Is this caique a hybrid?

Chetan Reddy · 2/13/21

Good day all, hope you are doing well. I have a question I was hoping to ask. I was gifted a female white bellied caique and I just purchased a male for her.. He is a lovely bird and I am happy as hell to have him. But I have this one nagging feeling that he might be a cross and not a pure white bellied caique. It doesn't matter if he is a cross but it is just that I would like to know and was hoping you could help put the doubt to rest. What makes me suspect this is his beak and feet. They just seem way too dark for a pure white bellied caique. He was sold to me as an 8 month old but I suspect he is much older. Please have a look at his pictures and give me your valuable feedback. Also both the pictures are of the same bird. One taken with flash and the other without. TIA.

Mizzely · 2/13/21

@Laurie may be able to help

saroj12 · 2/13/21

Blackish Part on Baby WBC

So I have a White Bellied Caique named Lily whose just coming up on her first hatch day. Every since I got her shes had this black shadow on her beak that has grown since her beak has grown. Her beak is mostly horn colored with just a little bit of blackish shadow in the right corner of her...

forums.avianavenue.com

Chetan Reddy · 2/13/21

saroj12 said:
Blackish Part on Baby WBC

So I have a White Bellied Caique named Lily whose just coming up on her first hatch day. Every since I got her shes had this black shadow on her beak that has grown since her beak has grown. Her beak is mostly horn colored with just a little bit of blackish shadow in the right corner of her...

forums.avianavenue.com

Fantastic, thank you so much for this thread.

Chetan Reddy · 2/13/21

Mizzely said:
@Laurie may be able to help

Thank you. Will wait for her feedback.

saroj12 · 2/13/21

Chetan Reddy said:
Fantastic, thank you so much for this thread.

My Chickie female wbc had a black streak on her beak and a black spot on her head for a couple of years. Gone now.

Chetan Reddy · 2/13/21

saroj12 said:
My Chickie female wbc had a black streak on her beak and a black spot on her head for a couple of years. Gone now.

That's good to know. Thank you so much.

Kiwi & Co. · 2/13/21

@Irishj9

CrazyKozmo · 2/13/21

My Mickey is a 7 and a half year old female who has darker feet, the sides of her beak are dark, and she has a black spot on her head (all of the other black baby feathers have grown out). These markings help me tell her apart from her buddy! I don't imagine the color of her beak or feet will change with time. And I hope she keeps the black spot on her head. Unfortunately this photo doesn't show the black spot.

Chetan Reddy · 2/13/21

CrazyKozmo said:
My Mickey is a 7 and a half year old female who has darker feet, the sides of her beak are dark, and she has a black spot on her head (all of the other black baby feathers have grown out). These markings help me tell her apart from her buddy! I don't imagine the color of her beak or feet will change with time. And I hope she keeps the black spot on her head. Unfortunately this photo doesn't show the black spot. View attachment 373196

What a beauty she is

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

Beak and feet colouration vary widely between individual caiques, so I wouldnt worry on that score. Mine vary a great deal, and Ive bought from VERY reputable breeders

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

Num Nums, WBC, clear beak, black feet

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

DIVA, GTC, black beak markings, pink/grey feet

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

Boo Boo ( WBC) pink feet

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

my little electrician ( GTC male) mottled feet

Irishj9 · 2/14/21

the 3 Musketeers. Lookit those feet

saroj12 · 2/14/21

if you have the time and the inclination

JoJo and Chickie baby pics!

Chetan Reddy · 2/15/21

Irishj9 said:
Beak and feet colouration vary widely between individual caiques, so I wouldnt worry on that score. Mine vary a great deal, and Ive bought from VERY reputable breeders

That's good to know. Thank you so much.

Laurie · 2/16/21

Looks like you got lots of feedback. I see he still has yellow feathers on his belly, red eyes and the black feathers on his head. For his age I would think maybe a year to year and a half. I wouldn't rule out the 8 months but I would think most likely close to a year old. He has a lot of the black head feathers still but has lost a lot of his yellow belly feathers so it would seem he has molted some and that seem to happen later than 8 months.

There is nothing at all on this bird that makes me think hybrid. WBC babies can have any amount of black on their heads as babies but will lose all or most of the black feathers by the time they are two (by 1 1/2 years old they almost look like adults). Light feet, freckles, patches to all black are within normal for a WBC. The dark spots or dark feet also tend to get darker as they age.

Just a little tid bit. Did you know that black-capped caiques hatch with all white skin but as they grow and feather out they get black feet, nails, beaks and the skin under their little black cap turns black as well. The skin around their eyes can be light or dark.

If an adult bird had a large amount of black feathers I would perhaps think about considering it a hybrid. I am not a expert on hybrids but I guarantee that this bird, for it's age looks normal to me

He is a cutie!

Laurie · 2/16/21

Irishj9 said:
the 3 Musketeers. Lookit those feet
View attachment 373254

Those some big feet, nice colors.

Is this caique a hybrid?

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