Zebra Finch [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

["martin butterfield" <>]

Some years ago I looked up a bunch of Annual Bird Reports about zebra finches and it seemed that all reports came from around Kelly's swamp usually close to Christmas.  I think they were always regarded as escapees - but where from and why around Christmas?  It may be interesting that Kelly's and West Magregor are both o the edge of the urban area.

 

Martin

 

On 4/20/07, Whitworth, Benjamin - BRS <> wrote:

I also dont agree

There is a lot of variation amongst captive birds. Immelman was here for one year so probably didnt have time to observe all the variation amongst wild or captive birds.

Since the early 90s the show standard was changed to pure white underneath and show birds were selected for that feature.

Also

Black tail coverts are features of black front and some blackface mutations, and the extent can vary. But the feather does look partially missing, perhaps regrowing to me.

The pale four or five feathers on the back could indicate pied, but can also occur in pure greys.

I wouldnt say certainly 'wild type grey' but probably is.

Not many people have pure greys, so that does reduce the probability of captive birds.

 It seems suss to me that they have hung out in the same area for 2 years, relatively close to the suburbs, which suggests escapees to me, for Zebra finches. If they are the same birds as reported previously.

Benj

 

---

From: Philip Veerman [mailto:m("pcug.org.au","pveerman");" target="_blank">]
Sent: Thursday, 19 April 2007 6:23 PM
To: roger curnow; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank">
Subject: [canberrabirds] Zebra Finch

 

There are lots of colour variants in captivity but this picture certainly shows a wild type bird, so that doesn't prove either way. This bird appears to only have one upper tail covert, so hardly shows the barred pattern on top of the tail. Zebra Finches have unusually long upper tail coverts (not as much as chickens and peacocks) and these are barred. The tail appears to be barred but it isn't. 

 

This is what Immelmann's book says about the differences (I'm not sure how helpful this is):

 

Wild birds                                                                    Domestic ones

Red eyes                                                                      dark brown eyes

pale brownish grey above                                               ashy brown above

Females are as white below as are males                        Females are pale creamy buff below 

(but HANZAB doesn't agree)  

                     

Philip