My original point/concern mackstaa was that the red bill (and possibly the colour mutation) may have come from hybridising with Reb Billed (Hecks) Longtails which I saw as a species kept on the website............I am told this is a typical method of transferring a desired mutation from one closely related species to another........The Pearl Longtail has been bred with Black Throats to introduce that mutation into the Black Throat population, for example
Anyway, I too have read that Hawkesbury Finch Club article and not being a genetics expert I can only assume that the red bill, in this mutation, occurs naturally, ie it does not originate via hybridisation.........
Well done Picta81 and to all Aussie Finch fans here and abroad
