Hobbies And Interests
Normal Finches
In the wild, zebra finches are small gray-brown birds with bright orange bills and feet, dark markings under their eyes, and a paler underbelly. Males are more attractively marked than females, with spots and streaks of white throughout the wings, a white underbelly and some brown markings. Male zebra finches also have a large orange-brown patch near the eye.
Pied
Pied zebra finches are similar to wild-type finches but have increased white spotting all over their bodies. This spotting appears in random patterns and can eliminate the usual male markings. Pied zebra finches may also have other mutations, such as black face, breast or cheek, gray and fawn. According to Pet Bird Magazine, pied birds that are more than 40 percent white are considered heavy pied.
Black Cheek
Black cheek is relatively new mutation that originated during the late 1970s. Both male and female zebra finches with the genes for black cheek have dark to black cheeks instead of the usual brownish orange. The dark cheek patch is often less well developed in female finches, which also lack the black breast bar usually seen in males.
Black Breast
This recessive gene causes male zebra finches to develop enlarged orange cheep patches, loose the black "tear" streak near their eyes, develop enlarged flank spotting and have a distinct large black patch on the breast. Females lose their tear mark and develop a buff-colored tail and rump but have no black patches on the breast, despite the variety name.
Penguin
These zebra finches have a darker upper body color and silvery-white edging on their wing and back feathers. They develop bright white underparts, and the males tend to have faded or missing breast bars. The flanks and cheeks turn bright orange, although females have white cheeks.
Orange Breast
The Orange-breasted type of zebra finch has orange-colored feathers instead of black. Orange-breasted male zebra finches have no visible tear marks and orange throat stripes, tail bars and breast bars. Females have orange tear marks and tail bars but no other visible differences from the norm. This mutation conflicts with the black cheek mutation, making it impossible to have both a black-cheeked and orange-breasted finch.
White
A very old mutation produces a white, non-albino zebra finch with completely black eyes, an orange beak and orange legs. Some birds have spots of color on the back and neck. A related variety, the chestnut flanked white, has a breast bar, flank spots and cheek patches, all diluted in color.