This is an article I wrote for the NFSS Journal a few years back, mainly geared towards establishing wild-caught finches in captivity.
Aviculture’s Future Is Now: Establishing Estrildid Finches in Captivity
By Scott Golden
Forward: In 1993, the African country of Ghana placed every bird that was endemic or migratory through its lands on Appendex III of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). Appendex III species are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a species. The species are not necessarily threatened with extinction globally. In all member countries trade in these species is only permitted with an appropriate export permit and a certificate of origin.In North America, this meant the virtually complete shutdown of importation of wild-caught African finches. By 1995, almost all African finches had disappeared in the United States, with the exception of perhaps a few blue caps, fire finches and gold breasted waxbills, which occasionally were still brought in via quarantine stations or through Canadian importers.
During these years, 1993-2006, many European aviculturalists, who were still receiving the finches that had been banned in the United States under CITES Appendex III, successfully established many species. With the advent of widespread outbreaks of bird flu during the last few years, Europe now has a complete ban on the importation of birds. Yet, because of the work of serious breeders, they still retain many species.
In the United States, due to a change in Ghanian politics, 2007 brought the lifting of the Ghana Appendix of CITES. This has meant the sudden availability of finches that we have not seen in this country for at least 14 years! Western Bluebills, Goldbreasted Waxbills, Red-Cheeked Cordon Blues, Pytilia, Green, Brown and Rosy Twinspots, Senegal, Kulikoro and Black-Faced Fire Finches, as well as many other species are now available in the US. Soon, without question, imports of wild-caught birds will cease. One case of bird flu and imports are done. Pressure on airlines from animal rights groups already makes it almost impossible to fly birds out of Africa.
The time to establish these finches is now! Using the European example as a model, we can breed these birds and assure their future in American Aviculture. Please, consider taking up the challenge.
Quarantine and Acclimatization of New Birds:
If you are wise, you will quarantine new birds for 30 days or longer. Every new bird brought into your aviaries represents a possible source of contagion that could wipe out every bird that you have. Ideally, new birds should be isolated in a separate building from your current collection. Feed these new birds last and change your clothing before re-entering your already existing location. Bacteria, but most worrisome, viruses, can be moved from location to location via clothing or hands.
If any kind of illness develops, a veterinarian may be consulted. However, most vets have little experience dealing with bird-related diseases. Plus, due to the small size of finches, they have little ability to resist disease for long. Therefore, it is important to have an arsenal of medications on hand.
Recommended Medications/Supplements
15 years ago, there was very little in the way of medications for cage birds. Time has changed this situation! With some advanced preparation, many finches can be saved that would otherwise have died in previous years.
Ronivet-S*: Treatment of choice for birds suffering from protozoa infections including canker, giardia, cochlosoma, and hexamiter. Water-soluble and water stable, it has extremely high safety margins. It can safely be used at any stage in the birds breeding cycle. Mix 1 teaspoon per quart of drinking water for 7 days.
Amtyl* Broad-spectrum antibiotic dissolves easily in water. Amoxicillin trihydrate(150mg / g) and Tylosin tartrate (100 mg / g) are combined to produce a highly effective and safe antibiotic to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. Includes directions for administering in the drinking water or directly into the crop. We recommend you follow up with probotic to reestablish the gut flora after antibiotic treatment.
Doxycycline: Doxycycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic for birds with bacterial diseases, ornithosis, psittacosis, one eyed colds, respiratory infections and chlamydia infections.
Baytril: Treats a wide range of bacterial infections in birds. Mix 2ml to a quart of drinking water for the first 4 days, then mix 1ml to a quart of drinking water for the remaining 6 to 10 days. The medication of choice for Paratyphoid, E-Coli, Ornithosis, and Respiratory infections.
Amphotericin-B: Megabac-S is a unique water soluble formulation of Amphotericin B. Megabac-S has proven effectiveness against Megabacteria in caged and aviary birds.
Medistatin: Contains Nystatin 400 000 i.u./g. The only Nystatin powder specifically for birds. Ideal for crop dosing baby birds, for prevention and treatment of Candida in birds. Nystatin is the choice for most fungal problems. Has been used with great results for Stargazing /Twirling in birds. For treatment: mix 1g to 20ml of water give 1ml per 100g bodyweight twice daily in crop for 7 days. For prevention: mix 1g per 200g of soft food daily for as long as symptoms prevail.
Probiotic*: Nine strains of probiotic work together to promote normal gut flora and a healthy digestive system. Essential after times of stress or antibiotic treatment. Can also be added to hand feeding formula to improve the chick’s immune system. Contains 180CFU/gram Use just 1g per liter.
SCATT*: A safe, effective treatment for air sac mites and scaly face mites
Avian Insect Liquidator: Safe for birds, deadly to insects including mites and ANTS! Safe enough to spray on even newly hatched chicks, AIL kills insects on contact and the residual action guards against reinfestation for 6 weeks.
Worm Out Gel: Water soluble wormer in a pump bottle. (Praziquate l20g/L and Oxfendazole 20g/L) Can be administered in drinking water or directly into the crop. Two-day treatment is effective against threadworm, tapeworm, roundworm, caecal worm and hookworm.
(*= REALLY necessary)
A course of antibiotic medication should last 7-10 days, followed by 7 days of antifungals. Antifungals should then followed up by probiotics. Many finches die of fungal infection (aspergillosis) after antibiotic treatment because fungi are often the first to recolonize a bird’s digestive tract after medication. If not controlled, fungi can overwhelm the bird’s system and lead to death of the bird.
Although there are many suppliers of these products, All Bird Products (www.allbirdproducts.com) has them all. Plus, they are a California company and can get these necessities to you right away.
If a viral problem occurs, it is vital that your sick birds are separate from the rest of your collection. Many virii are spread via fecal material or shed in feather dander. An air filter with a hepafilter, small enough to trap viral particles, may be of help. Additionally, cleaning all surfaces with bleach water may lessen the chance of the viral disease spreading. With time, birds that survive a virus tend to develop an immune response and may inactivate the virus.
If your bird(s) die, the County Vet of San Diego has a full, low-cost necropsy service that can give you very valuable information as to what is affecting your finches. The county vet has an after hours/weekend drop box (refrigerated, of course). DO NOT freeze dead specimens. It makes them useless by exploding the cells. The best thing to do is wet the specimen with clean (bottled) water and place it in a sealed zip loc in the lowest and furthest back part of the fridge, where it’s coldest. The sample will be (essentially) useless after 72 hrs. The cooler the specimen, and the quicker the drop off, the better.
Contact info:
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
8AM-5PM
Monday through Friday
5555 Overland Ave, Bldg 4
San Diego, CA. 92124
858-694-2838
(http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/awm/vet.html)
“Now That My Birds Are Through With Quarantine, Now What?”
