Aussie Finch Forum

Hi there,not sure if they are available in Australia so this may be a pointless post,but would like to hear from anyone with experience of these birds.I have a pair and plan to put them in an aviary with three pairs of St Helenas this spring.Have bred Orange Bishops,White Headed Nuns,Black Headed Nuns,Greensinging finches in the last couple of years.I also have a pair of Lavender Finches which hopefully might breed in the future.
Ive been to Sydney a few times,(brother lives there) but am interested at what African/Asian finches are available in Australia these days.
Cheers
Stuart.

Yes they are available here and are bred in reasonable numbers. not sure why no one has answered your post. i think you will need more saints from what ive read.

E Orix has them, and he's probably one of the more knowledgeable breeders too.

I have just started this season with them. Mine are housed with 8 pairs of St helena's. I haven't bred any yet but I did find an abandoned nest with one larger and more pointed egg than the others so I don't think I'll have to wait much longer as i have a few nests with young saints at the moment so fingers crossed. First thing I noticed when the cock bird come into colour was his activity and aggression levels went through the roof. I don't believe he would actually kill another bird but all the other birds certainly know who's boss of the aviary. The mating display is the best I've ever seen and until you see it in the flesh you just don't appreciate how much effort the cock bird puts in for his moment of glory. He is without doubt, the most active bird in the aviary to a point where you almost get tired watching him relentlessly pursuing the hen around and swooping at any bird that catches his eye.

Good luck with them. It would be nice to here of breeders in other parts of the world being successful with them.

What little I know about them I would he placing more Saints in there approx 10 pair to every pair of pintails. E Orix would definitely be the person who will be able to help

I've not kept them, but hopefully will get some next year.
I understand that three pairs of St. Helena's is sufficent, but more is desirable. They will occasionally lay in other birds' nests, including OB waxbills.

Africans commonly available in Aust aviaries include orange-breast and St. Helena waxbills, firefinches (called ruddies in Queensland), red-cheeked cordon bleu and a few weavers.
Many others are less common (including orange-cheeked WBs, green avadavats and blue capped cordons); of this group a significant number probably no longer have viable captive populations.

The pintailed is I believe the last whydah being bred in Australia; there is apparently a lonely red-shouldered cockbird pining away its dotage, frustrated by stupid import restrictions.

No doubt E Orix will offer some advice in due course.

I will contact shennmack directly