Armando's Aviaries

There are 3 standard color Zebra Finches bred at Armando's Aviaries.

These include:

There are currently 4 exotic color mutations being bred at Armando's Aviaries.

These include:

Distinguishing Male from Female

*Males have red or dark orange beaks, compared to females who have paler orange beaks.

Another way to distinguish male from female Zebra Finch is through Cheek Patches.

Only Males have cheek patches EXCEPT IN THE BLACK CHEEK AND

GREY CHEEK MUTATIONS where females have cheek patches as well!

Gray

Zebra finches are dimorphic. That is to say that the males and females have different coloration.

Males have a number of distinguishing features including:

orange cheek patches, stripes on the throat, black bar on the breast and a chestnut colored flank with white spots.

Females lack these features and are gray in those areas mentioned. Beak color is generally a brighter red in males

and a orange color in females. This is variable based on the breeding condition of the birds.

Juveniles fledge looking like females, but with a black beak. The beak and adult colors are usually complete by the time the young are 90 days old.

Fawn

Male: The fawn mutation changes the normal gray and black coloring to a light brown or fawn coloring with dark brown markings. The male cheek and flank marks are nearly the same color as the normal, but are slightly diluted. Males will often have a buff colored belly and some standards consider this a fault, preferring a white underside, while other standards call for it. All markings normally black will be changed to a dark, chocolate brown. The base gray color changes to the light brown. There is some variation in the depth of that color.

Female: Like the male, the base color is changed to a light brown or fawn color. Tear mark and tail markings are dark brown. The belly will be buff like the normal if not more so.

Fledglings: Fawn chicks will have light colored skin in the nest compared to the dark, near black of the normals. The beak will be horn-colored. As soon as the feathers are visible, the fawn coloring can be seen. The eyes of the chicks may appear ruby red.

Chestnut Flanked White

Male: The ideal bird will have a white body with the markings remaining at nearly full strength. These include the cheek patches and flanks, tear and breast marks. The tail will be a diluted gray. It is difficult to obtain birds with strong markings as these are often diluted. The orange cheeks are especially difficult.

Female: Like the males, the females will have a white body with dark tear marks under the eyes. The tail will also be a diluted gray. Females often have more black flecking on the top of the head than do males.

Fledglings: The chicks, unlike most dilute varieties, do not show any change in body or beak color. They are dark bodied with black beaks. They can be identified as soon as the white pin feathers of the wings start to show. Young females tend to carry more dark feathering on their heads than the males and can be identified early.

Florida Fancy

Male: The Florida Fancy mutation works to suppress all the Black coloration (eumelanin) on the bird. This creates a nearly all white bird with the orange markings remaining at full strength. There will often be some orange lacing in the wings. If not a pure white, there can be a hint of a silver color when seen in certain light. The belly will often be a rich creamy buff color.

Female: Like the male, the gray and black coloration has been eliminated and a silvery white color will remain. The buff belly and tail, also present in the males, is often more rich in the hens. The orange lacing however is often not as pronounced as in the males.

Gray Cheek

Male: The Fawn Cheek (FC) mutation reduces the gray areas of the Zebra finch to a white or near white color. The cheek patches are also changed in that they show the base body color. That is to say that Gray series birds will have a gray cheek patch (often called a Gray Cheek or GC) and fawn series birds will have a fawn cheek patch. The flanks remain unchanged, but the breast bar and tear marks can often be reduced in intensity giving them a softer appearance. There is often some fawn lacing in the wings and the belly will retain any buff coloring. The tail bars are also distorted.

Female: The base color will be reduced to white or near white as in the male. With this mutation, like the Black Cheek mutation, the hens have cheek patches like the males. They can still be distinguished by the lack of flank markings, breast bars and the lighter colored beak. The buff coloring on the belly is usually more evident on the females than the males.

Fledglings: Young Fawn Cheeks are easily identified in the nest. If not mixed with other white feathered birds in the nest (CFWs, Pieds, Whites, Florida Fancy or Dominant Silvers), they can be identified as soon as the wing feathers start show. Otherwise, when FCs fledge they will have cheek patches. they also have a horn-colored beak.

Black Cheek

Male: The cheek patches will turn a rich black and the chestnut color of the flanks will turn black as well.

Female: This is one of only two mutations where the hen has cheek patches. The female will have black cheek patches similar to the male's. They should not have other male markings, but it is not uncommon for a hen to show smudges in the flanks.

Fledgling: The Black Cheek (BC) chicks are immediately identifiable upon gaining their head feathers. The young birds will have full cheek patches with their juvenile plumage.

Crested

Crested (Bad-Hair Day)

Male and Female: Forms a flat, circular crest on the top of the head.

Fledgling: Crested chicks can be identified as soon as the head feathers begin to sprout. Even the pin feathers will form the circular pattern of the crest.

CRESTED ZEBRA FINCH! MY ABSOLUTE FAVORIT ZEBRA FINCH. VERY RARE!

THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST MUTATION EVER!

YOU CAN NOT BREED TWO CRESTEDS TOGETHER!

THE CREST CAN SHOW ON ANY COLOR MUTATION!

THEY ARE AMAZING!

Perfect Pets for Perfect Prices