kimberly star finch

Includes Species Profile.
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amalan11
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Posts: 301
Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 21:11
Location: Sydney NSW
Location: Sydney NSW

just for interests sake what do these look like? articles mention them as being very rare , spectacular and hard to find the pure variety but what do they look like? I can find photos of the standard green and red face and yellow and cinnimon but what is the kimberly one like? :wtf:
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Fincho162
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Joined: 11 Jan 2011, 13:38
Location: Hobart

Imagine the best coloured cock bird you've ever seen and multiply it by 100% and that is what a Kimberley star hen looks like - they are stunning in a word.

Was told recently that the name "Kimberley star" was used by trappers to disguise where they actually were coming from by the way!!!

I only ever had 2 pair and the strain was eventually integrated into other stars due to a lack of new blood........too familiar story I'm afraid.

The red on the male was fire engine red....the yellow a lemon colour.......and the white spots were enamel paint white.
Was corresponding with the late David Liddle about them and he was chasing a "rumour" about them just before his very untimely demise.

Unfortunately well before the digital camera age when I had them so no pics survive........saw very close to them in Mildura in the late 1990's...not sure what became of that collection.
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amalan11
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Joined: 27 Jul 2010, 21:11
Location: Sydney NSW
Location: Sydney NSW

ohh sound lovely,its interesting that there are no photos anywhere..poor things I guess no one realised till too late they were being bred out .They are ment to be a lovely sight the standard boys are quite bright so they must have been amazing.mind I saw some very pale ones a week ago and they are also very pretty sort of lemon shade..I was interested but counted 18 dead birds on floor of avery so didnt dare!!! :(
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Fincho162
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Joined: 11 Jan 2011, 13:38
Location: Hobart

They were never common in the wild and our 2 pair came put of hundreds of legally trapped ones..........we just never got any more after the initial 4..............kept em going as long as we could.........

The very pale ones could be left overs from the Queensland stars.........they surface from time to time.........cant tell hens from cocks unless you see the cocks "crow"!!!
Believe they may be extinct in the wild now..........

A mate brought just such a throw-back down last weekend.........pale, washed out..........
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west finch
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Joined: 22 Feb 2011, 11:24
Location: tamworth

I think I must have one of the Quensland stars , I have a cock bird that you would think was a hen very little red on the head looks just like a hen . Would have sold it by now but because of it's poor quality it's living in my holding aviary. Is it worth breeding from this line to keep the strain going ?
Work smarter not harder !
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Redwing
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Joined: 27 Jun 2010, 21:02
Location: SOR Perth, WA
Location: Perth, WA

Sorry Fincho...didn't understand that comment about where they originated. Are you saying they weren't trapped in the Kimberleys?
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Fincho162
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Joined: 11 Jan 2011, 13:38
Location: Hobart

Westfinch the entire body is a different colour as well.............pale, washed out colour as well as the head. Certainly worth trying but they died out in captivity for that reason - they were very drab and not a patch on the "normal' bushie red star. So nobody wanted them.

Apparently so Redwing twas just a furfie as to the exact locale that they came from.....and that from the man (or one of them!!) that used to trap them - and the trapper that ours came from. Kimberleys are a huge place but where they came from was not strictly in that area.
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mickw
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Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 19:49
Location: Port Macquarie, NSW
Location: Port Macquarie

I have a pair, very washed out as you describe fincho.......none of you would believe me that I have both a male and a female.....I bought 'em at the Kempsey sale last July, they've since knocked out 6 young between three nests, lost a couple of young in storms.......one of the young males is almost as you would describe as a Kimberley Star!......looks just like the WA trapped birds I use to buy in the 80's......brilliant coloured bird, might show him just for fun!............Sorta goes to show how mixed up our Stars probably are...........nonetheless, he's a keeper & I'll match him with a good coloured hen.
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Buzzard-1
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Joined: 27 May 2010, 21:24
Location: Narrabri North West NSW
Location: North West NSW

Can you post a pick of him so I can see what is called a good coloured bird.
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mickw
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Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 19:49
Location: Port Macquarie, NSW
Location: Port Macquarie

I'll give it a go Buzz, but it'll be on my phone so it may not impress.......To me he is just like all the ones we used to get about October/November each year when the WA birds came in to the shops & dealers...from about 1980-1985ish

Mixed blood is a strong probability but how about this additional theory......

My original birds were bred primarily on dry seed with a little green stuff.........then I bred from them but gave them all the goodies, from shot seed, fresh green seed heads each day and termites...........they dont seem to take many termites but they have a bit of a pick..........Could it be that the colouration is correlated to diet during early development, ie, from conception to weaning??

Anyway, you wanted a pic, not my ramblings........
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