Royal palm X blue slate?

[Finnie]

Most of the time I cannot tell Tri-color Mottled Slates or Mottled Slates from Blue Slates at the hatch. Sometimes but not always they may have a spot of brown on their head if they are the Tri-colors.

I have seen the different varieties stick to their own variety when free ranging but all bets are off during breeding season when the dominant tom will breed any variety.

I think some did have spots of brown on their heads!

It’s also complicated by what I believe is the chocolate gene showing up in some of the poults. (Father must have been split to it, the poults in question would be females.) There were 3 if I remember correctly w/o checking my notes. 2 greyish-brown and 1 lighter greyish-brown. I still have the lighter one, which I assume is chocolate lavender. I should get some pictures to see if she is tricolor mottled.