Set them up to breed!! The average finch has a reproductive lifespan that is, at most, only a few years. If we are to establish new birds in captivity, we must be able to produce a significant number of offspring from them and do it quickly. The Dutch, Belgians and Germans are true masters at this. If it were not for the efforts of European aviculturalists, MOST of the finches established currently in the United States would not exist here. The constant importation of European-bred Australian finches provided most of the foundation stock for the strains of these birds currently in the US.
The basic premise of breeding these birds is as follows (and I know, it goes against what many of us are doing!):
If I haven’t completely overwhelmed you, read on! We can do this. Remember, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Lady Gouldian and Red-Headed Parrot Finches were almost impossible to keep alive in captivity. They are now firmly established in aviculture because of people like you, who were not afraid to step to the plate and take on the challenge.
Breeding Set-Up:
If all goes well, your wild-caught finches will calm down and become adjusted to life in captivity. In most cases they will lay fertile eggs, but rarely raise the young to completion. These young represent the future success of these species in captivity and must be saved! (Think of the effort the San Diego Zoo made in establishing the California Condor or New Zealand with the Chatham Island Robin).
“I have fertile eggs. Now What?”
Congratulations! You are halfway there! You must foster these first eggs to insure that the genetics of your wild-caught finches are not lost if something happens to the original birds.
(Murphy’s Law of Birds: The birds you can least afford to lose will be the first ones you discover upside down, dangling from the tip of one toenail that got caught on a wire).
A Bit on Fostering:
How to Set Up Societies as Fosters
Note: Societies are really worth their weight in gold. They are extremely dependable as foster parents for most species of estrildid finches. However, societies may harbor some bacteria or protozoa to which they are completely immune and the fostered species chicks are susceptible. It may be wise to put your societies on a thorough antibiotic-antifungal-probiotic regimen before setting them up as fosters.
“The eggs have hatched! Now what?”
“I did it! My chicks Fledged!”
With a little hard work and some time, you will be saying these words.
Now, my biggest bit of advice:
DO NOT SELL OR GET RID OF THESE CHICKS. IF YOU DO, YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM WILL BE DOOMED TO FAIL WITHIN 2 YEARS.
Yikes! I know it sounds kind of harsh, but that is the most honest, heart-felt advice I can give you. This F1, or first generation of chicks removed from wild-caught stock are going to be used to your schedule, your food, your avicultural techniques AND WILL BE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BREED WITHOUT THE NEED OF FOSTERS. That is the true goal: to establish these birds in captivity, where they will breed on their own under domestic conditions.
Random Notes and Further Bits of Advice:
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions!
With some current hard work, we can firmly establish many of these rare species in American Aviculture. Are you ready for the challenge?
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The following article was written for publication in the AFA Watchbird magazine.
Parrot Finches in American Aviculture, Revisited
By Scott Golden
Keizer, Oregon
In 1992, Carol Anne Calvin and Stash Buckley wrote an article with the same title, presenting an overview of Erythrura, or Parrot Finches, in American aviculture. Since then, two of the six species of parrot finch that existed in the US have been lost to American aviculturalists. Conversely, two species that were all but nonexistent then now have a foothold in the United States. The following article will present an overview of the twelve species of parrot finch, their status in the wild and in aviculture. Further, techniques for their propagation will be explored, including housing, diet, nesting triggers and behavior, rearing of young and intervention techniques including artificial incubation, hand feeding of chicks and the use of foster parents to successfully fledge chicks.
Parrot finches can be found from the Indo-Malayan Region to Australia and numerous South Pacific Islands. All known species were originally birds of forested regions, but many have had to adapt to the significant changes to the landscape brought about by human activity. Some species of Parrot Finches have adjusted their diets to introduced herbaceous, grass and grain seeds. Other species have been unable to adapt to a changing landscape and food resources and their numbers have dwindled. Being a group of birds that inhabit many small islands, parrot finches have been particularly hard hit from human development and from introduced predators such as rats and house cats. Numerous subspecies of parrot finches have died out, although it is not yet known if any species of parrot finch has yet gone extinct.
Parrot finches can be divided into two groups: the long-tailed and short-tailed species. The long-tailed species include Red Faced Parrot Finch (E. psittacea), Blue Faced Parrot Finch (E. trichroa), Papuan Parrot Finch (E. papuana), Pintailed Nonpareil Parrot Finch (E. prasina) and Green Faced Parrot Finch (E. virdifacies). The short-tailed parrot finches are Forbes (E. tricolor), Coloria (E. coloria), Bamboo (E. hyperythra), Peales (E. pealii), Samoan (E. cyaneovirens), Royal (E. regia) and the Pink-Billed (E. Kleinschmidti).
The Long-Tailed Parrot Finch Species:
The Red Faced Parrot Finch (E. psittacea)
Of the twelve recognized species of parrot finch, the Red Faced Parrot Finch is the only species that is firmly established in American aviculture. They are from the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific
And no known subspecies or wild mutations are known to occur.
E. psittacea inhabit fields, plantations and open areas surrounded by tree growth where they can retreat if threatened.
In the wild, E. psittacea feeds upon a variety of small plant seeds, flying termites and other insects. This species is widespread and common at all altitudes where suitable habitat exists.
In US aviculture, E. psittacea is fairly common throughout many regions of the United States. A firmly established mutation of this species is the seagreen, which replaces the normal green of the wild-type birds with a blue-green hue and the normal red head is replaced by head coloring that is orange-yellow. In recent years, a pied mutation has been imported into the US from Europe. This mutation is on its way to being established in the US and occurs in both normal and seagreen coloring. In Europe, a lutino red headed parrot finch has recently been developed, but has not yet made its way to American aviaries.
The Blue Faced Parrot Finch (E. trichroa)
This species has the widest geographical distribution of all of the parrot finches, from the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, Micronesia, Solomon Islands to the northeastern seaboard of tropical Australia.
It is found in small flocks of 20-30 birds, feeds both on ground and in forest canopy, eating a wide variety of seeds, figs. Due to its very wide geographical distribution, E. trichroa is considered to be secure in the wild.
In American aviculture, this bird is surprisingly hard to find. It has a reputation as a relatively free breeder, yet many finch enthusiasts have a difficult time finding available birds in many parts of the US. If not for frequent imports of this species from European exporters, E. trichroa would be a very rare bird in the United States.
In terms of mutations, the lutino blue faced parrot finch is raised by a few breeders. However, with its red eyes, which are negatively influenced by bright light, it is a bird best bred in indoor cages. Further, it is a weaker mutation, having significant challenges if they are to be improved upon through selective breeding. Recently a similar mutation was imported into the US known as a black-eyed yellow. This bird has the same feather coloration of a lutino, but has dark eyes and, genetically, seems to be a much more solid mutation. Much work remains in the effort to establish this mutation as all of the known birds are in the hand of a single breeder.
