Redbrows - 1 pair, 2 pair, how many pair is the right pair?

Normal and lesser Red Browed.
Includes Species Profile.
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tonytoast
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Joined: 05 May 2011, 18:51
Location: Gold Coast

Have just one pair of Redbrows which have bonded and been together for over a year now....I am fairly confident that I have both cock and hen as I have watched the cock bird doing his courtship dance and have never seen the hen bird doing this....could be a dominant cock bird of two cock birds but there are subtle differences between him and the hen bird.....now,

I have seen some nesting activity such as getting into the Chestnuts nest both during and post construction and I have also seen them carry grass around the aviary but never to an actual nest (or start of). They have always had plenty of live food, soaked seed (which they relish), grass seed (in season) and even palm grass in full seed in the aviary....

I have the opportunity to buy a second pair however I am not sure if this will ultimately disrupt my existing pair or actually improve their situation due to the 'colony' habits of this species. I have heard that 1 pair or three or more are best...any thoughts on the success rate with just two pair????

Cheers.....
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desertbirds
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Joined: 21 Nov 2010, 09:13
Location: Alice Springs

I would give another pair a go. If its been a year with no results then you have nothing to loose. Not sure how many other birds you have in there but the less the better.Redbrows (lessers anyway) can breed from as early a 3 months old although mine were about 9 months old before they had fertile eggs.Personally i would add another two pair and remove the unpaired ones after a month or so.My breeding results improved once i had removed most other species and this year it has gone backwards as i think left a few too many young birds in there.The young cocks seem to interfere too much.
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spanna
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Location: Bullsbrook, Western Australia
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Do you have any live brush they can nest in? They are supposed to breed almost entirely in living brush, so more birds may not be the answer to the problem.
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desertbirds
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The live bush thing isnt quite true, have them nesting in dried brush and even a cane basket. I do think though that living plants are preferred but if the dominant pair has that spot then they will have a go elsewhere.
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spanna
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yeah i've had/got the same thing desertbirds, but in dry brush i've only had a few young from a few nests from 3 pairs, very unproductive (my own fault) on the whole. the nominate species, as I said, mainly nest in living brush, the lessers will nest in anything though... i'm just putting it out there that buying another pair may just increase seed bills instead of productivity. i may be wrong though!!
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Tiaris
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The live brush is definitely a factor and much preferred with normal Redbrows but not necessarily so with Lessers. This is even more the case if there is a high chance that the normals could be of wild-caught origin.
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desertbirds
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Having not kept the nominate species i appreciate the differences being pointed out.Cheers.
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tonytoast
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Joined: 05 May 2011, 18:51
Location: Gold Coast

Yeh, I have a small lillipilli and a couple of trussed up long grasses along with dead brush, wire cyclinders etc so lots of choices....

I tend to agree with you desertbirds with the nothing to lose mentality....the aviary has a fairly wide range of native finches so it is possible that at times there might be too much happening. My redbrows appear to be very happy though with a constant 'shri' 'shri' shri' sound being made whenever they are climbing through the palm grass or stirring up the mulch...
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