exotic species triage...

[toothlessjaws]

A couple of exotics which need help to preserve are Bluecaps & Yellow-winged Pytilias. The main threat to their future as I see it is their requirement for a regular termite supply for consistent breeding success. Actually you can add Melbas to that too for the same reason. All three are gorgeous birds very worthy of preservation IMO.

Do you think that southerners such as myself should push forth with trying to breed these birds on maggots/mealworms? Would creating a strain of these species that raised on maggots out of the question in your opinion? I have a pair of melbas and admittedly have done nothing on maggots at all. Its a shame, melbas are so beautiful and have such character.

[matcho]

A couple of exotics which need help to preserve are Bluecaps & Yellow-winged Pytilias. The main threat to their future as I see it is their requirement for a regular termite supply for consistent breeding success. Actually you can add Melbas to that too for the same reason. All three are gorgeous birds very worthy of preservation IMO.

So Tiaris,
I remember many years ago as a kid going to Frank Schultz in Premier Street in Kogarah and buying a pair Melbas, cheap as chips, used to be called "Cutthroats". Never did any good with breeding because at that time nobody would tell young up and comers what was required ie...sprouted seed live food etc etc. They just died.

So my question is this...How can an Inner City person who cannot access termites nor wants to do a fly box survive. Mealies are not a problem, green seed, greens and grains also. I would love some Cordons but the live food thing really scares me, same as Orange Breasts etc etc. Any help because I would love to lend a hand to the exotics for preservation.

Ken.

[toothlessjaws]

Totally agree Tiaris.A little extra time and effort is all that is needed.These birds are not beyond most breeders if they are dedicated.

A little extra effort? - I would say feeding live termites is a HUGE extra effort for all but those in rural areas with near access to termites.

[jonno0383]

I feel that there are far to many to list in a single post. Birds that are getting there but still need attention are birds like the BC Cordons, Masked finches, Fodies and Euplectus weavers (grenadier, napoleans) as back yards shrink species like Red crested finches are going to face a hard time, the Lonchuras (Nuns, mannikins and munias) all fade into obscurity as they are not very colorful. I focus my collection on the Lonchuras and Weavers as I would hate to see them disappear (I am still looking for Rufous backed after selling mine 7 years ago). Even if the species is considered a write off like Red polls and Red shouldered Whydahs I feel every effort should be made to get them up in numbers. You never know if the Government will pull a miracle and open the boarders again one day . The one thing I see as the main issue is People sitting on birds for the mighty $ rather then pulling together to build numbers. I would kill for red shouldered's but the people with them apparently have only 1's and 2's and won't help each other out at the detriment of the species

[arthur]

I would kill for red shouldered's but the people with them apparently have only 1's and 2's and won't help each other out at the detriment of the species

I don't think that it was entirely lack of cooperation, though that will always be a part of it . . human nature being what it is

But if they are not 'gone', they are at the 'holidaying retiree' stage . .

That is to say when somebody locates and purchases a pair, they have an all expenses paid holiday in his aviary for a year or two before it is realised that they are not going to reproduce . . and they continue on their round Australia trip . . a la Redbilled Quealeas / Russ Weavers and others

RIP

Red-Cresteds may be a different kettle of fish.

They haven't been 'available' for all that long . . and they seem to have overcome the shallow genetic pool problem to a certain extent, in that it is around this stage that you would expect them to 'disappear' . . a la Dybowskis, Peters . . and they haven't . .

Perhaps like Jacarinis and Cubans . . also South Americans . . they have the necessary vigour to become genuinely established

Let's hope so



PS . . there will never be importation again . . 'white spot' in prawns, 'panama' in bananas, 'bird flu' in poultry, 'canker' in citrus, 'whatever' in psittacines

The younger generation needs to make uniform bird legislation between states a priority

[Tiaris]

YW Pytilias would be the best prospect with maggots + mealies. Melbas also love & breed quite well on crickets so a bit of lateral thinking & experimenting may be required. Bluecaps absolutely require termites for consistent results.

[collector_and_buyer]

In regards to the [extra effort],if you know that you can't provide what is needed for the successful breeding of many of the rarer or even fussy breeders,why would you even consider purchasing such a species?.Every bird that you purchase and say,oh well i tried them on this and they didn't breed and just died is our loss.Don't try to convert birds to a diet that is convenient for us,but at peril for their well being and future.

[Craig52]

YW Pytilias would be the best prospect with maggots + mealies. Melbas also love & breed quite well on crickets so a bit of lateral thinking & experimenting may be required. Bluecaps absolutely require termites for consistent results.

True but, as i and others have bred RF and YW Pytilia's on bush fly maggots,mealworms and vinegar flies, they can slowly be converted and it's better still breeding from the young that were bred from the converted parents as they don't know about the taste of termites to get hooked on.
I personally and another breeder in Melbourne together eventually bred bluecaps on bushfly maggots in good numbers but it was a challenge as the maggot needed to be cleaned out totally for a few days in dry bran to stop scouring in the young bluecaps and it worked well.
So, it goes to prove that it can be done BUT it has nothing to do with what you feed them in the way of livefood. It is our Southern climate here in Victoria that knocks them off, the above species cannot handle it in our Winter in a mixed collection of finches that can. Bluecaps are renowned for losing hens due egg binding among other ailments as their breeding season is through our Southern Winter, every bird sale has cock bluecaps for sale as the breeder has lost the hens and to buy a replacement one they pay pr price for the hen or a pr to lose another hen hence all the spare cocks.
Better off to let breeders North of Sydney to keep the species viable than to try and breed them down here in hot houses imo. Craig

[arthur]

.

[Tiaris]

Or just breed them for 2 warm weather rounds then spell them for the remainder of the year.