Papuan Parrot Finch (E. papuana)
The Papuan Parrot Finch is quite similar to the Blue Faced Parrot Finch with one notable exception: size.
The Papuan is a significantly larger bird than the Blue Faced. Both species occur on the island of New Guinea. The Papuan inhabits elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet and generally occurs in different regions of New Guinea than E. trichroa and does not seem to interbreed with this closely related species where their ranges overlap. The limited range of E. papuana, when compared to E. trichroa, make it a species of concern.
The Papuan Parrot Finch is not believed to have been imported into the US. They were being bred in Europe in small numbers during the 1990s, but the species appears to have been lost amongst European aviculturalists.
Pintailed Nonpareil Parrot Finch (E. prasina)
The Pintailed Nonpariel is a parrot finch of unparalleled beauty. It’s a bird known for its graceful shape, beautiful coloration and overall attractiveness. It is found in Western Laos, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
Originally, it was a large flock bird that would travel from region to region, following seeding bamboos, nesting in colonies where pairs would synchronize mating and rearing of young. This species adapted its diet and is now known to eat cultivated rice when available and is considered to be a major crop pest in rice growing regions. Eradication campaigns in much of its range have drastically reduced the numbers of E. prasina.
Until the late 1990s, Pintail Nonpareils were imported into the US in very large numbers. They were, unfortunately, quite inexpensive and few aviculturalists took the effort to successfully propagate them. The last known E. prasina died out in the US in
2011.
Green Faced Parrot Finch (E. virdifacies)
The Green Faced Parrot is quite similar in body confirmation to the Pintail Nonpareil. E. virdifacies has a smaller bill and shorter tail than Pintail Nonpareil. It also has a much more limited range than E. prasina, isolated on the island of Luzon in the Philippines in the vicinity of Manila.
This parrot finch has been found in savanna, forest edge and bamboo thickets from lowlands to about 100 meters elevation. Due to its distribution on a heavily populated island where human activity has greatly disturbed its natural environment, E. virdifacies is a species of concern. Human activity is compounded by the threat of introduced rats and other mammalian predators such as feral cats.
There are unsubstantiated reports of the Green Faced Parrot Finch being imported into the US as late as the early 1980s. However, no breeding success was recorded and there most certainly are not any members of this species in American aviculture.
The Green Faced Parrot Finch is quite similar to the closely related species, E. prasina.
The Short-Tailed Parrot Finches:
Forbes (E. tricolor)
The Forbes Parrot Finch was virtually unknown both to ornithology and aviculture until the 1990s. Although it was originally discovered in 1817, very little was known about the natural behavior of E. tricolor for almost another two centuries!
E. tricolor is found on Timor, Tenimber, Babar Damar and Roma., all small islands to the northwest of Australia. It is said to inhabit the canopy of palms and other trees and to feed opportunistically on herbaceous seeds and on introduced grass and bamboo seed. Still, little has been documented of its nesting and general behavior in the wild.
In the early 1990s, the first wild caught examples of E. tricolor began to be imported into Europe at prices approaching $4,500.00/pair! A couple of years later, European-bred birds were brought into the US, only to be discovered to be hybrids of E. trichroa and E. tricolor. It was not until 1994 that wild caught birds made it to North American shores. Despite its uncertain beginning here, E. tricolor is well on its way to being established in the United States, partly because of its striking cobalt (m) to sky blue plumage (f) and its diminutive size as one of the smallest of the parrot finch species.
Coloria (E. coloria)
E. coloria, or the Coloria Parrot Finch is approximately the same sixe as the Forbes Parrot Finch. It is known for its slightly more slender body conformation, longer legs and blue faced mask edged by a red crescent.
This species was originally thought to be confined to the slopes of Mt. Katanglad, on the Philippine island of Mindanao. However, recent studies have discovered vocalizations of E. coloria on surrounding mountains, thereby leading ornithologist to believe that its distribution is significantly larger than previously thought.
In aviculture, E. coloria is a very rare bird worldwide. It exists in European collections in significant numbers. Attempts to establish this species in the US have occurred with several small importations of European-bred birds. The most recent import was in 2011. Unfortunately, it is thought that no Coloria currently exist in the US.
Bamboo Parrot Finch (E. hyperythra)
The Bamboo Parrot Finch’s range extends from the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, Malay Peninsula, Java and Lesser Sunda Islands. It primarily inhabits open woodland, forest edge, bamboo jungle and the vicinity of rice fields. This species is a specialist feeder on bamboo seeds, but is also known to feed on rice and some insects.
Unlike many of the parrot finch species which are very brightly colored, E. hyperythra is more subtly colored, with upperparts of the bird being a deep moss green and the chest and vent regions a dark reddish buff. It is a striking bird.
Bamboos occurred in US aviculture until approximately 2004. They were being bred by a single aviculturalist who sold all of his birds, and, a short time later was unable to locate any Bamboos in North American private hands. At about the same time, a well-known American zoo had a flock of E. hyperythra on exhibit. A pair of Kagus, large stork-like, omnivorous birds from New Caledonia, were placed into the same aviary and the Bamboos quickly disappeared one by one.
Peales Parrot Finch(E. pealii)
E. pealii is found on numerous islands in the Fiji island group including Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kandavu, Ono and others. This parrot finch inhabits the periphery of rain forests and montaine forest, grassland, rice fields, forest clearings and gardens.
It faces competition from introduced Avadats and Java Sparrows. In the wild, a black headed mutation exists which is naturally occurring and occurs only amongst a small portion of female Peales. Despite encroachment of man, Peales have adjusted quite well and do not seem to be threatened in their native range.
In captivity, Peales have been established in Europe since the 1980s. In the United States, Peales were first bred in approximately 2002, but a few years thereafter had almost completely disappeared. In 2005, a few aviculturalists fostered a renewed interest in this species. With focused propagation and with the import of additional European bloodlines, the Peales Parrot Finch has a stable and growing population in the US of approximately 1,000 birds spread across a number of aviculturalist. The chance for firmly establishing E. pealii in the US is strong.
Samoan Parrot Finch(E. cyaneovirens)
The Samoan Parrot Finch is found on the western Samoan Islands of Upolu and Savaii, where it inhabits pastureland with some forest growth or secondary growth and plantations.
It occurs at all elevations where suitable habitat occurs, but avoids densely populated areas.
E. cyanovirens feeds on seeds of figs, herbaceous plants and small insects.
Samoans are one of the largest of the parrot finch species. They are similar to their closely related kin, the E. pealii and the E. regia. Unlike the Royal Parrot Finch which is almost exclusively dependent on figs as a food source, E. cyanovirens has a more diverse diet and could be well suited to being established in aviculture, if only birds were available for import.
