Diamond firetail nests

Includes Species Profile
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SamDavis
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Joined: 03 Jan 2011, 14:01
Location: Douglas Park NSW

I've mucked around trying to sex them visually with limited success. The line around the chest method showed some promise for some of my birds but for others it's inconclusive - same with bill colour (but my eyesight is crap). The cock's call, singing or bouncing with grass are sure signs of a cock but positively identifying hens is harder. In the end I reckon DNA sexing is the way to go. In my view well worth the cost compared to trying to breed from the same sex.

I don't think I've ever seen a hen collecting grass for the nest, also my pairs have always built their own nests rather than take over others. So I think you're right - you've got extra hens taking over existing nests. Shame you're not closer as I've got a few spare cocks so we could have swapped a couple. In addition, I've had heaps more success with a single pair of diamonds per aviary - in a colony mine seemed to annoy each other too much.
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spanna
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Location: Bullsbrook, Western Australia
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SamDavis wrote:I've mucked around trying to sex them visually with limited success. The line around the chest method showed some promise for some of my birds but for others it's inconclusive - same with bill colour (but my eyesight is crap). The cock's call, singing or bouncing with grass are sure signs of a cock but positively identifying hens is harder. In the end I reckon DNA sexing is the way to go. In my view well worth the cost compared to trying to breed from the same sex.

I don't think I've ever seen a hen collecting grass for the nest, also my pairs have always built their own nests rather than take over others. So I think you're right - you've got extra hens taking over existing nests. Shame you're not closer as I've got a few spare cocks so we could have swapped a couple. In addition, I've had heaps more success with a single pair of diamonds per aviary - in a colony mine seemed to annoy each other too much.
Agree 100% with everything you just said. My eyes are good so sexing by beak colour is much easier for me, but only works on mature birds, with all young birds having a similar beak colour to hens.

Was watching one of my pairs build a nest from up close the other day, the male was collecting materials, bringing them to the hen who was already in the nest, then he would fly off to get more while she stayed in there rustling around.

Pete, if you want to swap some, I have 2 known males in my holding aviary, but I know you would prefer some unrelated birds, as these ones are related to the ones you already have! I do have 1 unrelated young one to catch up, but unsure of sex, still colouring up too.
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GregH
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Location: Chapel Hill, Brisbane Qld

Getting back to nests I stumbled across a fairly reference regarding the placement of diamond sparrow nest in the wild - 30% are in mistletoes whihc is well above what could be expected than random. You can on see the abstract on the link but the reference is Cooney, S; Watson, D. (2005) Diamond Firetails (Stagonopleura guttata) preferentially nest in mistletoe. Emu 105(4) 317–322 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU05030. Compared to aviary sites, to me, this indicates they like height and rigid branchlets compared to flimsy brush if given the chance. Last time I bred them they chose a wire cylinder at the highest point in the aviary however they had previously build lower in the aviary brush but did not successfully raise young.
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VR1Ton
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Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 18:07
Location: Far Nth Coast NSW
Location: Far Nth Coast NSW

Interesting bit of a read, might have to give it a go after this clutch come out, I've got miles of the bloody stufff here, but have never noticed any Redheads or Double-Baers nesting in it.
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desertbirds
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Location: Alice Springs

We have miles of mistletoe at the park too and im yet to see a zebby nesting in it. I think the study is a bit random and inconclusive.Although mistletoe would provide privacy with dense foliage ive more often seen finches taking their chances with nesting in plant species with sharp spines, hakia and dead finish being the chosen plants here or a bit of C purlin in the roof.http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... KqKmS09RcW


http://www.google.com.au/search?q=hakea ... d=0CGUQsAQ
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GregH
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Location: Chapel Hill, Brisbane Qld

I'd agree with the nest site selection for Zebs, Double-bars and Red-brows. Where I grew up in in northern NSW the best finch nest sites were invariably in spiny bushes especially wild roses, blackberries and Bursaria spinosa. Double bars especially would often nest in a Bursaria bush right next to a paper nest wasp colony no doubt to gain extra protection. There were diamond sparrows around too but I only ever found one roosting in a nest in a Bursaria bush. Perhaps if I'd looked up into the mistletoes on the Eucs I'd have had seen more.
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COUNTRY CAPITAL
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from my limited memory of reading that report i recall very high predation rates from the nests in mistletoe also, something like 70%!! due to currawongs mostly, so maybe not such a wise nest site.
i have placed a mistletoe clump in one of my aviaries for my diamonds and sure enough they nested in it... but i think they would nest in a xmas tree too if given the chance. you have no idea how big the mistletoe clumps are until you try to place it in the aviary ... they are huge! also a chore to extricate from the host tree!! i am sticking to tea-tree etc from now on.

Poitta, sounds like you do need some cock birds because they should have "footballs" everywhere by now.
young birds especially will sometimes build several nests before a successful clutch is raised so hang in there.
i have noticed both sexes taking feathers to completed nests but males only while building them, the hen waits at the site and arranges what he brings.
as others have said the dominant pair will try to rule over the rest so a large aviary with as much distance between nest sites as possible is best.
good luck with them. :thumbup:
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Aussie finch tragic.rodent/snake terroriser.
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