Lightback, fawn cheek, CFW or what? (My 12th bird:)

[sandri_90]

Hi, I just got a partner for one of my fawn female zebra, because she was the only one who didn't have a sweetheart and always stirring up trouble and jealousy. So I just got a beautiful male but can't figure out his mutation and I am really frustrated!

Is it a light back, but he has fawn cheeks....he also kinda looks like some CFW zebras I've seen on the internet. I am so confused...

Could somebody please help me identify the mutation?
I would appreciate it, immensely!

P.S. Also, if someone knows the major differences between those three mutations, I would love to know!
I usually rely on efinch.com but this time it didn't really help me.

[Lacybug]

You can rule out CFW, as those are generally pure white, not grey. To me he looks like a lightback. Reading the description on efinch that seems to be spot on. It says fawns have normally colored cheeks, whereas lightbacks have diluted cheeks. If he is especially light colored, he could be split to CFW.

[sandri_90]

Lacybug

Thank you so much!! I tend to go for lightback too...but he's back is more like fawn (I have another male who is fawn and has the same colour). Does that mean he could be split to fawn? Or maybe to continental CFW?


Found this: "If split for the Continental variety of CFW, the back will have a slight cream cast to it while those split for the regular CFW will be lighter and more of a 'powder' gray."

[MiaCarter]

Ooh, he's lovely!
He looks like a lightback to me.

It's possible he's split to CFW. It's difficult to know for certain; you'd need to breed him to find out. CFW splits often have a light edging to the feathers, which your guy does seem to have. Here's another example on my Molly Sue; look at the edges of the grey feathers:


Fawn has a similar light back coloration with more of a brownish tinge, but the markings are typically full strength (or close to), which his are not.

A CFW is necessarily white/cream. Their markings can be full strength (ideal) or diluted like my Squeepers:

[Sam007]

Beautiful bird. Congrats!

[sandri_90]

Sam007 Thank you!
@MiaCarter I think you may be right, thank you so much for your help

[cindy]

Lightback
http://www.efinch.com/species/lbzeb.htm
http://www.efinch.com/varieties.htm

if split to cfw it will have white lacing in each feather on the wings see section on splits

http://www.efinch.com/species/cfwzeb.htm