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White eared mask

Posted: 06 Aug 2011, 16:50
by Fireback
Does anyone keep the two colour variations of the white eared mask ? Apparently there is a dark form and light form. Remember speaking to old trapper in Townsville, who would trap in the Gulf and the Cape. He explained the variations in colour are similiar to diggles dark form and light. Interesting place the Cape, the further you go north, all the subspecies occur eg bloods, red brows, diggles, masks. This old character passed away about 12 years ago. Cheers

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 06 Aug 2011, 17:02
by jusdeb
Its a shame the old bird trappers didn't keep written records .
My father helped his Uncle trap parrots around the Riverina way back when , the things they know is amazing .
He made a living when times were hard with his horse , cart and traps and back then it was a job and not looked down on ...things change hey.

Cant help with your question sorry , just interesting the things these old characters knew / know in regards to native birds.

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 06 Aug 2011, 17:53
by Diane
We need to collect all these old stories before they disappear for ever
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Re: White eared mask

Posted: 06 Aug 2011, 21:42
by Tiaris
I know of two finch breeders in the past who had very reddish-fronted white-eared Maskeds which they referred to as Watsonii subspecies. This was a form described and proposed as a sub-species by Gregory Matthews among many other different forms of native birds. Most WE Masks I've kept & seen in recent years have been the paler "form".

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 06 Jan 2012, 22:03
by Fireback
I no a breeder who had the dark and lighter form, in Townsville about 13 years ago .The dark form was a beautiful bird,the white ear patches and marking stood out. Cheers

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 20 Sep 2018, 10:37
by mr skeeter
gday graham wasn't there a chocolate form of the white ear mask i remember seeing many years ago the bird farm was the australia bird company in springvale the guy has since passed away and there are new owners there. i have not seen them since. cheers mick

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 20 Sep 2018, 12:20
by Tiaris
That may be the "watsonia" form Mick. More a reddish brown colour compared to the chocolate brown colour of some of the dark forms of Black-throateds.
Was that Wally Hawryluk at ABC. If so, we used to send him hundreds of birds in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I can remember one batch with 30prs each of Melbas & Cordons & 20prs of Auroras (we were feeding out a 2 gallon bucket full of termites each day at that time).

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 21 Sep 2018, 08:33
by mr skeeter
thats the chap graham he's name was wally he had a great set up there. he passed away due to that bloody cancer, iv never seen them since they were very nice birds pal. cheers

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 21 Sep 2018, 09:55
by finchbreeder
As he had them someone must have inherited them, so even if they were on sold they are arround somewhere. Hopefully. How long since he passed?
LML

Re: White eared mask

Posted: 21 Sep 2018, 14:09
by mr skeeter
Has to be around 10 years ago i would imagine but time goes buy that bloody fast it could be longer since he has gone but he had a great set up and lots of finches, i have never seen the dark form of masks since and i have been around australia, somebody might know if they are still around,