Conference 7.286::pet_birds

413.0. "Can you identify my "mystery finch"?" by MEIS::TILLSON (Sugar Magnolia) Tue Sep 11 1990 17:39

    
    Well, I bought the finches and the diamond dove listed in 13.160
    (pulled from the Classified_Ads conference, thanks Doug) and picked
    them up on Friday.  The people who owned them were caring people - gave
    them good food, water, clean cages - but just didn't know about finches
    and *knew* that they weren't meeting their needs, which is why they
    were sold.  
    
    There were 8 finches of varying species in a 18"x18"x3' cage, and *one*
    next basket.  Although none of the finches appeared ill (they are, of
    course, being quarantined before going into my main bird room) several
    were heavily plucked and all had extremely overgrown nails, to the
    point where some had nails 1" long (on a 3"bird!) and spiraling.  I
    clipped 9 sets of bird nails at 8 nails/bird - 72 nails! -  when I got
    them home, and only drew blood on 2 little nails - not bad!
    
    The lineup looks like this:
    
    	1 Diamond dove - a cock, I'm now seeking a hen
    
    	1 normal Zebra cock - I have a spair hen, so this is good
    
    	1 pair fawn/white Societies - I needed to get societies for future 
    		fostering anyway.  The hen was plucked around the ears.
    
    	1 Strawberry Finch - Also known as the Red Avadavit.  Heavily
    		plucked on the shoulders and back.  I'll need to wait until
    		spring to see if this is a cock or hen.  Strawberries have 
    		"eclipse plumage" - males are bright red in the spring and
    		summer, but are identical to hens in the fall and winter.
    
    	2 Goldbreasted Waxbills - A true pair, Goldbreasts are dimorphic.
    		Cock is plucked lightly on the back of the head and
    		shoulders.  Once they are brought into condition, these
    		will be lovely birds.  Chopped mealworms and maggots. 
    		Yum :-(
    
    	2 Red-Eared Waxbills - or so I was told.  One is plucked *bald*!
    		(I named him/her "Buzzard") The other is in beautiful
    		condition other than the overgrown nails. Here's the interesting
    		part:
    
    I noticed that "Buzzard" and his/her "mate" (hereafter "Pinky") looked
    _different_ and I remembered that Red-ears are not sexually dimorphic,
    so I started to do some research:
    
    Red-eared Waxbill - Upper parts and qings are mousebrown, very faintly
    tinted with gray on the head; a crimson line from the base of the beak
    through the eye backward to the ear coverts; tail, jet black; throat,
    whitish, very delicately tinged with pink; rest of underparts very pale
    greyish white, strongly tinted with clear carmine pinkish color; beak,
    waxy scarlet.  Sexes alike. 4" (Estrilda troglodytes)
    
    St. Helena Waxbill - Upper parts are mousebrown, distinctly barred with
    narrow transverse dark lines; underparts are washed with rose pink,
    which deepens into carmine on the abdomen, where it is finely barred;
    under tail-coverts, black.  A crimson streak from the base of the beak
    to the ear coverts, enclosing the eye.  Beak red.  The hen is a little
    smaller than the cock and shorter in the tail, with lighter markings
    and has less pink in the abdomen.  The band over the eye is shorter and
    the beak is more orange than red.  The dark feathers under the tail are
    more brown than black, and less extensive. 4 1/2" (Estrilda astrild)
    
    Well, "Pinky" is definitely a St. Helena, probably a hen, and I'll need
    to find a cock for her.  "Buzzard", on the other hand, is now my
    "magical mystery finch"! S/he fits neither description.  Superfically,
    s/he resembles a Red-ear, mouse brown with the red eye streak.  Since
    all of his/her head/neck is plucked *except* the eye-streak, no telling
    about head color.  The chest is grayish, shading into a very light
    rosey white abdomen.  There is a dime-sized circle of BRIGHT pink (a
    brilliant, almost fuscia colour) around the vent.  Tail feathers are
    dark brown, with each outside tail feather a pure white.  Beak and feet
    as for the Red-ear.  Slightly smaller in size than "Pinky".
    
    Anyone got a guess about what I have?  Could s/he be a hybrid?  If so,
    a hybrid of *what*?  I'm at a loss about how to find a suitable mate
    for "Buzzard", since I've got no idea what I'm looking for!  Guess
    that's what you get when you buy a grab bag of finches!
    
    I'm going to pay more attention to the Red-ears I see in stores now.  I
    have little doubt that the original owners were actually sold these
    as Red-ears.  I wonder if there are often St. Helenas and other
    waxbills mixed in - the differences are quite subtle.
    
    						/Rita
    

    Hi Rita,
    
    I am glad you got these birds, it must have been fun getting such a
    variety for such a good price.  It is good they found a good home.
    It is sad some of them are in tough shape, but it will be fun for you
    to watch the improvements. It is good to know that the former owner knew
    she could no longer handle them. I had to bite my tongue yesterday when
    I guy told me he had some budgies that he grew tired of, so he just let
    them go. I wanted to choke him, but dec policies frown on that sort of
    thing during work.
    
    Doug
    
    

    
    Yeah, it *was* fun, and the former owner seemed relieved that someone
    who knew about birds took them away.  She was not an uncompassionate
    woman - she breeds exquisite Persian cats of fine quality and was
    telling me about her quarantine procedures and breeding procedures.  It
    was clear to me that she knew that she was unable to give the birds the
    same good care she gave to her cats, and I think that was commendable.
    
    And it is definitely fun to watch the improvements - some of them are
    improving already!  The Strawberry's plucked shoulder patch is growing
    smaller by the day, on s/he is getting very bold and inquisitive, and
    has lovely carriage.  I'm rapidly growing fond of him/her (who I named
    Daquiri ;-) and am looking forward to getting a mate.  S/he's becoming
    such a steady individual that I suspect I may be able to get him/her to
    go to nest without much trouble.
    
    And Buzzard, my mystery finch, seems to be a hen.  She can quiver her
    tail faster that I can see, and has been strongly soliciting courtship
    from the St. Helena's, also a hen.  Pinky is totally disinterested in
    Buzzard's solicitations, which just gets Buzz going and trying harder
    :-)
    
    					/Rita