Aussie Finch Forum

When weather events are used as evidence of climate change by proponents it is unreasonable to accuse sceptics of conflation for using weather facts to refute the climate case.

If you're arguing misinformation with more misinformation you can't call it a refutation. It's just two equally ignorant groups slinging mud.

I am reluctant to remove my nesting during the cold period as the birds use it to roost not just breed. I have groups of blackhearts and doublebars that sleep together to stay warm. My cordons are sharing the nest together with nearly fledged chicks too. It seems they have learned not to leave them after the 10 day mark and keep all warm. Good parents. They want to keep breeding though and the upcoming winter worries me for the next round. I think gouldians, cordons and orange breasts will breed all year round from my experience. Blackhearts in spring.

ShaneGowland wrote:

When weather events are used as evidence of climate change by proponents it is unreasonable to accuse sceptics of conflation for using weather facts to refute the climate case.

If you're arguing misinformation with more misinformation you can't call it a refutation. It's just two equally ignorant groups slinging mud.

No, but I was providing totally accurate correct information comparing maximum temperatures in my area for more than the past decade - no misinformation at all and not selecting a one-off weather event but a long-term seasonal comparison of relevance (hence of climatic scale).
But your post doesn't even attempt to address the topic of this thread.
My point re this thread is very similar to what Vettepilot has already mentioned - we are providing unseasonal protection from natural elements and unseasonal year-round breeding triggers such as livefood, half-ripe & sprouted seeds, so of course some pairs of many species are going to be prompted into breeding at various unorthodox times of year. That is why these items are such powerful management tools to breed birds at the time of year which local conditions and personal circumstances determine are ideal.

Rob wrote:I am reluctant to remove my nesting during the cold period as the birds use it to roost not just breed. I have groups of blackhearts and doublebars that sleep together to stay warm. My cordons are sharing the nest together with nearly fledged chicks too. It seems they have learned not to leave them after the 10 day mark and keep all warm. Good parents. They want to keep breeding though and the upcoming winter worries me for the next round. I think gouldians, cordons and orange breasts will breed all year round from my experience. Blackhearts in spring.

Yes Cordons brood their young well and they also have down on them prior to feathering up unlike more tropical species. I don't remove nest sites during winter either as I experience relatively mild winters here.

When do you encourage your birds to breed.
Here in Australia the answer is simple, when the conditions in YOUR AREA are suitable.
Most of our common species will try and breed when they have a suitable diet and aviary set up but that
may not be the optimum time. There are a couple of exceptions but generally birds should only be encouraged
when the weather is above 20c the warmer the better(except full summer type heat).
It is June now and here south of Sydney weather conditions are poor, sure birds will try and breed, some will actually
hatch chicks. Even fewer will fledge them and of those being fledged most will die within the week.
So why encourage them, winter is a time for them to rest and get ready for the breeding season.
If a pair of birds struggle to breed through the winter when the prime time comes they are exhausted and the season
is most likely wasted.
It annoys me when so many people want to buy a hen of this and one of another and so on, simply they are letting their
birds breed through winter and in most cases helping with diet, nesting material etc. Hens can't handle the weather like
the cock birds can.
There are quite a few birds here but few chicks will actually fledge until October simply because the parent birds are not
encouraged to breed. No nesting material, no new brush, basic diet without all the extras. Then I put them on their austerity diet
from mid August until the end of the first week of September. Diet is just 2 types of Millet and Water.
Then they all go onto full breeding season diet, pairs start nesting and the chicks start emerging in early October when the weather
is warming. They have been rested, the austerity diet breaks their yearly train.
You must research your areas weather and that will assist, up north it is not temp. but how much rain you have.
Mind you if your birds are bred indoors then you can dictate but still you shouldn't try and breed your birds all year round
otherwise you will simply burn them out.

Thanks all. I'm at a bit of a loss now as I think some birds a roosting in boxes and in this cold snap (currently 5deg outside) I'm not wanting to take that protection away now. I'm at a loss of what actions to take. I was quite suprised the goulds started nesting to be honest as I''d had little luck at all with other goulds previously. It's not like i'm wanting them to breed right now but I initially read some waxbills breed in winter and with cordons and st helens i wanted to cater to them. Given I only have the one aviary right now it will be hard to stimulate some but not others. I was going to start a flybox soon for live food but I may hold off now for 8 weeks or so.

I leave nests in all year round for roosting purposes. And feed seeding grasses when they are available. This is what nature does. Climate change began with the forming of our planet. Humans have inflenced everything on the planet to some degree over time and continue to do so. Back to the finches, read what people in your part of the country are doing and follow their lead. Observe what works best for you over time and stick to that. Good luck.
LML