Over time, this selective breeding can lead to a stable line of finches with distinct colorations. Breeders carefully select birds with desired color traits and pair them together to increase the likelihood of offspring inheriting those traits. These different colors can add a touch of variety and uniqueness to a finch aviary.īreeding for specific color variations in society finches is a fascinating process. Some common color variations include white, fawn, chocolate, and pied. Through selective breeding, breeders have been able to produce society finches in a range of colors. While their natural coloration is a grayish-brown, there are actually several different color variations that can be found within the society finch population. These small, lively birds are known for their sociability and charming disposition. Society finches, also known as Bengalese finches or Lonchura domestica, are a popular choice for bird enthusiasts. How does the coloration of society finches affect their behavior or health?Īre society finches available in different colors other than their natural grayish-brown?.Are certain color variations more desirable or sought after by bird enthusiasts?.What are some of the common color variations seen in society finches?.Can society finches be bred to have different color variations?.Are society finches available in different colors other than their natural grayish-brown?.Both the sparrow in the blog post and the sparrow in my pic are female birds. For male birds to present with the mutation, it must receive two copies of the gene - and that is highly unlikely to occur. For a female to express the brown mutation, it need only get one copy of the W gene with the mutation present. In birds, females have WZ sex chromosomes whereas males have WW. As such, it usually only presents in female birds. Brown mutation House Sparrows present with the reddish coloration shown in my photo as well as the photos from the other blog post. The brown mutation, on the other hand, is the lack of melanin, while phaeomelanin (reddish pigment) remains unaffected. Leucism is defined as the lack of both eumelanin (dark pigment) and phaeomelanin (reddish pigment). This paper nicely defines the variety of mutations that have been found in the House Sparrow. I found this study examining the various color mutations of the House Sparrow and everything became clear. Feeling confident that post did not have the whole story, I kept digging. They all led back to one particular blog post. I didn't feel that was right, so I examined those sources. I have seen my fair share of leucistic sparrows, but they have never presented like this. My first Internet search turned up a reference to a similarly colored bird, labeling it leucistic. That left me back at House Sparrow mutation. Maybe an immature or a color variant of something. I then proceeded to page through The Sibley Guide to Birds, examining all of the seedeaters, looking for anything with this unique coloration. In desperation, it threw out far-fetched absurdities like cormorant, owl, or grouse species. The wonderful Merlin app, so good with sparrow identification, didn't come anywhere close on this one. I have never seen a wild bird this color, and while I believed it to be a House Sparrow mutation, I thought I should exhaust other avenues as well.
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