Eumo or not?

[Olympic_Aiairies]

So I need a but of help with this one. Not sure what mutation this guy is since I'm less familiar with the Eumo mutation. I was told he was a BBBF/BC when I ordered him from a breeder in BC but I don't think he's was right as his cheek patches aren't extended upwards to his head which is indicative of the BB. Another experiences breeder said they thought he was a Eumo but wasn't 100% sure. I don't know either. He could be Eumo but I thought they weren't suppose to have cheek patches. Would love to know your opinions.

[Chris103]

Looks like a really nice BF to me. Could be split BC or Eumo, but Is not a visual Eumo. Eumos should have no cheek patch and flight feathers that lack barbs so they make poor flyers....fine in a cage but not for an aviairy. Beautiful bird regardless!

[cindy]

I agree, not BFBB...it has throat bars. a BFBB would have solid black under the chin down

this is a BFBB with it's mother

he is still coloring out

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Cindy do you think he's a Eumo?or just a BF?

[cindy]

As Chris said (agree with him) he could be split to Eumo...he looks BF due to the cheek patches. BF is Dominant, Eumo is recessive. If you breed him and you get BF young then you know he is BF...use a hen that does not have BF anywhere in her genetic background.

[alexbrgr]

He is a eumo. They usually don't have cheeks but some have weak ones and other ones have full cheeks. I have two males that look just like him. You can tell by the black going all the way to his vent and by the way his wings droop.

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Alexbrgr his wings were drippy in this photo because he was in kinda rough shape when I got him. His wings are tight to his body now and he can fly fine. I was under the impression that Eumos has issues flying.

[alexbrgr]

They can fly just fine in smaller cages but when u put them in a big aviary they need some extra perches. Some emuo fly better than others. If u still think it is something else that is fine.

[Chris103]

BF males should have black going all the way down to the vent, and also little or no white spots on the flanks. Unfortunately, most BF in the U.S. have limited black extension, and most will show spots on the flanks. Not to say people in the states don't have BF that meet standard....its just more common to see the males that have limited black towards the vent and spots in the flanks. I've found BF to be highly variable when breeding! Some sub-par BF I've bred have produced nearly perfect BF males, or at the least, ones much closer to standard than the parents. Next clutch could have chicks marked just as poorly as the parents! Interesting mutation for sure, and one of my favorites!
Breed him to a Eumo hen and see if you get Any visual Eumos. At the least, you can get some BF Birds split to Eumo and go from there...if Eumo Is your goal of course...

[MariusStegmann]

This is what a eumo should look like.

[alexbrgr]

Here is one of my eumo males. I have had at least 18 babies from him and all have been eumo. Only two of the males showed cheeks like his. The rest had no cheeks at all. I have also seen people have some with black cheeks. Hope this helps.

[MariusStegmann]

This is the discription of the eumo:

Male Description: Orange cheek patch partially or wholly missing and replaced by grey, breast, belly, and vent regions solid black, with no trace of any other pigment. Tail coverts black or at least lacking some of the typical white dots, giving some individuals a completely black rump, tail and vent (a striking appearance). Flanking of male mostly devoid of spots though many will show occasional spots.

Female Description: An unusually darken female with a prominent black facial mark between the beak and the cheek patch area. Breast and belly dark grey, vent region completely black , tail coverts black as in males though some show a few spots.

Chick Description: male or female upon fledging are totally darkened as if rubbed with black charcoal soot all over. No other zebra chick looks this dark on fledging. Silky feather condition readily apparent.

[alexbrgr]

I can copy and paste to but sometimes birds don't fit the perfect description. I have had many eumo and have friends that breed them too. The fun think about breeding zebra finches is that u can make fun birds with all the different mutation. you will also come to find that sometimes they don't fit the perfect description but still can be that mutation.

[MariusStegmann]

True. The feathers would be destinctive too I suppose. It does not interlock. Pity that you that there are no imports from Australia. Their Char Coals looks to be exactly the same bird, except, theirs can fly properly.

[alexbrgr]

If his wings look like this then he is a eumo and if not he is the best looking bf I have ever seen.