# Questions about color



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I like looking at pretty birds on auction sites. Here's some I came across that I'd like to talk about.

First, these are described as a pair of 'rare colors'. The first bird pictured is the cockbird. To me, he looks like your typical lavender (ash-red spread). I see his red bars just barely, as spread tends to have a difficult time covering up ash-red birds completely. I also see blue/black flecks on him indicating split for blue.
The second bird is the supposed hen. Now she could be a lavender hen as well, with incomplete covering of her base color....only, all those colored spots look blue to me. It's hard to tell whether they are blue or red in the picture. If they are blue, and IF she is a lavender, then _she_ is a _he_. When I first saw the picture, just by looks, it appears to be two cockbirds regardless of color...but anyways...My question is, are these birds lavender, is only the first one lavender, or are they both something else? I'm almost positive the cockbird in the first picture is lavender, but I'm wondering if the "hen" is almond/qualmond?
http://www.pigeons4sale.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=Bridge&item=1283049694


These are labled as Opal, only, I haven't seen any opals like this. Is this Faded? Frosty? I've seen slates that are so washed out in the bars that they barely show like in these birds, but I don't recall ever seeing it effect the flights and tail like that.
http://www.pigeons4sale.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=SaleOut&item=1282781657
http://www.pigeons4sale.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=SaleOut&item=1282781028


Now this is a cute little guy. Look at how washed out his bars are. Makes for an interesting looking red bar. I see some darker colored feathers on his wings in a patch, but I suspect those are in the process of moulting out. I don't know what those two dark spots are on his neck, perhaps just iridescent feathers coming in. But if they are blue/black, then we have a definite boy.
http://www.pigeons4sale.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=Auc&item=1282959502


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

Well on the first 'pair' I'm with you, they look like 2 cock birds to me. It says the hen is a 2002, hopefully by now they would know if its a hen/cock but it sure does look like a cock bird. I also don't think that the supposed 'hen' is a lavender, but I'm not sure what it would be called, I would lean towards almond.

2nd pair, also never seen any opals like this...it almost looks like the grizzle color, just the heads are wrong. I am terrible with modifiers and such, so I suppose it could be opal, but again never seen any like that.

3rd bird, I think its a hen. It looks like a red splash something, and I have had birds look like that in the past with the dark spots on the neck, I think these are red spots not blue. Plus it just looks like a young hen to me, but I could be wrong it has happened before.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Hi BECKY, The first two are ash-red spread both cocks.On the second two Ithey have been sold and the picts removed.The last bird looks to me like ash-red pied.*GEORGE


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

The first bird is spread ash-red heterozygous for blue. The second could be a hen despite the flecking, which looks "dun" rather than black. Some ash-red hens do have dun flecking, and the hen is 8 years old.

The two barred birds look like heterozygous faded blue bars. If the last bird is from the same loft, it is probably heterozygous faded ash-red bar (with grizzle).

Without details of the bird's breeding history it is difficult to make a definitive judgement.


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