Aussie Finch Forum

It's my bird one of the members posted it for me . It's not a hybrid as the the siblings of this bird look normal .if it was a hybrid wouldn't it's brothers and sister look similar . It's just an odd pic I took . It looks a bit strange through the cage wire. I'll get another pic soon. Hopefully the gentleman that posted this pic for me can post another for me

It may well be just an aquired syndrome

Another pic from OP via me. Most likely melanistic in which case it will probably moult out next year.

That is VERY dark, let us know how it goes after the moult.

Certainly wouldn't be parting with it, or nestmates, or parents

Could it possibly bea dark factor mutation like in peach-faced lovebirds, Indian ringnecks and scarlets?
I would mate it to a black-headed normal then young one back to this bird.
Whilst dark factors are partially dominant, they have to arise somewhere so this may be the first.
Mating it to a normal will theoretically produce splits (assuming it is double factor) and the split young will show if it is dominant.
Mate it to a black-headed normal so that the head colour is not a distraction to what you are researching.
Mating a young one back to it should produce doublefactors.
This is all assuming it doesn't moult out and that it is inherited.

Not being one of those people who is put off by careful inbreeding I would put it back to the parent of the opposite sex at the first opportunity, then outcross all resultant young to totaly unrelated normal birds. Look forward to seeing an after moult pic. Good luck with finding out if you have the first of a new mutation.
LML

If the birds involved are healthy and of good size and type, yes, mate it back to its parent. Mutations are often bedevilled with health issues so a n immediate outcross to good strong healthy normals (no other mutant genes involved) would be a wise safety measure. THEN mate one of them back to this mutant.
A clever breeder (cleverer than me!) may be able to do both!!
See what the moult brings first. No sense in getting all excited just yet

Thanks for your input gentleman. I'll probably go the safe bet and mate it to a black head normal to be safe and then go from there. I'm no expert in the field so your input is important to me to make the right decision . Having said that I will just have to play the waiting game for now

Very likely it is temporary melanism as this has occured many times & I don't know of any permanent melanistic Gouldian mutations. Put it on a good diet in a warm uncrowded aviary & see what happens.