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What color?

NorthernGannet

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Hi all - I am new here and just got my first Linnie from someone who no longer wanted him/her. My big question is what color is he/she? At first I thought standard turquoise, but then there's the grey (the grey around and below the wings are true feathers, not downy fluff). I don't know enough about their colors to know if that is standard! The forehead and jowels have a subtle bluer cast then the chest.

Also, is a DNA test the only way to find out male/female, or is there anything with the markings that could give a guess of over 50% one way or the other?

Thanks for any input!

-NG
ps: The big red blob under that one toe is the toy in the background, not blood. And yes he came missing one entire nail, :( but it doesn't seem to slow him down!
 

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Dona

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My Linnie has very few black polka dots and my breeder assumes Gigi is a female. I would say the same about yours.

Grey wing cobalt? Check out this site.

linniepricing
 

NorthernGannet

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Yes I had seen that site, and nothing looks quite the same! The cobalt is too blue, and the turquoise hen is too aqua. Here's another photo when the flash went off. The photo itself isn't so good, but it shows the green coloration that is underlying.

Thanks for the polka dot input too!
 

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Dona

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Hmm, I do see the green now. She's very pretty. Is she young? I see some black on her wings. Gigi had more black when she was young, now at 16 months, she has lost most of it and is nearly all green. I think I read somewhere that the black can indicate a younger bird, but I'm not certain.
upload_2019-6-2_6-47-27.jpeg
 

Dona

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Another quick mention. I see a "happy hut" in the background of your photo. Many on this site have sad stories of birds ingesting the fibers and becoming blocked or getting caught in the fibers (a big issue with Linnies and those fast growing curved nails). Huts can also make a bird get nesty. Many years ago I had a pair of caiques. They used a hut for 7 years without incident, but now hearing all these stories, I would not use one. I give Gigi an opportunity to hide when she is out on her play gym by throwing a baby blanket over the edge. She preens and naps in there and seems to really like it.

upload_2019-6-2_8-4-23.jpeg
 

Leih

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Looks like turquoise to me. I have two male linnies, one cobalt, one turquoise. Here's a recent picture. The black is really pronounced on them, you can see the polka dots.
 

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Here's a side shot of Emrys, my turquoise boy, not the best picture, but he's all teal. In some spots he's more green. So maybe you have a mix.
 

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Dona

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Looks like turquoise to me. I have two male linnies, one cobalt, one turquoise. Here's a recent picture. The black is really pronounced on them, you can see the polka dots.
such a cute pic.
 

NorthernGannet

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Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. The side by side cobalt/turquoise is perfect! I took her out on the porch today in the natural light, so now she looks different again. I should've thought about getting a back shot like Leih's photo. She seems to be molting pretty heavily.

Dona, I got confliciting info on her, but she is somewhere between 1-1.5 years old. I didn't realize they would have more black on wings when younger. It'll be interesting to see if that changes after this molt. Yes, that is a dreaded Happy Hut in the background. I have only had this bird 4 days, and I wanted to let her settle in for a week or so before making too many major changes. That said, she had 2 of the huts in there when I brought her home, both caked with about 2" of poop, so I did clean one of them and put it back while she settles in. The other one was trashed. I had to power wash the cage and perches too before I would even bring it in the house. It was all THAT gross. I felt so badly for her! She's been eating up a storm last night and today, so I'm taking that as a sign that she's happy. Today I finally took her out and weighed her (52 g) and gave her her first bath, mist with a squirt bottle. She has been sleeping ever since she dried off.
 

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Leih

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Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. The side by side cobalt/turquoise is perfect! I took her out on the porch today in the natural light, so now she looks different again. I should've thought about getting a back shot like Leih's photo. She seems to be molting pretty heavily.

