Aussie Finch Forum

I saw a photo today of a red--browed taking a tadpole posted by a member of my local bird observers club.

I was watching at a waterhole today and the birds were as always putting on an interesting show. There were groups of Red-brow 'grass' finches passing through usually 3-5 in each group. I was fascinated by fact that they not only wanted to drink but several seemed to prance about the water edge. There were insect lava and tadpoles in the water and to my surprise they were rather good at catching the tadpoles. The birds certainly ate the catch. One bird caught 3 in 5 mins

that's very interesting iaos....thanks for that.
detailed observation can only help us to provide for our finches.
water features might become more common!!

After you mentioned this I thought it'd be worth a go.
This guy likes the idea:

Awesome, I gather they ate them?

Any finches show interest?

Cheers Ian

A very interesting observation. But..

Just to be the Grinch on this topic, let's not go raiding ponds for tadpoles. They are the laval form of frogs which are themselves endangered and generally protected.

NB: cane toad lavae are fair game!!!

Tom

We often have frogs lay their eggs in the pool skimmer box. Maybe I'll keep some to hatch next time.

I've watched again since, they seemed more interested in the mosquito larvae teh second time but I think they are taking taddies too.
Don't worry, Tom, I don't intend on wholesale raiding of ponds. No cane toads around here, mercifully, as they are poisonous even in tadpole form.

Sam, I put half a bucket of invertebrate-rich dam water in the bird bath, but putting eggs to hatch may work as well.
Good to have one more option up the sleeve for those days when all the regular live food has problems, and much easier than chasing slaters and grubs up in the garden...

Uraeginthus wrote:A very interesting observation. But..

Just to be the Grinch on this topic, let's not go raiding ponds for tadpoles. They are the laval form of frogs which are themselves endangered and generally protected.
Ect
NB: cane toad lavae are fair game!!!

Tom

Sorry tom but that's like saying parrots are all endangered, or finches........just like the families most familiar to us, there are many more frogs which are not endangered than there are that are..........but yes, generally, they are protected.......the good people of this country step on more protected species than we actually protect


Matty, et al, here's the tip......Striped Marsh frog......Limnodynastes peronii......common as muck.....nice, small taddies, common, garden variety.....especially around the septic overflow . . .

Tadpoles & Allocasuarina seeds, .............."the breeders choice"....... ....and don't get me started on November Grass!

Yes, point taken, Mickw. I tend to use the" bull in china shop" approach when I hear of people using wildlife!

Most of us are thoughtful and careful but ideas like this can sometimes encourage the less knowedgeable to go out and catch these things without knowing what they're doing.
Mine was a badly worded form of "please be careful about giving newbies the wrong idea".

Nonetheless, as you say, not all frog species are endangered so some careful placement of ponds can be a boon for those birds that will take them.

Tom