Aussie Finch Forum

I wanted to get some opinion on the Cuban Markings.

I have always really like the Cubans and had a pair in Adelaide for a considerable time in my mixed collection, they are a lively finch, very inquisitive and have a very nice Song.
The pictures in the Cuban description topic here show some Cubans that have the yellow bar that is separated with a considerable gap in the center between the two sides of the yellow markings. I have only noticed these markings this way. I visited a new friend of mine here in Sydney and his Cubans have a very strong Yellow bar, my friend shows his finches and I believe that he selectively breeds for this kind of marking.
I figured that its a bit like the way we can selectively breed Emblemas (Painteds) for more or less Red.

Here is an example of his Cubans

Cheers

That's a nice bird Aussie_Bengo!

Yes, the yellow collar & black belly area are both very variable on Cubans & so can easily be enhanced with selective breeding if they are features you like. Quite a bit of variation in hen's yellow collar also. Most cocks look very striking already but there's alot of room for improvement with many hens.

Personally, I prefer a bit of a black 'gap' in the middle. I like the contrast of black and yellow, and I think they look more interesting with 2 big yellow 'mutton-chops' rather than an unbroken collar. As with everything though, it's all down to personal preference.

MadHatter wrote: I like the contrast of black and yellow, and I think they look more interesting with 2 big yellow 'mutton-chops' rather than an unbroken collar.

Love it!

When I was breeding show birds I had 3 strains of cubans, with one strain with a full yellow collar and no grey in amongst the black breast, while the others had a gap. I preferred the former and judges said it was also a show fault to have a broken yellow collar. So I was trying to transfer the yellow collar of my better coloured birds onto those with better 'type', and it did seem strongly genetic.
Benj

http://www.petshopisland.net/finchi.htm#index-finchi

The cock Cubans (a couple down from the top) show quite a bit of black

I am reminded of an aviary visit to the Hunter many years ago, where a keeper had Cubans which at a quick glance could have been mistaken for Jacarinis

They were what I would have termed black-bodied




(web-site from Hanabi's post on Y-B Stars)

I purchased some "black Cubans" from a bloke once too. Within 3 weeks in a sunny aviary on good tucker they moulted back to normal.
Further down in those pics there is also a partially melanistic young male Cuban & further down still a cock Strawb with the same condition.
Thanks for the link.

I had no idea there was variation to be found in cuban collars. My cuban cock (he's an old boy at about 7-8 years), has a very strong unbroken collar, and i'd never even seen one with a black bar. For what its worth i much prefer the unbroken collar. In fact the cubans are often the birds first pointed out as the favourite by guests oogling at my birds, probably followed by the cordons.

The link is magic . .

Every time I look at it, there are different birds on it