Dona, I got confliciting info on her, but she is somewhere between 1-1.5 years old. I didn't realize they would have more black on wings when younger. It'll be interesting to see if that changes after this molt. Yes, that is a dreaded Happy Hut in the background. I have only had this bird 4 days, and I wanted to let her settle in for a week or so before making too many major changes. That said, she had 2 of the huts in there when I brought her home, both caked with about 2" of poop, so I did clean one of them and put it back while she settles in. The other one was trashed. I had to power wash the cage and perches too before I would even bring it in the house. It was all THAT gross. I felt so badly for her! She's been eating up a storm last night and today, so I'm taking that as a sign that she's happy. Today I finally took her out and weighed her (52 g) and gave her her first bath, mist with a squirt bottle. She has been sleeping ever since she dried off.
My boys are molting right now, too. Poor bird! Sounds like she really needed a new home, wow. Linnies are pretty messy in regards to their poop, makes me think that person should have to live in a filthy public restroom for awhile. Glad to hear that you have rescued her!
 

Leih

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Oh, and I just learned at the avian vet yesterday that South American birds need to bathe more often, I assumed my linnies and conure were like my lovebird who only bathes 2x a week, but now I know to spritz my linnies more often and offer my conure a bath more often. Lovebirds are W African, totally different climate. Explains why linnies and conures love water so much!
 

Dona

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Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. The side by side cobalt/turquoise is perfect! I took her out on the porch today in the natural light, so now she looks different again. I should've thought about getting a back shot like Leih's photo. She seems to be molting pretty heavily.

Dona, I got confliciting info on her, but she is somewhere between 1-1.5 years old. I didn't realize they would have more black on wings when younger. It'll be interesting to see if that changes after this molt. Yes, that is a dreaded Happy Hut in the background. I have only had this bird 4 days, and I wanted to let her settle in for a week or so before making too many major changes. That said, she had 2 of the huts in there when I brought her home, both caked with about 2" of poop, so I did clean one of them and put it back while she settles in. The other one was trashed. I had to power wash the cage and perches too before I would even bring it in the house. It was all THAT gross. I felt so badly for her! She's been eating up a storm last night and today, so I'm taking that as a sign that she's happy. Today I finally took her out and weighed her (52 g) and gave her her first bath, mist with a squirt bottle. She has been sleeping ever since she dried off.
Oh she really looks turquoise in the second picture! Gigi sometimes looks olive and sometimes neon green, lol

I'm so happy she has a new home with you!
 

Dona

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Oh, and I just learned at the avian vet yesterday that South American birds need to bathe more often, I assumed my linnies and conure were like my lovebird who only bathes 2x a week, but now I know to spritz my linnies more often and offer my conure a bath more often. Lovebirds are W African, totally different climate. Explains why linnies and conures love water so much!
Gigi is so funny when I spray her, opening her wings every which way and sometimes falling off her perch.
 

Dona

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FYI Gigi weighs 50 grams. I was wondering if her weight was going to go down when she grew her flights back, but although she flies all the time, she has maintained at 50.
 

Leih

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Gigi is so funny when I spray her, opening her wings every which way and sometimes falling off her perch.
Yes! I love it! My boys will sometimes bicker over who gets to be closer to the water, and even when fully soaked they give me this look of, "you're not done, right?"
 

Dona

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Yes! I love it! My boys will sometimes bicker over who gets to be closer to the water, and even when fully soaked they give me this look of, "you're not done, right?"
haha, yep. I could end up with carpal tunnel if I sprayed Gigi for as long as she wanted me to.
 

Dona

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hahaha! All I got today was this stoic "angry bird" look when finished. She did not seem to enjoy it.
That is a cute wet bird. Gigi warmed up to baths slowly. I was told to use warm water and spray from overhead and eventually she loved it.
 

Leih

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She probably just needs some time to settle in. And my boys were confused the first time I sprayed them. You'll know she's liking it when she fluffs up and spreads her wings. One of the unique things about linnies that I love is how they bathe. I also love how they will eat nearly anything and get their beaks all messy in the process! Have you tried any fruit or vegetables yet? They can't resist apples, so it's a good intro to fresh produce for them.
 
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