Looking at zebra finches in the pet store gives no indication that there are more than thirty mutations of this common bird.

Looking at zebra finches in the pet store gives no indication that there are more than thirty mutations of this common bird. A normal zebra finch has a gray back, with bright orange cheek patches, beak, and legs. Black teardrops fall along the edge of the cheek patch, and a strip of white accentuates the bright beak. His chest has a small black band, then is white or cream. Brown and white spots run just beneath his folded wings, giving the zebra finch a "wild" look. His mate lacks the cheek patches.

From here, Mother Nature has taken her palette of these basic colors, and turned the zebra finch into her own private canvas. Although remaining mostly with the white/cream, black, or tan coloring, the ways in which these colors can be put together boggles the mind of many zebra finch hobbyists.

Much like budgie or cockatiel breeders, zebra breeders have been working to get more mutations. Sometimes, this means importing birds from Europe or Australia. Thankfully, there are breeders willing to do this so that many of these mutations can be available in the United States. Still, there is a myriad of mutations that those of us close to home can purchase.

Zebra finch mutations mostly come in two varieties, the light mutations and the dark. Each mutation has its own supporters and breeders, which makes it fun for the novice finch breeder. Basically, with a little research, a finch breeder wishing to delve into mutations can pick and choose.

The most basic mutation from the normal zebra is the pied bird. While a pied zebra looks mostly like a normal, it has patches of white all over its body. Generally, the belly of this bird remains white, as with most zebra mutations; however, the white shows up where it normally wouldn't, such as the back or chest.

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