Aussie Finch Forum

What do you make of this Fawn Zebra please? She has been in full adult feather, or so I had thought, for two months already. Here's her left side...



And here's her(his?) right side! He/she has suddenly developed a distinct patch of chestnut speckled flank markings. It not a full flank, whereas my male Zebs typically have very good flank markings, and there's no cheek patch or chest marking that a male would have. So I say what the?!

Also seems to have dark tint to the wing as well. The darkness on flank seems to be spread to the belly area too. If not some dark exterior material staining the feathers then perhaps some slight melanism in the plumage. Had any moist hardwood or wet area on the floor of the aviary which could have stained her?

I'm with T. Looks more like a stain of some sort. Feel the theathers and see if the texture is different from other feathers on her body.
LML

I've failed to take a very good picture, but in person and up close the markings are very clearly normal male chestnut-speckle flank markings. It's just that isolated patch. Very weird!

A new mutation? Chestnut flanked fawn! Interesting to see if she retains the markings beyond her next moult.
LML