Aussie Finch Forum

The Finch Society that I'm a member of has an article in this months magazine about gouldian mutations and the possible loss of the pure form of the breed in captivity. The article mentions a couple of people who breed pure gouldians, but that's for scientific purposes. Just wondering if there are any breeders out there who breed pure gouldians? Given the ban on trapping wild birds, where did the stock originate from?

I classify a pure gouldian if it has no mutations in it and there still is a lot of gouldians in captivity that haven't. I think you are confused with people saying recently taken from the wild for scientific research that have to be pure genetically.
The difference between pure aviary specimens and wild pure is aviary pure are domesticated. imo Craig

Boma wrote: 18 Sep 2017, 23:28 Just wondering if there are any breeders out there who breed pure gouldians?

That's a very good question, Boma.
As Craig says, the answer is most probably 'yes'.
Dr Peri Bolton is currently researching the genomes and phenotypes of Gouldians in Australian aviculture. You may have seen reference to her "Feathers for Science" project.
Some breeders' preferences for different morphs and mutations, and uncontrolled back-breeding has complicated the gene pool.
I have never bred nor studied Gouldians, so feel unqualified to even hazard a guess.....time (and Dr Peri Bolton) will tell.

My father has what I believe to be normal red, black and yellow headed gouldians with no mutant blood

Craig52 wrote: 19 Sep 2017, 09:15 I classify a pure gouldian if it has no mutations in it and there still is a lot of gouldians in captivity that haven't. I think you are confused with people saying recently taken from the wild for scientific research that have to be pure genetically.
The difference between pure aviary specimens and wild pure is aviary pure are domesticated. imo Craig

Spot on, I completely agree Craig, well said

There are many breeders here in England that specialise purely in normals ( non mutation )

These would consist of normal black headed, red headed being the dominant two head colours and then the yellow headed,

Although all of these birds are pure normals they are obviously domesticated birds and have no wildness in them, scientists and biologists occasionally take birds from the wild under government license as they sometimes do here in England, these are generally used for scientific research purposes.

I'm personally not really a lover of mutation birds meself and much prefer to keep and specialise in the normals,

My favourite of all the Gouldians would have to be quality black headed normals

A sad fact that nearlly all our natives pure strain will be lost to aviculture in the near future,due to the aggressive style [by some]of trying to achieve new colours-mutations in our birds.This is fuelled holy and soley by the monetary value of these new mutations and if someone tells you that money has nothing to do with it,then they are lying both to you and themselves. Any new mutation is another nail in the coffin for the pure strain.If you think money is not the main incentive or drive for establishing new mutations,you are living under a rock.I can totally see the beauty in a lot of the mutations,but have seen time and time again that once the monetary value has gone,and the novelty has worn off,you are flat out selling them. Hopefully there are people either here or overseas that will commit to keeping pure strains of whatever.

There is no genetic difference in my opinion between a pure normal bird and one out of the wild.
Having said that it comes down to integrity of the bird. I have what is classed as pure birds, there are no other
Gouldians any where near them. No birds have been added to the stock so the only chance is a spontaneous mutation
as it can happen in the wild.
If scientists decided to do a release they would be totally against any normal looking birds that didn't have impeccable
lineage. If a yellow bodied bird/s appeared there would be people wanting some hungry Hawks around.
I know they can be test bred to confirm purity but that takes time and space.
Personally I think the numbers in the wild are increasing so relocation is becoming a possibility anyway.
Time will tell.

H.W.G.A.

arthur wrote: 19 Sep 2017, 20:16 H.W.G.A.

Agree.

Some mutations I do like the look of and there are others I don't .I only keep all normal birds because I feel one day some these birds ( as normals ) wont exist anymore.