Taeniopygia guttata internationalis

New mutation: 'George'

by Frank Nielsen, Denmark, 97-Jan-04

A new zebra finch mutation has appeared in South Australia. It is currently being called 'George' by the breeders David and Marion Reese. It was named after the person who bred the first bird, and gave it to mr and mrs Reese. Details on the heredity of the mutation are not quite clear, but so far David and Marion Reese have bred both normal and fawn examples of 'George'. It would appear that 'George' is a new pattern for the markings. So far we have only had one such mutation, ie the black breasted, while all other mutations have changed the colours of existing markings.

However, in addition to changing the marking 'pattern', 'George' has one other quality: The feathers on flanks and cheeks stand out, making the birds resemble a frill-necked lizard (with some imagination).

So far only around 20 of these birds have been bred, so no standard has been drawn up yet. There are still too many unanswered questions. One of them being, whether the feather change is desirable or not. And of course, we still have to figure out the heredity of the mutation.

Below is a picture drawn from my photos and memory.

And this is the real thing:

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