Zebra Finch history.

[deegs]

Hi All,
Thought I'd throw this out there for interest sake. I have been wondering about the captive and consequent breeding history of the Zebra Finch. Obviously, this started many years ago with the breeding of the wild bird and I was wondering if anyone has information about when all of the mutations came into being? There seems to be so many variations these days.
Cheers, Deegs.

[finchbreeder]

There are a number of books and websites out there that list the mutations in cronological order.
1817. Very first identification and description of the Zebrafinch thanks to the French naturalist L.J.P.Vieillot. Many authors think, however, he was referring to the Timor ZF (taeniopygia guttata guttata). Some specimens did, possibly, reach Paris (France) in 1805.
LML

[finchbreeder]

I have a book called "Zebra Finches In Australia" It lists a number of mutations and their beginings.
White first bred in Sydney in 1921 in the avairies of Mr. AJ Woods, 3 white hens were produced.
In 1935 Mick Lewistka was camped at Coward Springs, some 600kms north of Adelaide. Zebras could be seen and out of these birds Mick observed 2 different birds being light brown or Fawn he trapped them.
Etc.
LML

[Rod_L]

In 1988 I was working in the pet industry in WA, and you could buy white zebra finches, fawn zebra finches and normal grey zebra finches. They were the 3 main colour forms available then. All the new colour forms have appeared since then.

[finchbreeder]

Those of us up here in the bush had been breeding pieds since before then.
In 1937 Mr Whitehouse of Brisbane caught 3 white hens with tear stripes and tail markings. He named the mutation 'Mark White"
In the mid 1960'2 Mr Bill Pilmer of Sydney was asked to look at some unusual zebras in the avairies of a Narrabeen breeder. They were the ancestors of the Normal Blue, since re named the Slate.
LML

[Tiaris]

There are a number of books and websites out there that list the mutations in cronological order.
1817. Very first identification and description of the Zebrafinch thanks to the French naturalist L.J.P.Vieillot. Many authors think, however, he was referring to the Timor ZF (taeniopygia guttata guttata). Some specimens did, possibly, reach Paris (France) in 1805.
LML

The Timor subspecies is the nominate one, which means it was the first one to be classified.

[finchbreeder]

1948 - 1950 breeders established the Dilute Blue
In 1988 the Beige turned up in three different avairy locations.
LML