Birds

Love to have a birdie? Why not the Zebra finch? The species displays strong sexual dimorphism that is constant throughout the year. Zebra finch males and females are of similar size (10cm) but have very different markings. Both have grey crown, neck, back and wings. Both show a black line at the base of the beak, succeeded by a white cheek, which is margined by a vertical black bar below the eye. Upper tail coverts are banded black and white with the tail feathers a brownish black. The rump is white, legs and feet orange, and the bill red. Males tend to have beaks of a darker red than females. In domestic stock the eye is generally dark brown, although wild birds have red eyes. Male birds only have a yellowish-chestnut shade on the sides of the face and on the ear coverts. The males also have chestnut brown flanks speckled with white. The throat and chest show fine bars of black and white, terminating in a broad black band. This clear distinction of the sexes makes it eas...