Vinegar flies

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

Has anyone seen their finches actually consume these flies?
I have cultures set up in pots in each aviary but cannot confirm if the birds eat them.
they are very small flies which may only interest wrens etc.
any feedback welcomed.
(yes, at present i am too lazy to get off my butt and supply termites/maggots).
cc

[GregH]

Often wondered the same thing myself. I have fruit in each aviary to attact them but I don't have anything particularly insectivorous other than a bul-bul and even that I've only ever see go for the mealworms.

[finchbreeder]

My birds seem to land on the trap a lot so I just persume they eat the flies. St. Helena's love daddy longlegs spiders if you have any handy.
LML

[Fincho162]

Any insectivorous finch loves them.........kick the bucket (or whatever they're in) and watch the birds tackle them ..........we used to have wire over the top but once left it of by accident and had every Jacarini in the aviary swimming about in it like Herons "fishing" for flies...........very 'brown" birds for a while but no long-term harm done!!

Cubans, Cordons, Orange Breasts, Double Bars..........have seen them all swarming around hawking flies............

[monotwine]

If your vinegar flies are like our fruit flies then I have them in my aviary too in a container covered with wire and fruit to lure them. I placed mine next to a back wall which is an aviary wire section covered with shade-cloth. My birds have learnt how to flush them when landing and then casually pick them off the aviary wire.
CB's are particularly good at it. So good that I have had to place a second lure container in my safety door area where the birds cannot get them, and the flies can breed/migrate to the aviary at will, just to keep the numbers up.

[desertbirds]

My birds dont seem to eat a lot them.I wouldnt rely on it as a replacememt for termites,maggots or meailies.I didnt see my birds eat many until i took their water out to trap them out of the avairy.Rather than be trapped ,the Diamonds sat on the rim of the vinegar fly bucket most of the day.Obviously they had previously eaten them.Chats like them and im sure many insectivorous finches will eat them but im not so sure they will rear chicks on these alone.
My redbrows will pick off the occasional one but i dont see them constantly at this food source when they have young.I keep a culture going more for a bit of top up for the birds if they really need it and a bit of variety.