Aussie Finch Forum

desertbirds wrote:So whats the secret ingredient for wild birds ? No spirrulina or canary colour. What gives chats and Red Capped robins great colour in the bush ?

Tea tree stain in water? or maybe algae growth? when you find out let me know ...

Moths.
Awesome Pic.

He is beatutiful regardless of what he eats or drinks (or because of it)
LML

Amazing Pic mate.....I am going to make a huge guess and say the insects and other creepy crawlys they eat may feed on ruby salt bush and other flowering plants, there fore they may get daily dose of carotenoids, the question is how much NATURAL form of carotenoids do they need to enhance there colour , is it only when certain foods and berrys are available that they get enough for the year.
Can 3 months of colour feeding work as well as 12 months... can spiralina occur in rock pools, The local robins around here are more of a deep orange than red around here, But the ones I have seen further south are a almost red. The mind ponders. ...pete

vettepilot_6 wrote:Well as I drive up and down the haul road...I always keep my eye out for wildlife and this little gem is what I saw on my last day of shift....

Great pic vettepilot,i had those pecking at my shoes when i was counting gouldians at a water hole at Wyndam.I was in orr looken at them.They were more scarlet red on thier backs. I called them Essondon birds lol cheers Craig

Ruby salt bush is one plant that keeps cropping up in my research into carotenes. I'd love to get some for my chat's aviary but I have been unable to find anyone in Vic who sells it. I might have to accidentally bring some back when I go to Broken Hill for work in May.

I got mine from down south of WA. I bought back a cutting that had berries on it, I keep the berries to dry out and planted them a few months later, also planted the cutting and it took as well , you do need a few plants , but once they establish they go nuts, I found the fresher the seed the better as I was given some old stuff that didnt germinate. They do come in a red and yellow form so I have been told , when I was researching the salt bush I found alot of people complained they were sold yellow and not red ruby salt bush. So finding a local source maybe of help.

The only problem I have with it is the finches love to eat it , especially the diamond fire tails, it can disappear before your eyes....pete

Canary wrote:What is spirulina? What are the benefits for birds? Where do you order it? Do you know if it would be a color food for canaries?

http://spirulina4nutrition.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
After seeing some spirulina at a bird sale at the price of $20 for a container the size of a small chinese takeway I bought some spirulina capsules from ebay. I got the capsules rather than the tablets and powdered varieties so that I didnt have to measure the amount, or spend time crushing the tablets. Once a week I just open a capsule over the sprouted seed which has a small amount of vitamin oil in it so that the powder sticks to the seed.