Aussie Finch Forum

Last Saturday night (after it had been raining all flaming day!) I went out to check on the finches because it was fairly windy and something shot out from under my feet, put the torch on it and saw it was a fully feathered young Scaly breasted. I scooped it up & popped it in the hospital cage overnight.

The next morning when i took a closer look at it i saw it had all the markings of a Scaly breast but had a faint blue head and blue flecks through the chest, as I'm not up to speed with my parrots was wondering is this normal? also what would you feed it? I've been feeding it finch soft food sweetened with sugar, apple which it loves, & grapes which it hasn't touched. I'll try & get some photos up tomorrow.

Also the Lorikeet's we get in the flowering gums in the back yard are rainbow, scaly breasted, musk, little, & purple crowned.

Sounds like a young Rainbow just starting to colour up.

I'd say Rainbow X Scaley, very common pet bird, some of the Lorikeet crosses are very pretty birds, & have on occasion had some cross in holding cages. Would say it would be an escapee, but could be a wild cross, rare but does happen.

I'd agree on the cross, PHOTO!

Yep, By your description it is a cross scalie/rainbow. These hybrids, as adults have a green body, light bluish head and blue in the chest. The red or orange in the chest usually does not appear and they are the size of a rainbow.

Normal scalys can have a slight blue hue on the head as well ... not the chest AFAIK.

Our scaly has no blue or blue hues anywhere..

All just bright green, gold with that hint of red under it's wings!

They can vary. Older cock birds tend to show the most blue on the head but not all do.

I have seen young and adults scaleys with a blue sheen to the head of a paler shade than the blue of the rainbow. Have not noticed this on the chest.

Sorry for the delay had to figure out how to put photos on again. What do you think?