Stars as fosters?

[matcho]

Had been eagerly awaiting the fledging of my stars and returned home yesterday after a week away hoping to see them. Was greeted by no young stars but there were 4 young goulds out that werent there last week. I expected those anyway. Anyhow spied a young chick on floor (just getting pin feathers on wings, eyes not quite open) went in the avairy to replace him in the box. Returned it to his 6 other nestmates. Everything OK. Decided to check the nestbox where the stars were. Nothing, zero, zip, although there was evidence that there had been chick/s in there by the state of the nest. Anyhow, to cut a long story short, feeding the birds this morning and decided to sit an watch for a while. Then I saw it! A gould chick chasing the stars and begging to be fed. Then the stars started feeding it, both yellow cock and red hen. How strange! The only thing I can think of is that the goulds have laid in the nest and the stars have raised them.

Anyone else had similar things?

[Tiaris]

I've had Stars and other species regularly feeding other species' fledglings which were not raised by the Stars. So this is a possibility. In one breeding aviary at the moment every clutch of young Orangebreasts beg from the Stars & get topped up after fledging & the Stars raised a few clutches of their own at the same time.