Aussie Finch Forum

Hi!

Here's some photos of my new pair of Lonchura molucca that arrive from Netherlands.

http://lourencoaves.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... chura.html

Is this a hybrid munia, to me it looks like a spice finch x black headed or tri colour munia. It is a nice looking munia.

No, it's a pure Moluccan Munia (Lonchura molucca).

http://www.efinch.com/species/molucan.htm

Congratulations!
From the photos I have seen, they look very pure to me. Give them some time and they will feather up into beautiful birds.
It is true they look like a Bengalese/Society finch, as specialist Bengalese/Society finch breeders have used Moluccan Munias and Scaly-breasted (called nutmegs or spice finches in Australia), to help create the self-chocolate Bengalese/Society. I wish they were still available in Australia and people had not made the mistake of thinking they were a cross bread (hybrid) finch and put them in with Bengalese/Society finches.

Did you get more than one pair? Watch for the typical Mannikin/Munia crow in the cocks. I would have the non-crowing birds DNA sexed as my experience with Mannikins/Munias has revealed that not all male/cock birds can be seen crowing and some start crowing at a much later age than their male siblings do. In addition, a pair of males will still build a nest and behave like a male/female pair and I have wasted a lot of time waiting for eggs to arrive. Then finally spending the money to have them DNA sexed, only to find the non-crowing bird was a male.
Anyway, good luck with your finches and I hope to see photos of your breeding success.

They are beautiful. Wish we could get them here. I have Bengos that look like that accept they do not have the black head. So I can see that they were some of the ancesstors.
LML

Thank you guys

I only have this pair, I was searching this species here in Portugal but it was rare and expensive so I ask a friend that go to Belgium and Netherland to bring me a pair from there. My friend know the breeder from this pair and he tell me that is trustful so probably is a "true" pair.

Lonchura, I see that you are just like me (Lonchura fan ), what species you have? I have Spice finches, Chestnut Breasted munias, African Silverbills, Moluccan Munias and Bengalese, my favorite is the Spice Finch!
I have many photos of them on my blog.

Lonchura wrote:Anyway, good luck with your finches and I hope to see photos of your breeding success.

No problem
I beggin to breed my finches in February but until there I will post some photos of my finches here.

Unfortunately my male died this morning and I don't know why, yesterday both of them were very nice and nothing showed that the male were sick or something....

That's a shame. Even more so when they have been imported for you.

bluebutterfly213 wrote:That's a shame. Even more so when they have been imported for you.

Yeh ... Was not the ideal way to beggin the day when go check my finches and saw my male dead ...
But what I need to do now is keep my head straight and move on, if I dont find a male I keep my female and next year another male from Netherland arrives for her

Sorry to hear about your loss. Do you breed in cabinets?
LML