As far as can be researched, The Samoan Parrot Finch has never been imported into the United States. In the late 1990s, it was reported to being bred in Germany and Holland. Unfortunately, it appears to have died out in Europe, so the hope of this species ever finding its way to American avicultralists is remote at best.
Royal Parrot Finch(E. regia)
The Royal Parrot Finch is, arguably, the most beautiful finch in the world. The composition of reds, blues and greens stand out amongst all of the Estrildid finch species. Currently, E. regia is found only on the New Hebrides islands. It is most likely extinct on Aneiteum and other islands where it was found in the past. This parrot finch feeds mainly on the seeds of ripe figs and small insects.
Reports of the Royal Parrot Finch in captivity are few and far between. A long-time aviculturalist in California reported seeing Royals there in the 1950s. There are rumored to be Royals in Germany, but, again, information is vague at best.
In the wild, fewer than 10,000 E. regia are thought to exist. One of the biggest threats to their existence has been the felling of the fig trees upon which they depend, as coniferous plantations are planted instead. Efforts are being made to closely protect the remaining birds and to expand the planting of native fig species within its range.
Pink-Billed Parrot Finch(E. Kleinschmidti)
The Pink-Billed Parrot Finch is found only on the Fiji island of Vitu Levu, where it inhabits dense forest and brush along river banks. It avoids clearings and open spaces. In recent years, expeditions have gone in search of this elusive finch and have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate it. Its current status is unknown, and the current perspective is that it is at least highly threatened if not approaching extinction. Like its cousin E. regia, E. kleinschmidti is heavily dependent of fruiting figs and small insects. It has been particularly threatened by the introduction of pine plantations in its native habitat.
Reports of the Pink-Billed ever having a place in aviculture are nonexistent.
New Species Discovered?
In 2012, a potential new species of parrot finch was documented by a birding expedition, led by James Eaton of Birdtour Asia, on the island of Timor. The bird’s physical traits are somewhat reminiscent of a hybrid between a Red Faced and Blue Faced parrot finch, neither of which occur in this range. To date, no further information is available on this potential new species.
Avicultural Techniques for Breeding Parot Finches in Captivity
Aviary vs. Cage
In warm weather regions of the United States, many aviculturalists have their parrot finches in outdoor flights or aviaries. If one chooses to house these birds in such a way, some basic precautions must be met. Shelter must be provided from the elements, as well as from hawks, cats, rats and nocturnal predators. A buried wire perimeter or solid (concrete or brick) flooring should be installed in order to protect from rats, mice or other vermin from digging into flights. Additionally, night-time low-level illumination should be present in order to prevent night fright. As a precaution, a heat source and draft/moisture protection is also necessary during inclement weather.
If multiple pairs of parrot finches are housed together in an aviary, often breeding results are less than if birds are housed one pair per cage. Often, the dominant pair will be successful in the rearing of chicks while the other pairs in the aviary make little or no effort to do so. Additionally, controlling for desirable genetics is difficult when multiple birds are housed together.
Under no circumstances should different species of parrot finches be housed in a flight or aviary where they are being given the opportunity to breed. Parrot finch species will readily hybridize and the resulting offspring will corrupt the gene pool for future generations.
In order to control for many unpredictable variables, most parrot finch breeders choose to house them indoors and to breed them in a single pair per cage setting. In this way, the birds do not have to negotiate for nesting territory and the aviculturalist is able to control the genetics of resulting offspring. This is particularly important for the rarer species, as careful selection of pairs must be made in order to prevent inbreeding.
In my bird room, I use 24 or 30” long breeding cages. Typically, each cage has a standard finch box and a wicker basket that the birds can select from.
Breeding Triggers
Parrot finches can be brought into breeding condition by a number of triggers: increased light, introduction of higher protein (egg food or insect food) into their diet, feeding germinated seed, higher humidity in the bird room and/or the sound of rain or running water such as a fountain.
During the breeding season, full spectrum lights are on in my bird room for 16 hours per day. Pairs are given germinated Japanese millet, fresh egg food, Orchard Grass seed, and a good finch mix daily. If birds are in condition, nest construction begins, typically, within the first week of pairs being housed together.
Nesting and Rearing of Chicks
A wide variety of natural, wicker and box style nests are readily accepted as nesting sites by parrot finches. The preferred nesting materials include dry grasses, coconut fiber, sisal, burlap and feathers. Depending upon the species, between 3-7 eggs are laid in tightly woven nests. Incubation is from 13-14 day incubation.
Chicks are fed heavily on egg food and germinated seed. The chicks grow rapidly and by 18-21 days, they are fledging. Within a week to 10 days, chicks are fully independent of their parents.
Using Foster Parents or Artificial Incubation
For some of the very rare parrot finch species, such as Peales or Pintail Nonpareils, many aviculturalists choose to employ the use of foster parents and/or incubator hatching eggs to rapidly increase numbers.
Other, more common parrot finch species, such as Red Headed or Blue Faced will often raise the chicks of the rarer species. Many breeders will also employ the use of Society finches or Bengalese to rear parrot finches.
A further method that is used by some breeders is to artificially hatch the eggs in an incubator and then to hand rear or foster the chicks. When choosing an incubator, consideration must be given to the delicate nature of parrot finch eggs. Incubators that use an internal moving mechanism to rotate the eggs should be avoided. I have successfully used a Brinsea Octogon-20 to hatch many rare finches with great success. Typically, the incubation temperature is slightly higher for finches, about 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit, versus 99.5 degrees used for many larger eggs. Humidity is set at approximately 52%, but that, too can vary depending upon the region of the country where you live.
A fully automatic incubator which rotates on a cradle is ideal for incubating delicate eggs.
When allowing birds to parent-rear or choosing to foster or incubate eggs, an aviculturalist should be prepared to intervene or supplement the care for chicks when things are not otherwise ideal. This means having hand feeding formula, crop needles and brooders available before they are needed!
In my experience, an 18-gauge crop needle is well suited to the hand feeding of small finch chicks. Additionally, a very finely milled hand feeding formula is necessary to pass through the crop needle. I have been using Roudybush Formula 3 successfully for many years.
Once chicks are fully independent, it is important to flock them with members of their own species. In this way, the young birds develop the song and other traits of their species. Mate attraction is also formed at a young age amongst juveniles. Parrot finches that are raised under Bengalese or by other parrot finch species may be drawn toward those foster species if not flocked with their own kind as juveniles.
Some reading this may frown upon fostering. However, if done responsibly, it can be a highly efficient means of increasing the numbers of some of the rarer parrot finches with the end goal of having stable, parent-rearing populations of birds.
Summary:
Since 1992, two of the six species of parrot finches that were present in US aviculture have been lost (Pintail Nonpareil and Bamboo). Due to the focused efforts of some dedicated American aviculturalists, two new species, the Peales and Forbes, have a solid foothold in the US.
