Help me ID this cordon bleu - Got myself a real BCCB

mike · Post by **mike** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:33 pm

You all have much more experience than me with cordon bleus. The female BCCB I picked up today is supposed to be a female BCCB. Since there was some confusion about whether this was the female BCCB or the female RCCB I'm getting nervous. This was was stouter and more blue. Her body looks like my deceased BCCB but so does the RCCB female and the BBCB for that matter. The deceased BCCB has blue on her head but this one doesn't seem to have much at all. This one also has a blacker beak and it looks longer. These are some pics. Please tell me what you think.

Thanks for any help!

lovemyfinch · Post by **lovemyfinch** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:43 pm

I can't say that I know anything about this species Mike, but if I put your pictures next to the ones on the info center, I would say probably a BCCB because the blue on her head appears to extend farther than than that on the RCCB hen. However, I could be completely off target.

Note: she is beautiful.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:09 pm

My RCCB hen is on the left for comparison if it will help...

mike · Post by **mike** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:13 pm

Thanks to both of you.

This hen has a bluer breast than your RCCB and the one I saw at the store. It's hard to tell from my own RCCB because I'm afraid to get too close to her right now. I tried comparing online but they still all look the same to me.

I'm leaning towards a BC but I haven't had enough of them to make a good judgment.

cartel · Post by **cartel** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:53 pm

I'm leaning towards BCCB also

RT08260 · Post by **RT08260** » Thu May 21, 2009 12:45 am

On the 3rd pic. it looks like a blue breasted cb it might just be the flash. If thats the case then it looks like a female bccb.

fincher · Post by **fincher** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:35 am

deffenatly a hen blue cap way to much blue for the red cheeked hen

mike · Post by **mike** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:45 am

Well I want to thank all of you. It makes me feel a lot better knowing I won't be intentionally (or accidentally) crossing the two species. I actually lost a little sleep thinking about it; not much, about 15 minutes ;)

Post by **Sally** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:06 am

My camera is broken, and I still haven't gotten another. Once I do, I will try to post photos of both BCCB and RCCB hens--I have 5 BCCB hens and 4 RCCB hens, so maybe that will help. She seems to have the body type and amount of blue of a BCCB hen. The dark tip is different, though a few of mine have a darker beak than others--the beak is still not as long and narrow-looking as the RCCBs.

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:59 pm

This is the link someone sent me for comparison......

http://www.scapnl.com/index.php?option= ... 18&Itemid=

mike · Post by **mike** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:05 pm

Hope wrote:This is the link someone sent me for comparison......

http://www.scapnl.com/index.php?option= ... 18&Itemid=

Those are very nice examples of the species, but I think they are too good. They are examples of good specimens and I think mine is not the best. She's still nice though.

Based on photos I took of my RCCB hen (before she went into hiding) I'm pretty sure the new hen is a BCCB.

I want that brown-headed cordon bleu now

mike · Post by **mike** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:56 am

The female red-cheeked traded places with the male in the nest so I got a good look at her for comparison to the new hen and I'm not convinced the new hen is a blue-capped. Her beak is just as long and narrow, and just as dark. The new hen has a little more blue on her body but her head has the same amount of blue.

With coloration alone I'd call her blue-capped but the beak is completely wrong to me.

I'm going to post one last picture and if we agree she is a BCCB hen I will let this drop. But if we still aren't sure ...

Look at that beak!

Post by **Sally** » Sat May 23, 2009 11:06 am

Mike, I have looked at all my BCCB and RCCB hens, and the one thing that is consistent with the BCCB hens is that all of them have at least some blue on the top of their heads. The RCCB hens have no blue on the top of their heads. And some of my BCCB hens have a somewhat dark tip to their beak. I have to catch all of them up this evening, so I will take a closer look. Your hen is a really hard one to ID, as she does look like a BCCB.

Also, I have no guarantees that all my CBs are pure BCCB or RCCB. There is always the chance that some may be crosses, and I have no way of knowing, unless one of the BCCB hens produces a baby with red cheek patches.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sat May 23, 2009 11:43 am

Sally,

When you come in July perhaps you can discuss this with Floyd. I am telling you now..... he really knows his stuff!

Perhaps he could shed some light on this for you.

mike · Post by **mike** » Sat May 23, 2009 12:07 pm

I took the bird to be compared to lots and lots of RC hens and this gal is 99% RCCB. I will take her back to the shop today and wait for a couple weeks to get a new BCCB hen.

She has absolutely no blue on the top of her head, her beak is long and black tipped, and her body type is long. She is smaller than other BCCB hens (which doesn't mean too much). The beak, though, is the give away. BC hens have shorter beaks.

All of my CBs are WC so there is no crossing so I know she isn't half and half.

I'm a little disappointed but it's better to be safe. Regardless of whether she is a BC and I am mistaken, I will never feel comfortable with her and I will never enjoy her, and without enjoyment there really isn't any point in having the birds at all.