Isabel Or Florida Fancy?

[Aspen 2]

I am new to zebra finches, having just purchased one pair last summer.  The male is a normal grey and the hen is a fawn.  The first clutch they produced last fall had two males – one full black breasted (I think) and one orange breasted – and three females – two fawn and one grey.  From this I deduced that both are split to OB, BB and the male is split to fawn.

 

On February 10th, they hatched two more chicks – both male, one normal grey and this one.  I am attaching pictures of the parents and this chick.

 

On April 5/6 they hatched three more chicks which just fledged yesterday – two fawn and one grey, but I can’t tell more at this time.

 

My question is regarding “this chick”.  I have read about the Florida Fancy and the Isabel mutations.  I am in Canada, and I have been told that “we don’t have Isabels in North America”.  (I live in Canada.)  However, this looks to me to be a full FF, and getting that from the above parents just doesn’t seem possible being as it is co-dominant.  So I am wondering if it really is an Isabel.  A recessive makes more sense to me, though one out of ten is a pretty low ratio if both parents are split to it.

 

I also think it is probably black breasted, and have sent a picture of the tail feathers as well.

 

Can you help me figure out what this chick is? And any further information about parents would be good too.

 

Thank you.

[Ozzy747 25]

Wow. What a beautiful surprise from such a pairing. 

personally, I think this could be a phaeo (FF,BB) but a lot more people on here will give you better explanations! Isabel and FF is a little complicated though but based on your descriptions, you seem pretty clued up and have pretty much explained everything yourself ;-)

Scott

[norfolk flyer 208]

Aspen,

            On your fawn hen, has she got faded spots on her flanks as I can't quite make out,

 

Her tail is not the norm for fawns,

 

I'm thinking that she's got OB in her and that would be one part of the young,

 

I'll wait for your answer before I commit myself anymore,

 

Trevor

[Aspen 2]

Yes she does.  And she has had a full OB male chick before, so she is at least split to OB.  How can you tell full versus split to OB on a hen?  What is the normal for a tail versus what she has? 

 

[Aspen 2]

Any more answers?

[finchdude 9]

Hi, I would defo agree that its not a FF, again looks to be a pheao for me! makes sense its a combo of BB Isabel and fawn! Isabels tend to have much more solid flank markings and with regard to pheao you can see evidence of BB in the birds cheeks. The hen is defo split for BB thin tear markings and tail is a big givaway and the hint of orange in her tail makes me assume shes split for OB aswell. I would like to see more pics of the cock, perhaps with his wings spread looking down at him and underneath the wings to see his body, there is a slight hint of orange in the wings also but again hard to tell from the pics.

 

Hope this helps

 

Mark 

[Aspen 2]

Sorry, I don't have more pictures of the male like that, and he is currently feeding babies so I don't want to disturb him to take pictures at this time.  However, here are pictures of 4 of the 5 of the first clutch from this same pair.  Maybe that will help.

 

I hadn't considered fawn with this male.  How do you tell fawn from grey isabels?  

[finchdude 9]

an isabel fawn simply has fawn colouring underneath the bird (like the fawn zebra finch) and the grey is a light grey colour underneath you would spot the difference easy if you had 2 sitting beside each other.

[Aspen 2]

Thanks for the help! 

[Aspen 2]

Finchdude, here is a picture of the top of the male in flight.  Fortuitous timing!  Does this help at all?