As a group, parrot finches are an incredibly beautiful, diverse group of birds. Few are flourishing throughout their native ranges. Particularly hard-pressed by human development or persecution are the Pintail Nonpareil, Green Faced, Royal and Pink-Billed Parrot Finches.
In order to firmly establish those species of parrot finches that are available in the United States, aviculturalists must work together, exchanging information and propagation techniques. Further, bird breeders should band together in organizations such as The American Federation of Aviculture, National Finch and Softbill Society and The Avicultural Society of America. Through the work of these organizations, our collective political voice can be heard, thereby protecting our continued rights to pursue our avicultural interests.
Acknowledgements:
I offer a special thanks to the members of the international Facebook group, Parrot Finches (Erythrua). Their combined knowledge continues to encourage new and old members to strive to establish Parrot Finches in world aviculture.
References:
Goodwin, Derek, Estrildid Finches of the World, Oxford University Press , London, 1982.
Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan; Davis, John, Finches and Sparows, An Identification Guide, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.,1993.
By Scott Golden
Forward: In 1993, the African country of Ghana placed every bird that was endemic or migratory through its lands on Appendex III of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). Appendex III species are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a species. The species are not necessarily threatened with extinction globally. In all member countries trade in these species is only permitted with an appropriate export permit and a certificate of origin.In North America, this meant the virtually complete shutdown of importation of wild-caught African finches. By 1995, almost all African finches had disappeared in the United States, with the exception of perhaps a few blue caps, fire finches and gold breasted waxbills, which occasionally were still brought in via quarantine stations or through Canadian importers.
During these years, 1993-2006, many European aviculturalists, who were still receiving the finches that had been banned in the United States under CITES Appendex III, successfully established many species. With the advent of widespread outbreaks of bird flu during the last few years, Europe now has a complete ban on the importation of birds. Yet, because of the work of serious breeders, they still retain many species.
In the United States, due to a change in Ghanian politics, 2007 brought the lifting of the Ghana Appendix of CITES. This has meant the sudden availability of finches that we have not seen in this country for at least 14 years! Western Bluebills, Goldbreasted Waxbills, Red-Cheeked Cordon Blues, Pytilia, Green, Brown and Rosy Twinspots, Senegal, Kulikoro and Black-Faced Fire Finches, as well as many other species are now available in the US. Soon, without question, imports of wild-caught birds will cease. One case of bird flu and imports are done. Pressure on airlines from animal rights groups already makes it almost impossible to fly birds out of Africa.
The time to establish these finches is now! Using the European example as a model, we can breed these birds and assure their future in American Aviculture. Please, consider taking up the challenge.
Quarantine and Acclimatization of New Birds:
If you are wise, you will quarantine new birds for 30 days or longer. Every new bird brought into your aviaries represents a possible source of contagion that could wipe out every bird that you have. Ideally, new birds should be isolated in a separate building from your current collection. Feed these new birds last and change your clothing before re-entering your already existing location. Bacteria, but most worrisome, viruses, can be moved from location to location via clothing or hands.
If any kind of illness develops, a veterinarian may be consulted. However, most vets have little experience dealing with bird-related diseases. Plus, due to the small size of finches, they have little ability to resist disease for long. Therefore, it is important to have an arsenal of medications on hand.
Recommended Medications/Supplements
15 years ago, there was very little in the way of medications for cage birds. Time has changed this situation! With some advanced preparation, many finches can be saved that would otherwise have died in previous years.
Ronivet-S*: Treatment of choice for birds suffering from protozoa infections including canker, giardia, cochlosoma, and hexamiter. Water-soluble and water stable, it has extremely high safety margins. It can safely be used at any stage in the birds breeding cycle. Mix 1 teaspoon per quart of drinking water for 7 days.
Amtyl* Broad-spectrum antibiotic dissolves easily in water. Amoxicillin trihydrate(150mg / g) and Tylosin tartrate (100 mg / g) are combined to produce a highly effective and safe antibiotic to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. Includes directions for administering in the drinking water or directly into the crop. We recommend you follow up with probotic to reestablish the gut flora after antibiotic treatment.
Doxycycline: Doxycycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic for birds with bacterial diseases, ornithosis, psittacosis, one eyed colds, respiratory infections and chlamydia infections.
Baytril: Treats a wide range of bacterial infections in birds. Mix 2ml to a quart of drinking water for the first 4 days, then mix 1ml to a quart of drinking water for the remaining 6 to 10 days. The medication of choice for Paratyphoid, E-Coli, Ornithosis, and Respiratory infections.
Amphotericin-B: Megabac-S is a unique water soluble formulation of Amphotericin B. Megabac-S has proven effectiveness against Megabacteria in caged and aviary birds.
Medistatin: Contains Nystatin 400 000 i.u./g. The only Nystatin powder specifically for birds. Ideal for crop dosing baby birds, for prevention and treatment of Candida in birds. Nystatin is the choice for most fungal problems. Has been used with great results for Stargazing /Twirling in birds. For treatment: mix 1g to 20ml of water give 1ml per 100g bodyweight twice daily in crop for 7 days. For prevention: mix 1g per 200g of soft food daily for as long as symptoms prevail.
Probiotic*: Nine strains of probiotic work together to promote normal gut flora and a healthy digestive system. Essential after times of stress or antibiotic treatment. Can also be added to hand feeding formula to improve the chick’s immune system. Contains 180CFU/gram Use just 1g per liter.
SCATT*: A safe, effective treatment for air sac mites and scaly face mites
Avian Insect Liquidator: Safe for birds, deadly to insects including mites and ANTS! Safe enough to spray on even newly hatched chicks, AIL kills insects on contact and the residual action guards against reinfestation for 6 weeks.
Worm Out Gel: Water soluble wormer in a pump bottle. (Praziquate l20g/L and Oxfendazole 20g/L) Can be administered in drinking water or directly into the crop. Two-day treatment is effective against threadworm, tapeworm, roundworm, caecal worm and hookworm.
(*= REALLY necessary)
A course of antibiotic medication should last 7-10 days, followed by 7 days of antifungals. Antifungals should then followed up by probiotics. Many finches die of fungal infection (aspergillosis) after antibiotic treatment because fungi are often the first to recolonize a bird’s digestive tract after medication. If not controlled, fungi can overwhelm the bird’s system and lead to death of the bird.
Although there are many suppliers of these products, All Bird Products (www.allbirdproducts.com) has them all. Plus, they are a California company and can get these necessities to you right away.
If a viral problem occurs, it is vital that your sick birds are separate from the rest of your collection. Many virii are spread via fecal material or shed in feather dander. An air filter with a hepafilter, small enough to trap viral particles, may be of help. Additionally, cleaning all surfaces with bleach water may lessen the chance of the viral disease spreading. With time, birds that survive a virus tend to develop an immune response and may inactivate the virus.
