Aussie Finch Forum

I was reading an ABC story concerning Zebra finches (Caged birds unfaithful, says scientist) and I thought that other breeders may have something to say on this topic. The basic premise of the story is that in the wild zebra finches are supposedly faithfully monogamous but in aviaries 30% of the nestlings emerging are not fathered by the cock bird from who's nest they emerge. I don't know what work Simon Griffith or others have done in the wild but I doubt zebs are as monogamous in the wild as is stated in the story but that's another issue. What interests me is that captive finches are being selected for their capacity for xenogamy (wide outcrossing). Could this be a way of overcoming the very narrow genetic base of captive birds? Frequently only siblings are for sale and are paired up so if they are fathered by even slightly different lines then inbreeding depression would be reduced if the siblings are then paired up. Does anyone else have a theory here? Perhaps people that keep birds are immoral (talk to Peter Singer or PETA about that) and they select their stock to be as morally corrupt as they are?! I might be clutching at straws there.

I nearly always keep single pairs of each species in breeding aviaries so I s'pose I'm selecting against infidelity. So there you have it - colony breeding is immoral.

Maybe its because in the wild they are so busy trying to keep themselves and their current partner and offspring alive they dont have the time or energy to "step over the side".

I nearly always keep single pairs of each species in breeding aviaries so I s'pose I'm selecting against infidelity.
However, my Gouldians are usually in groups of 6. And my Zebs are in a holding avairy, from which I take a pair and place in the breeding avairys (not always with the same mate if it is one I particularly wish to increase the colour type of) so I guess with the Zebs I am selecting for infidelity with those particular birds.
LML