this is a bird in the pet shop i work at and i don't know why the head is the colour it is

i know it it is a grey spangle

 

It's a Spangle Grey Hen, heavily flecked or melanistic face. (Black Face)

I would agree with Daz on heavy flecked plus it could be a younger bird with it stripes still on it's head. It is hard to see the age with the pictures.

 

Here is a black face and it doesn't not look like this http://www.budgieplace.com/c_blackface.html

the bloke that bred this bird said he has a few of them in his aviary.

it has a brown cere, so it isn't that young

It's a Spangle Grey Hen, heavily flecked or melanistic face. (Black Face)

 

 

thats funny daz, i saw this "melanistic" on a few other threads today and asked about it, i didnt know a black face was this.

Anne - black face is different to Melanistic Spangles.

 

It looks as if the bird is having a moult. I wouldn't think black face since the throat spots look normal rather that all black.

 

Is there any chance for bigger pictures? She does seem to have very strong markings around the head and neck area.

It's a Spangle Grey Hen, heavily flecked or melanistic face. (Black Face)

 

 

thats funny daz, i saw this "melanistic" on a few other threads today and asked about it, i didnt know a black face was this.

 

Check out the link I posted that is a black face this one is not

here are some bigger photos

 

thank for that. After seeing them I think she is just heavily marked around the head. She seems to be having her first moult since there are still some markings close to the cere so I would put her age at 3-4 months.

when i was talking to the breeder of this bird he said he had some breeders like this and they stay like it all the time

I'd think she was a bit older as you said - the cere is noticeably brown.

some hens will get the brown like that with their first moult. (most of mine do)

 

The breeder would know better than me, it possible is breeding lines are producing heavy marks, or even a gene like the black face. He doesn't seem to think it's important or special or he would be keeping them all close to monitor.