If your bird(s) die, the County Vet of San Diego has a full, low-cost necropsy service that can give you very valuable information as to what is affecting your finches. The county vet has an after hours/weekend drop box (refrigerated, of course). DO NOT freeze dead specimens. It makes them useless by exploding the cells. The best thing to do is wet the specimen with clean (bottled) water and place it in a sealed zip loc in the lowest and furthest back part of the fridge, where it’s coldest. The sample will be (essentially) useless after 72 hrs. The cooler the specimen, and the quicker the drop off, the better.
Contact info:
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
8AM-5PM
Monday through Friday
5555 Overland Ave, Bldg 4
San Diego, CA. 92124
858-694-2838
(http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/awm/vet.html)
“Now That My Birds Are Through With Quarantine, Now What?”
Set them up to breed!! The average finch has a reproductive lifespan that is, at most, only a few years. If we are to establish new birds in captivity, we must be able to produce a significant number of offspring from them and do it quickly. The Dutch, Belgians and Germans are true masters at this. If it were not for the efforts of European aviculturalists, MOST of the finches established currently in the United States would not exist here. The constant importation of European-bred Australian finches provided most of the foundation stock for the strains of these birds currently in the US.
The basic premise of breeding these birds is as follows (and I know, it goes against what many of us are doing!):
- Cage breeding, 1 pair per cage
- Pulling eggs from your wild caught birds and fostering them under societies (or other potential foster parents)
- Supplemental hand-feeding chicks to assure proper growth and fledging (It REALLY is not that hard!!)
- Retaining most, if not all of your F1, or first generation offspring. These birds are worth their weight in gold towards establishing a strain of birds.
If I haven’t completely overwhelmed you, read on! We can do this. Remember, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Lady Gouldian and Red-Headed Parrot Finches were almost impossible to keep alive in captivity. They are now firmly established in aviculture because of people like you, who were not afraid to step to the plate and take on the challenge.
Breeding Set-Up:
- 1 pair per flight or cage is ideal.
- Indoor breeding is FAR preferable, even in sunny Southern California. Indoors, many variables can be controlled (weather, predators, rodents, etc)
- Boxed cages work very well. In a box cage, all sides of a cage, except the front, are blocked via cloth or solid panels. This greatly increases the wild-caught birds’ sense of security and increases the likelihood of nesting.
- Provide a variety of nesting sites: whicker baskets with artificial foliage, traditional finch nest boxes, Christmas ‘evergreen’ type garlands, dried grasses and brush are all good examples of what should be offered.
- Provide a variety of nesting materials: coconut fiber, soft dried grasses, sisal, jute, white feathers from a pillow (very important for many African species).
- Artificial lighting, on timers, should be on every cage. My birds’ lights go on at 6:00AM and off at 10:40PM.
If all goes well, your wild-caught finches will calm down and become adjusted to life in captivity. In most cases they will lay fertile eggs, but rarely raise the young to completion. These young represent the future success of these species in captivity and must be saved! (Think of the effort the San Diego Zoo made in establishing the California Condor or New Zealand with the Chatham Island Robin).
“I have fertile eggs. Now What?”
Congratulations! You are halfway there! You must foster these first eggs to insure that the genetics of your wild-caught finches are not lost if something happens to the original birds.
(Murphy’s Law of Birds: The birds you can least afford to lose will be the first ones you discover upside down, dangling from the tip of one toenail that got caught on a wire).
A Bit on Fostering:
- Many finch breeders feel that fostering is wrong or that birds that have been reared by foster parents will not rear their own young.
- This has no scientific basis! None. Zilch.
- Our failure to use the strongest tool in our finch-breeding arsenal in the 1990’s(FOSTERING) led to the almost complete disappearance of African finches in the US until the recent imports of 2007-2008
- Fostering fertile eggs enables us to get the first generations of domestically bred finches (F1 and F2) established. These birds only know life in captivity and are MUCH more likely to rear their own young on the foods you provide.
- I use exclusively the old-fashioned, American brown and white society finches for fostering. I have found that the Euro societies, though very pretty, are vastly inferior when it comes to fostering.
- Younger societies that have never raised their own young are ideal for new species. They eventually see the new species as ‘what their own chicks look like’ and do a fantastic job of raising them.
How to Set Up Societies as Fosters
Note: Societies are really worth their weight in gold. They are extremely dependable as foster parents for most species of estrildid finches. However, societies may harbor some bacteria or protozoa to which they are completely immune and the fostered species chicks are susceptible. It may be wise to put your societies on a thorough antibiotic-antifungal-probiotic regimen before setting them up as fosters.
- Small, divided breeding cages work well for society finches
- Whicker baskets or externally-mounted nest boxes (my new favorite) work well.
- It doesn’t matter what sexes your societies are: 2 males, 2 females, trios of males or females, or any combination of the 2 sexes are just fine! Really! Personally, I prefer 2-3 males as fosters, as it is easier to regulate their incubation.)
- Synchronize your societies’ incubation to match that of the eggs to be fostered by the use of the blue plastic canary eggs. Societies do not care about the color. Put one a day in the societies’ nest until you have a clutch of 5 or so canary eggs. 99% of the time, the societies will begin brooding these fake eggs. If they bury them in nesting material, dig them out and do it again! It works. Trust me. By the way….interested in some swampland in Florida?
- When it is obvious the societies are brooding, remove the nest box and fake eggs. Make a small mark on the eggs to be fostered using a Sharpie marker (just in case the societies start to lay their own clutch, you can remove unmarked eggs).
- Use a plastic spoon to put the fostered eggs in the nest …carefully!
- Put nest back in the society cage.
- Societies should begin brooding new eggs promptly.
- Often, I place a small utility towel on the bottom of the societies’ cage as sometimes societies accidentally take an egg with them if they quickly exit the nest. If a towel is on the bottom of the cage, most eggs land, unbroken, and can be placed back in the nest.
- On an index card, write the information about the parents of the eggs being fostered (i.e.: species, which cage if you have more than one pair of that species, and hatch date-generally 14 days from the start of incubation.
“The eggs have hatched! Now what?”
- First, squeal a little bit and get excited. After you have done that, it is time for you to supplemental hand-feed the chicks (MOST SOCIETIES WILL START FEEDING UNFAMILIAR CHICKS AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS. YOUR JOB IS TO GET THEM TO LIVE THAT LONG!! THIS IS NOT HARD. IT JUST TAKES A BIT OF EXTRA TIME AND TLC)
- I use the small banding tool that comes with split plastic bands as my hand feeding implement. It is perfect for the job.
- In preparing your hand feeding formula, float a smaller bowl in a larger bowl of relatively warm water. Mix a very small batch of formula (I use Exact Hand Feeding Formula) in the floating bowl. The warm water in the larger bowl will keep this hand feeding formula warm.
