Hey guys

Just after a bit of help

 

This is Echo (sky violet dom pied) and Bravo (spangle) (excuse the relatively bad quality photos)

 

 

Couple of questions

-estimates of how old they are? I know it's a little tricky to see their irises, but I've tried my best especially want a guess-timate of Echo's age, as Bravo seems older (I got them from a pet shop that told me they were very young - before I knew better!). They've obviously already been through their first moult, and now they're starting their second.

 

-is Bravo a mauve? he seems to have more and more grey showing up which has made me unsure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Charlie. His bigger, badder sibling (appropriately named Alpha) wouldn't stay still for me to get a photo of the back of his head.

 

-Is it normal for spangles to have a pied spot on the back of their head?

 

 

-I know the violet doesn't show up in pics, but in good light they're really quite purple - bright lavender would be the best desciption of their colour. Considering their shade, would they be sky violets or violet cobalts or violet mauve?

 

Probably dumb question I know, but I'm still learning

i would think cobalt violet with the colours you say you see in real life. Sky violets are closer to cobalt colouring (like your pied) and violet mauves are a darker colour.

 

Yes it is normal for spangles to have pied spots.

 

As for ages of birds, ones at pet shops are between 3-6 months for young ones or even older. It is hard to guess after the big moult, but your pied looks around 6 months as the cere is still pale brown not a deep brown. but this is just a guess, make sure you have had them for a year before breeding.

I agree with Nerwen on their age- pretty young. If they were much older, the iris rings would be whiter and more distinct. If you think Bravo is a little older, it can't be by much. They vary a little at when they reach their first molt, and how long it takes them to grow up, so even clutch mates can look "older" and "younger" than each other. They don't look like they're on their second molt to me. I've found that the first molt can go in fits and starts, and last a month or two. So six months for the older two seems about right.

 

I think the others are even younger, because some of them still have bars down to their ceres.

 

Yes, I would say Bravo is mauve. Possibly violet factored, but it's not supposed to be easy to see violet on a mauve.

 

Your questions are not dumb at all.

I don't know about mutations but wanted to say your birds are very beautiful.