# New Baby Checkers



## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

This is one of my new babies "Checkers". I don't know if it's a boy or a girl but statistically it's probably a girl. She is very sweet and always wants to jump up on me when I feed her. The breeder said she was almost weaned but she is far from it. That's OK she needs to put some more weight on. She's 84 grams now and by the looks of her she's 4 weeks old.






























She started flying the day I got her so it's a rare moment when she stops to smell the roses.


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

oh i want i want i want


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

_She has a strange pattern of pearls on her back! _All my other Pearls have the regular pattern. Does this seem odd to you?






Checkers







Harriet







Dotti







Tiny


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I love her!! She's gorgeous!


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## Malorey (Jul 23, 2008)

Beautiful!


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## bigmikey36 (Aug 5, 2008)

are you sure that she's a she? I was at the pet store the other day talking to my friend paul and he has one with similar markings and it is DNA sexed male, and yes i had a VERY hard time not buying him lol
Mikey


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

No I'm not sure of anything yet! Statistically it's more likely a girl but time will tell. I find that some babies I call she or he before I know for sure. I was calling Tiny him 'till it became apparent that he was a Pearl rendering him a her.


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

his/her markings are not odd at all... the fact that´s he/she is also a pied makes the pearls look that way...

whiteface pearl pied... which could also mean boy or girl... just wait to see if he looses his pearls after molts or not.... whatever he/she ends up being is a super cute birdie!!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

What I am seeing tho are that there doesn't seem to be ANY pearling in the middle of her back. Unlike my other Pearls. Also I was looking closer and I see that the markings she does have are diffuse, not distinct like I'm used to seeing. Here's another shot.


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

that would be the pied... it makes the pearling not as a regular pearl would have.. mening the clear back or some other "irregular" pattern... as just half wings with pearls.. etc.


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## crazy4tiels88 (Aug 10, 2008)

All My God!! He/She is gorgeous!! I want her!!! LOL


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Well it looks like Big Mikey was right. It's now looking like Checkers is a boy. I have been thinking all this time that checkers was a girl but today Checkers treated me to a little boy song! Just a few syllables in a little sing song way. Like a teenage boy experimenting with his changing voice. Sooooo.....now it looks like I have to keep little Pearl.






Checkers singing!







Won't they make a nice couple...She cleans up nice!


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

you definately have to!!!.. they would give you the prettiest wf pearl pied babies.... soooo cute...

now just get a mate for Skunky


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

When Sly finds the love of his life Babies from that pairing will be good candidates. Skunk is split for Pearl and Cinnamon.


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## Ann (Mar 13, 2008)

Checkers is adorable, and beautiful. That picture of Pearl with the food all over her is priceless!


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> _She has a strange pattern of pearls on her back! _All my other Pearls have the regular pattern. Does this seem odd to you?
> View attachment 828
> Checkers



Here is a picture of Mr. Maggie's back. The patterning seems similiar to me, what do you think?









I wonder if Mike is right and Checkers is a he?


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

that patter is caused by the pied effect too... .. very cute pied pearl boys .. hehe


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

huskymom said:


> that patter is caused by the pied effect too... .. very cute pied pearl boys .. hehe


The pied mutation is my favorite! I have two pied boys butterball is a heavy pied(50% clear) and Mr. maggie is a whiteface pearl pied  I am hoping that shnuckums will also be a pied of some sort, his dad is split to pied, his mom is pearl and his aunt is cinnamon pearl... so we will see


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes Cannuck the pattern is very similar.






















There is also definite pearling on the side of the wings. Yes judging by todays song...Checkers is a boy.


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> Yes Cannuck the pattern is very similar.
> View attachment 1084
> 
> 
> ...


I wonder if it is just a pied thing? I am going to go picture hunting to compare now. I have a friend who breeds fancy cockatiels (I am getting my whiteface pearl female from her, Oreo. (You convinced me to try Mr. Maggie at parenthood eventually) She has some gorgeous pictures on her website so I am going to browse her pieds


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I'm sure Checkers is a Pearl pied. She also had a mature male who was a pearl pied and had kept his pearling. Maybe it's the combination that effects the melanin in this way. Pearl is a specific lack of melanin (usually regular) and the feathers are all effected in a similar way where as pied is usually irregular and not at all specific.


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> I'm sure Checkers is a Pearl pied. She also had a mature male who was a pearl pied and had kept his pearling. Maybe it's the combination that effects the melanin in this way. Pearl is a specific lack of melanin (usually regular) and the feathers are all effected in a similar way where as pied is usually irregular and not at all specific.


It is interesting. I am still learning with mutations but I would be very interested to investigate this. I haven't seen too many whiteface pearl pied birds. Lots of whiteface pearl and whiteface pied but not the combination. I need to compare pictures!

Anyone else have a pearl pied whiteface?????


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I've seen some gorgeous WF Pearl Pied. Here's an example I found on-line.


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

That is a beautiful bird and again very similiar to Checkers and Mr. Maggie.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I found another one but this one is a hen.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

well i have no idea what it all means.....all i have to say is YAY you have to keep both!!! hehehe...im so glad pearly gets to stay,....she is too beautiful for words...and i love Checkers....He is gorgeous....what a surprise for u!!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes It's like I forgot that it could still go either way. I acknowledged in the beginning that I didn't know one way or the other. but then I forgot


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> Yes It's like I forgot that it could still go either way. I acknowledged in the beginning that I didn't know one way or the other. but then I forgot



It must have been fate!


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## Lola's_mommy (Nov 30, 2008)

What a pretty tiel! I think it is pretty cool that this one doesn't neccessarily look like all the other tiels. Makes her(him) extra special! Congrats on your new friend


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

Well it does seem to be a pied marking. In all the pictures of whiteface pied pearl birds it is very similiar. I guess you do learn something everyday! Checkers is beautiful!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Thank You all! I'm very happy I got him.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Checkers is gorgeous


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