- Remove the nest from the society cage. Remove chicks with a plastic spoon. Dip the end of the hand feeding tool in a very ‘liquidy’ part of the formula (i.e. not too thick). Gently insert tool into the mouth of the begging chick, with the groove (food-containing portion) facing the chick’s tongue. The chick will lick the food out of the groove and will see the food in the crop along the chick’s neck.
- Do not over-feed, as you can aspirate the chick by forcing food into its lungs.
- I feed new chicks before work (6:30 AM) and 2-3 times after the work day (4:30; 7:30; 10:30PM)
- Within a couple of days, your societies should be feeding the new chicks relatively well.
- In subsequent clutches, try to give the societies the same type of fostered eggs. Often, they will start feeding these chicks from day 1, recognizing them as their own.
- I will continue to supplemental hand feed chicks to assure their proper growth and fledging.
“I did it! My chicks Fledged!”
With a little hard work and some time, you will be saying these words.
Now, my biggest bit of advice:
DO NOT SELL OR GET RID OF THESE CHICKS. IF YOU DO, YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM WILL BE DOOMED TO FAIL WITHIN 2 YEARS.
Yikes! I know it sounds kind of harsh, but that is the most honest, heart-felt advice I can give you. This F1, or first generation of chicks removed from wild-caught stock are going to be used to your schedule, your food, your avicultural techniques AND WILL BE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BREED WITHOUT THE NEED OF FOSTERS. That is the true goal: to establish these birds in captivity, where they will breed on their own under domestic conditions.
Random Notes and Further Bits of Advice:
- Close band your chicks whenever possible. At the very least, color-band family lines so you do not breed closely related birds together. Keep records of which young were produced by which pairs.
- Never buy just one pair of a species, particularly a rare species. Often, something beyond your control happens to one of the birds. Whomever you got the birds from no longer has any available and there you are, with a beautiful bird that will never be bred. Buy as many pairs as possible. 3 pair, genetically speaking, is the minimum number of pairs you should first obtain.
- Work closely with other breeders in establishing the same species. This allows you to trade young or obtain other bloodlines.
- Join other groups/clubs and educate yourself. Recommended groups:
- National Finch and Softbill Society (www.nfss.org)
- Yahoo! Groups has many finch groups, including one for NFSS, African Finches, Parrot Finches, Gouldians and MANY others. Check them out!
- Queensland Finch Society (Australia) (http://www.qfs.org.au/)
- Waxbill Finch Society (England) (http://www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/)
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions!
With some current hard work, we can firmly establish many of these rare species in American Aviculture. Are you ready for the challenge?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The following article was written for publication in the AFA Watchbird magazine.
Parrot Finches in American Aviculture, Revisited
By Scott Golden
Keizer, Oregon
In 1992, Carol Anne Calvin and Stash Buckley wrote an article with the same title, presenting an overview of Erythrura, or Parrot Finches, in American aviculture. Since then, two of the six species of parrot finch that existed in the US have been lost to American aviculturalists. Conversely, two species that were all but nonexistent then now have a foothold in the United States. The following article will present an overview of the twelve species of parrot finch, their status in the wild and in aviculture. Further, techniques for their propagation will be explored, including housing, diet, nesting triggers and behavior, rearing of young and intervention techniques including artificial incubation, hand feeding of chicks and the use of foster parents to successfully fledge chicks.
Parrot finches can be found from the Indo-Malayan Region to Australia and numerous South Pacific Islands. All known species were originally birds of forested regions, but many have had to adapt to the significant changes to the landscape brought about by human activity. Some species of Parrot Finches have adjusted their diets to introduced herbaceous, grass and grain seeds. Other species have been unable to adapt to a changing landscape and food resources and their numbers have dwindled. Being a group of birds that inhabit many small islands, parrot finches have been particularly hard hit from human development and from introduced predators such as rats and house cats. Numerous subspecies of parrot finches have died out, although it is not yet known if any species of parrot finch has yet gone extinct.
Parrot finches can be divided into two groups: the long-tailed and short-tailed species. The long-tailed species include Red Faced Parrot Finch (E. psittacea), Blue Faced Parrot Finch (E. trichroa), Papuan Parrot Finch (E. papuana), Pintailed Nonpareil Parrot Finch (E. prasina) and Green Faced Parrot Finch (E. virdifacies). The short-tailed parrot finches are Forbes (E. tricolor), Coloria (E. coloria), Bamboo (E. hyperythra), Peales (E. pealii), Samoan (E. cyaneovirens), Royal (E. regia) and the Pink-Billed (E. Kleinschmidti).
The Long-Tailed Parrot Finch Species:
The Red Faced Parrot Finch (E. psittacea)
Of the twelve recognized species of parrot finch, the Red Faced Parrot Finch is the only species that is firmly established in American aviculture. They are from the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific
And no known subspecies or wild mutations are known to occur.
E. psittacea inhabit fields, plantations and open areas surrounded by tree growth where they can retreat if threatened.
In the wild, E. psittacea feeds upon a variety of small plant seeds, flying termites and other insects. This species is widespread and common at all altitudes where suitable habitat exists.
In US aviculture, E. psittacea is fairly common throughout many regions of the United States. A firmly established mutation of this species is the seagreen, which replaces the normal green of the wild-type birds with a blue-green hue and the normal red head is replaced by head coloring that is orange-yellow. In recent years, a pied mutation has been imported into the US from Europe. This mutation is on its way to being established in the US and occurs in both normal and seagreen coloring. In Europe, a lutino red headed parrot finch has recently been developed, but has not yet made its way to American aviaries.
The Blue Faced Parrot Finch (E. trichroa)
This species has the widest geographical distribution of all of the parrot finches, from the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, Micronesia, Solomon Islands to the northeastern seaboard of tropical Australia.
It is found in small flocks of 20-30 birds, feeds both on ground and in forest canopy, eating a wide variety of seeds, figs. Due to its very wide geographical distribution, E. trichroa is considered to be secure in the wild.
In American aviculture, this bird is surprisingly hard to find. It has a reputation as a relatively free breeder, yet many finch enthusiasts have a difficult time finding available birds in many parts of the US. If not for frequent imports of this species from European exporters, E. trichroa would be a very rare bird in the United States.
In terms of mutations, the lutino blue faced parrot finch is raised by a few breeders. However, with its red eyes, which are negatively influenced by bright light, it is a bird best bred in indoor cages. Further, it is a weaker mutation, having significant challenges if they are to be improved upon through selective breeding. Recently a similar mutation was imported into the US known as a black-eyed yellow. This bird has the same feather coloration of a lutino, but has dark eyes and, genetically, seems to be a much more solid mutation. Much work remains in the effort to establish this mutation as all of the known birds are in the hand of a single breeder.
Papuan Parrot Finch (E. papuana)
The Papuan Parrot Finch is quite similar to the Blue Faced Parrot Finch with one notable exception: size.
