Champion Bengo

One of my friends from the NSW Finch Exhibitors Society, Steve has sent me through a few pictures of Bengalese Finches and this one here is a picture of a Bengalese Champion at a Qld Birds Show last year. He certainly is a nice example of a well shaped finch (has good Type) and has good markings also.

Local Selfs

One of the three breeders of Self Bengalese that I am in touch with is Bruce and he lives a good drive out of Sydney. He is a member of the NSW Finch Exhibitors Society that I have just become a member of and I have visited with him once before and speak often on the phone. He has just finished off his breeding season and has sent me a couple of pics of his Self Bengalese. These pictures are a bit more clear than the earlier ones that I have posted and shows well how nicely sized these Show Quality Self's are. Bruce keeps Chocolates and Gingers.

Bruce tells me that he first picked up his Self Bengalese when he was younger in the 1960's and Bruce goes as far to say that in those days in Sydney, Selfs were more popular than the pied and would win more pizes on the show bench. It is safe to say that Bruce's Bengos are still descendants of this early Sydney bloodline.

Chocolate Markings

One of my friends in Queensland (Australia) James, that my Selfs originally came from has been breeding Bengalese since he was young and over the last 10 years or so he has been selectively breeding his Chocolates for darker birds with more defined underbelly markings.

I am very impressed because it seems that James has been able to achieve some significantly dark underbelly markings without relying on Hybridization to make it possible (as with the Euro Self) but rather through patience and selective breeding. It is hard to see the exact detail of these markings but they do look very impressive that's for sure

I have been speaking with James lately and I hope to get hold of some of his nicely marked Bengos in the future.

Chestnut Young 3

Well of course there is some good news, and that is that my Chestnut young are colouring up nicely.



The bird below has nice light V shaped lacing on the underbody and also very good scolloping of the breast.

You can see that unfortunately on two of the Bengos, a single white feather has appeared at the Lantern or Horn position above the beak. The finch above and the one on the right in the picture bellow. The parents had no white on them at all but I guess the combination of these two brought this out. I would be best not to use them together again.

The bird on the left above also has very good scolloping of the breast but does not have any notable V shaped lacing on the underbelly.