Identification of Pairs
Posted: 24 Jan 2010, 20:07
Well I was going to talk about Rose Breasted Javas but that would have been misleading. Java Sparrows are closely related to the munias and like all the Asian munias they all look the same and are almost impossible to sex so if you've got a colony how do you even tell whose got which nest? I remembered something I saw MickP suggested, which was to put lip-stick around the entrance of the nest in question and the birds mark themselves. Guess what? He was right! Now I've got some canary rings from my last trip to Australia I've marked and rung the breeding pair in my colony of wild caught Javas and I've rung their baby with another colour.
When you think about it we must be dedicated, what with Mick carrying lipstick, Poohbear carrying tights, myself and Deb wearing differing versions of net curtains and tablecloths. 
