Aussie Finch Forum

Danny. wrote:I occasionally catch up with Jeff. Oh, crap - I'm doomed.

Humph

Pics taken this morning

Beautiful, T.

Thank you.

Awesome thanks for sharing. Great shots!!

Thanks for the photos Tintola.

Do you hand-raise some of the clutch to avoid them being eaten? Typically how big are the clutches?

Cheers
Ian

I assume you mean "eaten" by their siblings. Unlike their close relatives the Kookaburras, there is no sibling murder going on.
The clutch is determined by the amount of live food (Gambusias) available to both parents before and during egg production. Plenty of live fish = plenty of eggs (up to 5) = plenty of chicks. Best so far was last year, 5 eggs, 5 chicks, 5 fledged. Usually 3 to 4 eggs and 2 to 4 chicks. They will double or even triple clutch in one season. Third clutch lacks enthusiasm and numbers and is often not productive, so I usually take the box out after the second clutch.

Such beautiful birds the kingfishers

How have I not read this thread before today? I shall just go and sit in the corner in shame. How are your beautiful birds going Tint? I also am growing older (because I can't seem to avoid it) but not growing up.
LML

I lost my breeding hen about 6 months ago (she was about 11 years old) but still have a young unrelated pair, the father and two young males. It seems that the most common species kept in Australia is the Sacred. A few people also have Red-backed and Forrest but these are rare. Forrest K/F are next on my list. Azures are often brought in as injured birds and seem to do ok with live and thawed fish but tend to languish after a few months, anyway they are not on the list in NSW and I can't see how that can be changed. Paradise and Little K/Fs could be in some of the North Qld birdparks but I really don't know. I would love to try the Paradise species.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q ... L3igLDnoBQ

Tintola wrote:they are not on the list in NSW and I can't see how that can be changed.

When Danny gets our minister sorted out . . .

No, that probably won't work

Qld pollies are too busy trying to keep themselves out of the scandal sheets, to be concerned with equal opportunity for 'ordinary' citizens

My word we've got some pretty ordinary individuals 'representing' us