Wing Spots - Mousie (1,068 views)

[Uneecowrn]

I was randomly studying Mousie just preening himself, when he lifted his wings, and I saw some yellowish spots underneath his wing. Him being a bird who doesn't like his wings being touched, or being held in that way, I had never seen it before. So with caution, gentleness, and quickness, I took a picture (on Casey's request) and was asked to post it here. (i think, if not, please move it to where it should be if I placed it in the wrong place.)

I'm trying to figure out what these spots could mean. He is a 4 or 5 month old cockatiel, whom Casey and I came up with that he possibly is a gray split whitefaced pied.

[Casey]

i will have to answer this later, because my internet is acting up a bit and i am unable to see the photo because its mainly photobucket being stupid for me lately

[Casey]

oooh those spots.

in young tiels they all have wing spots, except pieds can be missing them on the yellow wing feathers and pearls have the spots down the whole wing.


going by the wingspot sexing, your baby is more likely a boy. so if for sure he is a boy, with his first molt he will lose these spots and get a bright yellow face. the wingspot sexing technique only works for birds younger than their first molt, and is not 100% accurate but gives us a good guess.


see here

feathertalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=mutations&action=display&thread=278

[Uneecowrn]

Ohhhh ok cool! so that probably means that the little yellowish colored spots on his head are the indication he'll have a yellow head? But then I question his feet because they're patched...

[Casey]

the yellow spots on his head are from being split pied, those will not change nor do they indicate a whole yellow head, both males and females have those feathers if they are split pied, and patched feed are also indicating split pied

my dally is split pied (so is tsuka, but his split is more subtle)

[Uneecowrn]

I see, because Mousie only has about four or five of them, was only able to get like one pictured.

But if patched feet are an indication, then we can be right about split pied. :3

[Casey]

plus any feathers like that on the back of the head means split pied. its guaranteed split pied based by a yellow feather on the back of the head

plus, yellow face feathers are much brighter.


if mouse is male, which is very likely, this is what his face will look like:

[Uneecowrn]

Oh! Ok
Ohhh he'll be a handsome boy <3 I kinda can't wait lol

[Casey]

thats IF he is, but the wingspots are a pretty good guess, but there is still a chance he is a girl, which his face will stay the way it is.

[Uneecowrn]

Oh ok.
But what if he's chirping and imitating? Could that also be another indication he could be male? Since females aren't very vocal.