

How old/young is she? Could she be transitioning from juvenile to adult plumage? Bob

[theblackbird]

She is a couple of months old, I would be guessing around the eight mark. She has already been through a moult since I have had her and lays eggs every couple of weeks or so on clockwork. I think she is past the juvenile stage.

[dan78]

Being only 8 months or so could still be possible that she is still moulting at this stage it would be slower and usually around the belly vent and back feathers should moult out. Being of this age she would be at the bare minimum age of breeding so she may in fact have lost the belly feather to allow her to incubate them better so the lighter feathering your seeing might be down feathers. Another fact that I have recently found out is that a canary up to the age of 2 can still change some colour after a moult not dramatically but shades can become lighter. I haven't yet found a veg that will change my colours but will enhance the brightness where a yellow will become a brighter and stronger colouring but not turning it to an apricot or even an orange.

[theblackbird]

Okay. This sounds like what it definitely could be then. The feathers that are there now are also softer then the ones that were there before, and she does seem more readily able to lay eggs now. I didn't know that her age would still be considered as young though, I guess that you learn something new every day.