General - 'normal' bird primarily green with a deep blue mask.   In sunlight appears significantly more colourful

The Blue-faced Parrotfinch lies midway between the very active, inquisitive, friendly, Red-headed Parrotfinch and the shy, reclusive, relatively inactive Pin-tailed.   An engaging character

I like the cock's little song, particularly in an outside flight in summer

Housing - Blue-faced Parrot Finches ideally should be bred as single pairs in flights or large cages.   A metre cube is my minimum.   They will breed in relatively small cages, but obesity can occur and birds lose condtition

I tried colony breeding with absolutely no success.   Ten birds housed in a large aviary with offshoot compartments with nest boxes.   Breeding was attempted but there was too much aggression and interference.   A few eggs were laid but none hatched and nests were often taken over

Mutations - Various pied forms are available.  A lutino exists with white mask, yellow body and reddish rump.   Unfortunately, it suffers from poor eyesight

This has been overcome with a black-eyed, yellow mutation (recessive), - robust birds without any eyesight problems

A major plus is that any bird carrying a single gene looks normal but has white patches on and around the beak (as shown in the photo above)


'normal' bird - green with blue mask
colouration of 'normal' bird
blue-faced cock - yellow mutation with black eyes
cock, yellow, black-eyed recessive mutation
normal colouration but split for yellow
normal but head markings = split for yellow

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Feeding - Blue-faced aren't at all fussy.   Most mixes seem to suit them

They're quite willing to try new foods.   They make more use of egg food, even when they are not rearing chicks, than do the Pin-tailed

Eat a lot of grit and crushed oyster shell (with dry vitamins plus minerals) mix (always available).   Like water cress

Sexing - unlike others, I have difficulty distinguishing visually between cocks and hens

Cocks are generally more robust.   However, the main difference is extent and intensity of the blue face.   Excellent pictures showing male versus female here - link

Once true pair installed in an adequate cage or flight, is very little to stop breeding

Rheumatism - a few seemed prone to rheumatic-type condition, whereby slowly lost use or function of legs

In-breeding could have been involved.   Vitamin or mineral deficiency the more likely cause.   Such problems seemed to arise more readily in birds kept in small cages

Apart from a few problems, Blue-faced Parrotfinches are very easy to keep and breed


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General - 'normal' bird primarily green with a deep blue mask.   In sunlight appears significantly more colourful

The Blue-faced Parrotfinch lies midway between very active, inquisitive, friendly, Red-headed Parrotfinch and shy, reclusive, relatively inactive Pin-tailed

'normal' bird - green with blue mask
colouration of 'normal' bird

An engaging character.   I like the cock's little song, particularly in an outside flight in summer

Housing - Blue-faced Parrot Finches ideally kept as single pairs in flights or large cages

Will breed in relatively small cages, but obesity can occur and birds lose condtition.   A metre cube is my minimum

Had no success colony breeding.   Ten birds in a large aviary with offshoot compartments with nest boxes.  Breeding was attempted but was too much aggression and interference

A few eggs were laid.   None hatched and nests were often taken over

Sexing - unlike others, I have difficulty distinguishing visually between cocks and hens

Cocks are generally more robust.   However, main difference is extent and intensity of blue face

Excellent pictures showing male versus female here - link

Once true pair installed in an adequate cage or flight, is very little to stop breeding


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Feeding - Blue-faced aren't fussy.   Most seed mixes suit.  Willing to try new foods.   Eat more egg food, even when not rearing chicks, than do Pin-tailed

Eat a lot of grit and crushed oyster shell (with dry vitamins plus minerals, mix always available).   Like water cress

Rheumatism - a few seemed prone to rheumatic-type condition, slowly losing function of legs

In-breeding the issue?

Vitamin or mineral deficiency more likely.   Problem arose more often in birds in small cages


------------------------------------------
 

Mutations - Various pied forms are available

A lutino exists with white mask, yellow body and reddish rump.   Unfortunately, suffers from poor eyesight

Problem overcome with a black-eyed, yellow mutation (recessive), - robust birds without eyesight problems

Major plus is any bird carrying a single gene looks normal but has white patches on and around the beak

blue-faced cock - yellow mutation with black eyes
cock, yellow, black-eyed recessive mutation
normal colouration but split for yellow
normal but head markings = split for yellow

to top menu
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