Need help with identification

[mlb]

If possible, could someone please help in identifying the species these finches are? Any information would be greatly appreciated. (Hopefully the pictures post okay. I`m new to the forum.) I would like to find out so I can make sure they get good care. Thanks so much!

Michelle

[ApricotMuffins]

mlb

Those look like whydahs to me. Whether they are pintails or paradise whydahs, I couldn't tell you. However, if your male completes his molt that he has already started, you should be able to tell which species he is at least.

If I had to guess, I would guess paradise whydah due to his beak color, since as I recall Miacarter owns a pair of pintail whydahs and their beaks are orange.

As with any bird, the bigger the cage the better, but this becomes a necessity with male whydahs who grow such long tail feathers for their mating season. He's going to need a lot of room otherwise he can't perform his courtship display and his tail might get caught on something. I'm not sure how big your cage is now, so you might be fine.

Oh, also--Welcome to the forum

[josh1810]

I say they could be weaver finches. Since his color is dull he appears out of breeding plumage. Like apricotmuffins said we can get a better idea once his color comes in. How much were thy by chance? That may be a kicker also... I've seen weavers as low as 13.00 and as high as 40.00. Wydahs I've seen from 30.00 to 75.00 each... I also think I remember seeing a pair of paradise wydahs at a show that was 150.00 for the pair...

[MiaCarter]

Indeed, Pintail Whydahs do have an orange beak.

I think these could definitely be Paradise Whydahs with the male in mid-moult.

The other (stronger) possibility is a combassou finch.
Most combassou finches are black, but they can also take on a freckled sort of appearance like your guy.
And the females look like the girl in the background.

See here:
http://www.birdsexpress.net/combassou-f ... obird.html

Combassou finches are relatively uncommon (and some can be fairly pushy.)
They're also called Village Indigobirds.

[mlb]

Thanks for the replies. josh1810 the lady asked for $13 each and gave me a small cage for free. The owner fell ill with a tumor so am not sure if they will remain open or not. My thoughts and prayers are with them. The family is helping with the store for the time being. The lady said that the finches needed a home. I had bought a larger
cage for them but now I think I may need a larger one. I had thought they might be weaver finches, too, by looking at pictures. The female has a yellow streak above her eyes that matched a picture that I saw. I couldn't find a male weaver picture where the male wasn`t in breeding plummage though. I see where they also may be whydah or combassou finches from the posts and links,too. I`m glad that I found this forum. There is so much to learn here.

[Colt]

It's also possible they are two different species. This sometimes happens with males that molt from breeding into eclipse plumage. They get mislabeled and mispaired with hens of another species.

[MiaCarter]

My first thought was also weaver, but that only explains the female.
The photos of the male were hard to see, but he doesn't look like any weaver I've ever seen, even mid-moult.

I was guessing that they're the same species?
Combassou (and perhaps paradise whydah) are the only two I can think of that would explain both birds.
But as Colt
mentioned, they could very well be two different species. You could have a female weaver and a combassou male, for instance.

Also, remember that female weavers have a very “generic” look to them in that they can look very similar to the females of other species. (In particular, species where the males moult into a seasonal plumage.)
If you look at the female combassou finch and the female paradise whydah, you'll see they look just like a female weaver, also with the stripe over the eye.

I think you'll need to wait until the male moults into his seasonal colors to know for certain!


Sometimes, when I have an unidentified bird, I make note of how they relate to other birds of the same species.

Do they interact a lot and seem to relate well? Do they seem to have a bond and an innate understanding of each other's body language?

It's a bit hard to explain, especially if you're not super familiar with birds, but birds of the same species have an ease with each other; an innate understanding. It's a familiarity; it's clear they speak the same language.

I have a female weaver and a pintail whydah paired together. And after watching them for a bit, it became very clear to me that they weren't the same species. They just don't relate to each other.
They're peacefully coexisting, but they don't share the innate understanding or closeness that you generally see with birds of the same species.

For instance, they never physically touch each other and never vocalize/“speak” to each other. They don't sit or sleep together. There's always a few inches between them. If I had to describe their relationship, it would be non-existent/totally indifferent.
In short, it's clear they speak two different languages. (That's not to say that two birds of different species can't form a bond --- they can. But it generally takes time. Just as it would take time to form a relationship with another person from a totally different culture who speaks a totally different language. But that relationship may always lack the innate connection you have to the person from your own culture, who speaks the same language.)

[josh1810]

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in again here... those are not Combassous... combassous are short squaty looking birds like zebras... and have short beaks and small heads... i had a pair up until today... just sold them today. This is a picture of a male in breeding color and a the same male out of breeding color....

I think that is at least a weaver in the back ground. The other in question needs a better picture taken... or we will be chasing a rabbit for a while....

pintail whydays have orange beaks ,also just sold one today...

[mlb]

Thanks for all of the information. They seem to peacefully coexist together. They don`t seem to talk to one another, so to speak. They will share the swing together but don't sit close together side by side. Here are a few more pictures.

Michelle

[josh1810]

Look like yellow weavers to me I'm off season color... That would explain the 13.00 each... There's a pet store semi close to me that sales them for the same price.