Aussie Finch Forum

Hi all. I don't know this birds history other than it came from a deceased collector. I felt sorry for it in a pet shop a few years back. I've suspected its a green singer, though it was sold as a golden song sparrow I am not sure it's pure as it does not look like the regular GS? It's also been suggested it could be a greater green singer as the necklace etc does not match up to normal green singers. Could it be? Could this be a hybrid?

There was a pair originally. The male had very distinct head markings and was a very rich clear yellow chest much like the regular GS. He had a beautiful song.
This is the hen. I've pretty much established it is a girl and would like to, if I can, get a mate for her, but I want to get the correct one (if she is not a hybrid).
She does sing rather softly, but nothing like the males song. What are your thoughts?

The bird appears to be a white-tipped green singer.I'm told it comes from SE africa.
the males have a promanebt whitr/yellowish tipped tail,the hans don't have a necklace but do have a small white patch on throat.

woah - never seen anything like that

I know there's a lot of Serinus members over there we don't have but it looks like a regular male Mozambicus (Little green) singer to me..................or the hodge podge of the ones commonly available to us here.

The larger green singers we had here were Goldfinch size from memory and stood bolt upright rather than like the little GS. The frontal part of the hen was like 2 swathes of darker colour (rusty maybe) from each side that just failed to touch in the middle........but the size diference was pretty dramatic.
We have the legacy of that here as little green singers vary in size enormously!!! I got 2 hens from NSW that were head and shoulders bigger than my cock birds which originated from WA.
Not much help.............just some thoughts...........!!

THis is the weird thing. It does not act like a male at all and has a hens song. As I am unsure of what it is I think s/he will probably remain a loner.
This bird lacks the necklace of a GS hen and lacks the white of the other... perhaps it is a very confused male as suggested?

its a nice looking bird

Just a quick update on this query.

Taken me a while to track down someone here that breeds these birds. Found out more info and in SA the Serinus mozambicus ssp. mozambicus and S. mozambicus ssp. granti are the dominant types bred.
So I think she is a ssp. granti which is supposed to have more green and is just slightly paler yellow than the male. I've only managed to track down one set of photos online of the granti, but she sure does look like it.
Hope to find a male for her soon as she has completed her own nest, nesting and now deciding to incubate stray finch eggs layed in it. If ever there was a reason to try find a male, a willing hen would be one. She is getting on in years, estimated 4yrs or more. I'm not sure how successful any breeding will be, but I thought it worth a try.

Some better pictures taken recently.

Sh e is very pretty. Only thing I can suggest is ring every secretary of every bird club you know about (and ask them about other clubs to contact) and ask them to put you in touch with someone who breeds Green singers.
Good luck with your search.

Diane I wish we had that many clubs to phone. I have tracked down a breeder and he is trying to source a male for me. Holding thumbs.

I thought there might have been at least one club per big city.
Well I hope your contact is able to find one for you. Fingers crossed.