Aussie Finch Forum

After a few days away, we came back to what we think is an OB fledgeling. Has the little tuft of white hair on top of its head, but instead of being the typical dark colour, its wings have a lot of white. didn't get a really good look as the birds were starting to settle for the night, will try to take a photo tomorrow and post it. It is common to have a variation on the dark plumage???

This is common in Orangebreast & Strawberry fledglings (+ some others). It is not a colour mutation. Similar to temporary induced melanism (which occurs in slightly older birds) the white wing flights are usually a temporary symptom of a dietary &/or environmental stress in the rearing period. It usually moults out to normal colour by the time adult colour is achieved.
If my Orangebreasts or Strawbs sneak a clutch in during the austerity diet (No livefood, less variety) they often have young emerge with these white primary wing feathers. Very rarely when a full breeding diet is available to the parents.

Hi Tiaris
Can you give is an overview of your diets for waxbills?
Roland

Tiaris wrote:This is common in Orangebreast & Strawberry fledglings (+ some others). It is not a colour mutation. Similar to temporary induced melanism (which occurs in slightly older birds) the white wing flights are usually a temporary symptom of a dietary &/or environmental stress in the rearing period. It usually moults out to normal colour by the time adult colour is achieved.
If my Orangebreasts or Strawbs sneak a clutch in during the austerity diet (No livefood, less variety) they often have young emerge with these white primary wing feathers. Very rarely when a full breeding diet is available to the parents.

I find smaller African waxbills such as Orangebreasts prefer a very high proportion of Red Pannicum (40%+) in their basic dry seed mix. This + fine shell grits & cuttlebone should be permanently available. During breeding season I recommend daily feeds of livefood (ideally termites but maggots are a very good substitute for Orangebreasts), daily Lebanese cucumber (which my OBs don't normally touch much until they have young & then pig out on it), half-ripe grass seed (sprouted millets are a good substitute for this if seasonally unavailable) and a variety of dry grass seeds (whatever varieties of small grass seeds may be locally available at produce merchants especially smaller lawnseed and pasture varieties).
I notice you are from USA so have included likely substitutes for key items.

Thanks for the information Tiaris. Must admit we have gone back to standard mix until we realised they had chicks again... have added pics in the members photo section.