Aussie Finch Forum

After bringing in my ancient painteds to the sunroom for the winter I’ve noticed they are really active in low light conditions.
Very last to bed, first to wake and the slightest hint of light their off rummaging around the aviary floor.

Started to suspect they might be cathemeral in the wild – anyone know for sure?

Cathemeral? No. Crepusular? Yes. probably, many birds are, in particular many of the neophema parrots (Bourkes especially)

I have no reference, but have heard that they are active all day in winter but are more crepuscular in the hot weather, resting in the middle of the day. I am not aware of them being active at night.

HANZAB doesn't answer directly, but notes that they drink regularly through the day (Whitlock, Cayley, Immelman) and that they build their nests only in the morning, starting at first light and stopping 'before temperature rose above 24" (Hornsby, 1987).

In my aviaries, parrotfinches are the only ones up earlier, and also stay active much later than the painteds. I have never seen mine them active at night, though I am rarely watching them after dark.

I would say they are not cathemeral, more a typically diurnal Estrildid with facultative crepuscularity in hot weather, likely an adaptation to the seasonal extremes present in their natural home.

Are any of our finches active at night?

On moonlit nights I've heard Jacarinis, Melbas & Orangebreasts calling.

I have heard orange breasts call of th night and have green singers (4 cock birds) that go off their brain singing in the pitch black dark of morning half hr before sun has broken

Interesting, crepuscular makes sense if it is to avoid the heat of the day. Their vision must be pretty good then.
On moonlight nights here the wild magpies & Willie wagtails will be calling all night.
Kind of fun having them where I can see them all through the day & night.

I would agree with the ob's calling. I have two pair and some mornings its pitch black outside and they start calling.

Too many big words ..
I get the general drift so might add that my Bourkes are the first awake and the last to roost ..

Even on rainy night my jacarinis call for about twenty minutes after midnight

rainy night my jacarinis

so i wonder if all these different birds have night vision?
It would be kind of nuts to advertise your location at night unless you could move out in a hurry if needed.