Gouldian nesting behaviour

[flap]

Our gouldians are slowly getting into breeding mode. One pair look like they have bonded and the male is starting to nest. Unfortunately, the site chosen by the silly dufus is a corner, on a shelf, with another shelf about 15 cm above. Nothing to anchor a nest to. So all he is doing is piling grass on the shelf. I have added another nest box as close to the site as I can get it, but because f the shelves, the gap is still there for them to build a pile of grass. A recipe for disaster...
We have put the two YH pairs in breeding boxes to get them to bond. Both pairs have been curious about the nest. One of the females keeps disappearing into it for long amounts of time. I haven't noticed any obvious signs of courtship. Is her going in the nest a good signs? this will be our first season with the gouldians so it is all new.
Thank you for any insights.

[Diane]

All sounds good except for the loose grass on the shelf, as you said "recipe for a disaster".
Is it possible to squeeze a box in the space where he keeps putting the grass? Even a tissue box would be better than nothing. At least it will encourage him to put the grass in a box.
If that wont work then your only other option is to block off that area all together.

I setup 5 pairs of gouldians yesterday and with 2 mins of me putting them together there was frantic beak shaking by both cock and hen, frequent tail wagging by the hen (I did have visions of one of the hens actually taking off, helicopter fashion, her tail was spinning that much )and singing and dancing by the cock. After at least half an hour of this activity the nest box was thoroughly inspected with a couple of pairs spending quite a bit of time in there. Probably where they mated.

[flap]

Thanks Di, I will block off the corner with something if it llooks like he is still going in there. As for all the displays you saw with yours, mine are nothing like that yet. Time will tell. but at least they are not hostile towards each other. I have only seen the hen disappear in the nest, the male stays out. But then I have only sat and watched them a few minutes at a time.

[BENSONSAN]

Yea lol sounds like my birds yesterday they all went beserk. Gouldians bobbing up a down. Also saw my new pair of longtails mate. woohoo

[natamambo]

Put my boxes in yesterday too, and lots of excitement all round (them and me ). 2 of the three hens are ready to go (normals), the other one (Yellow Back) still has no black on beak at all.

[Roy]

Well I think I may have jumped the gun a bit I put my boxes in new years day and have one pair sitting on eight eggs , The other 3 pairs in the aviary are a bit slower though plenty of singing and dancing from the cock birds but the hens are not quite interested yet.

[cranberry]

Put my boxes in yesterday too, and lots of excitement all round (them and me ). 2 of the three hens are ready to go (normals), the other one (Yellow Back) still has no black on beak at all.

That's interesting. I've wondered if a yellow back hen in breeding condition would develop a black beak as I was under the assumption that they cannot produce much dark pigment. Can you confirm that yellow back hens can produce a black beak?

[Misso]

the yellow back hens beak wont turn black like a green back.

[Matt]

yellow backs beak won't go black but they still darken to a deeper red and is still quite distinctive.

[natamambo]

OK then, the YB hen is ready to go too