Aussie Finch Forum

This behaviour has been documented in quite a lot of Aussie species, Zebs, Fairy Wrens and from own observations its not uncommon for aussie females to stray

desertbirds wrote:This behaviour has been documented in quite a lot of Aussie species, Zebs, Fairy Wrens and from own observations its not uncommon for aussie females to stray

^^ packing my bag moving to Australia


anyway, how bout 2 females with 1 male..any documentation like that? like the polygamous canary...

[quote="
anyway, how bout 2 females with 1 male..any documentation like that? like the polygamous canary...[/quote]


Have had it happen once....I male partner passed away before nesting...so the other cock bird decided both were fair game raised 5 and 6 out of both nests..

While I agree its possible that hens could be straying from the partner that raises the chicks in the nest. It could also be another hen just laying in that nest after a wild night on the town.

I know its not a finch but it is an interesting thing that one of my Quarrions does ..
I have 2 pair in an aviary , both bonded and so far stick with their own mate ..
They both have been raising clutches pretty much simultaneously anyhoo one of the girls always lays her first 2 eggs in the others nestbox then goes on to raise her own full sized clutch .
I havent intervened as both girls throw different mutations so I know who belongs where and the hen raising the blow ins doesnt seem to care anyways .

Just thought it an oddity ...

I have a budgie clutch at the moment where there are definitely 2 fathers interestingly both males are feeding the babies and they actually seem to know which are theirs as they seem to prefer feeding the babies that are obviously theirs.

Deb, very smart quarrion you have there, why should she try and raise a huge couch when she can share the work around.