The Papuan is a significantly larger bird than the Blue Faced. Both species occur on the island of New Guinea. The Papuan inhabits elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet and generally occurs in different regions of New Guinea than E. trichroa and does not seem to interbreed with this closely related species where their ranges overlap. The limited range of E. papuana, when compared to E. trichroa, make it a species of concern.
The Papuan Parrot Finch is not believed to have been imported into the US. They were being bred in Europe in small numbers during the 1990s, but the species appears to have been lost amongst European aviculturalists.
Pintailed Nonpareil Parrot Finch (E. prasina)
The Pintailed Nonpariel is a parrot finch of unparalleled beauty. It’s a bird known for its graceful shape, beautiful coloration and overall attractiveness. It is found in Western Laos, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
Originally, it was a large flock bird that would travel from region to region, following seeding bamboos, nesting in colonies where pairs would synchronize mating and rearing of young. This species adapted its diet and is now known to eat cultivated rice when available and is considered to be a major crop pest in rice growing regions. Eradication campaigns in much of its range have drastically reduced the numbers of E. prasina.
Until the late 1990s, Pintail Nonpareils were imported into the US in very large numbers. They were, unfortunately, quite inexpensive and few aviculturalists took the effort to successfully propagate them. The last known E. prasina died out in the US in
2011.
Green Faced Parrot Finch (E. virdifacies)
The Green Faced Parrot is quite similar in body confirmation to the Pintail Nonpareil. E. virdifacies has a smaller bill and shorter tail than Pintail Nonpareil. It also has a much more limited range than E. prasina, isolated on the island of Luzon in the Philippines in the vicinity of Manila.
This parrot finch has been found in savanna, forest edge and bamboo thickets from lowlands to about 100 meters elevation. Due to its distribution on a heavily populated island where human activity has greatly disturbed its natural environment, E. virdifacies is a species of concern. Human activity is compounded by the threat of introduced rats and other mammalian predators such as feral cats.
There are unsubstantiated reports of the Green Faced Parrot Finch being imported into the US as late as the early 1980s. However, no breeding success was recorded and there most certainly are not any members of this species in American aviculture.
The Green Faced Parrot Finch is quite similar to the closely related species, E. prasina.
The Short-Tailed Parrot Finches:
Forbes (E. tricolor)
The Forbes Parrot Finch was virtually unknown both to ornithology and aviculture until the 1990s. Although it was originally discovered in 1817, very little was known about the natural behavior of E. tricolor for almost another two centuries!
E. tricolor is found on Timor, Tenimber, Babar Damar and Roma., all small islands to the northwest of Australia. It is said to inhabit the canopy of palms and other trees and to feed opportunistically on herbaceous seeds and on introduced grass and bamboo seed. Still, little has been documented of its nesting and general behavior in the wild.
In the early 1990s, the first wild caught examples of E. tricolor began to be imported into Europe at prices approaching $4,500.00/pair! A couple of years later, European-bred birds were brought into the US, only to be discovered to be hybrids of E. trichroa and E. tricolor. It was not until 1994 that wild caught birds made it to North American shores. Despite its uncertain beginning here, E. tricolor is well on its way to being established in the United States, partly because of its striking cobalt (m) to sky blue plumage (f) and its diminutive size as one of the smallest of the parrot finch species.
Coloria (E. coloria)
E. coloria, or the Coloria Parrot Finch is approximately the same sixe as the Forbes Parrot Finch. It is known for its slightly more slender body conformation, longer legs and blue faced mask edged by a red crescent.
This species was originally thought to be confined to the slopes of Mt. Katanglad, on the Philippine island of Mindanao. However, recent studies have discovered vocalizations of E. coloria on surrounding mountains, thereby leading ornithologist to believe that its distribution is significantly larger than previously thought.
In aviculture, E. coloria is a very rare bird worldwide. It exists in European collections in significant numbers. Attempts to establish this species in the US have occurred with several small importations of European-bred birds. The most recent import was in 2011. Unfortunately, it is thought that no Coloria currently exist in the US.
Bamboo Parrot Finch (E. hyperythra)
The Bamboo Parrot Finch’s range extends from the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, Malay Peninsula, Java and Lesser Sunda Islands. It primarily inhabits open woodland, forest edge, bamboo jungle and the vicinity of rice fields. This species is a specialist feeder on bamboo seeds, but is also known to feed on rice and some insects.
Unlike many of the parrot finch species which are very brightly colored, E. hyperythra is more subtly colored, with upperparts of the bird being a deep moss green and the chest and vent regions a dark reddish buff. It is a striking bird.
Bamboos occurred in US aviculture until approximately 2004. They were being bred by a single aviculturalist who sold all of his birds, and, a short time later was unable to locate any Bamboos in North American private hands. At about the same time, a well-known American zoo had a flock of E. hyperythra on exhibit. A pair of Kagus, large stork-like, omnivorous birds from New Caledonia, were placed into the same aviary and the Bamboos quickly disappeared one by one.
Peales Parrot Finch(E. pealii)
E. pealii is found on numerous islands in the Fiji island group including Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kandavu, Ono and others. This parrot finch inhabits the periphery of rain forests and montaine forest, grassland, rice fields, forest clearings and gardens.
It faces competition from introduced Avadats and Java Sparrows. In the wild, a black headed mutation exists which is naturally occurring and occurs only amongst a small portion of female Peales. Despite encroachment of man, Peales have adjusted quite well and do not seem to be threatened in their native range.
In captivity, Peales have been established in Europe since the 1980s. In the United States, Peales were first bred in approximately 2002, but a few years thereafter had almost completely disappeared. In 2005, a few aviculturalists fostered a renewed interest in this species. With focused propagation and with the import of additional European bloodlines, the Peales Parrot Finch has a stable and growing population in the US of approximately 1,000 birds spread across a number of aviculturalist. The chance for firmly establishing E. pealii in the US is strong.
Samoan Parrot Finch(E. cyaneovirens)
The Samoan Parrot Finch is found on the western Samoan Islands of Upolu and Savaii, where it inhabits pastureland with some forest growth or secondary growth and plantations.
It occurs at all elevations where suitable habitat occurs, but avoids densely populated areas.
E. cyanovirens feeds on seeds of figs, herbaceous plants and small insects.
Samoans are one of the largest of the parrot finch species. They are similar to their closely related kin, the E. pealii and the E. regia. Unlike the Royal Parrot Finch which is almost exclusively dependent on figs as a food source, E. cyanovirens has a more diverse diet and could be well suited to being established in aviculture, if only birds were available for import.
As far as can be researched, The Samoan Parrot Finch has never been imported into the United States. In the late 1990s, it was reported to being bred in Germany and Holland. Unfortunately, it appears to have died out in Europe, so the hope of this species ever finding its way to American avicultralists is remote at best.
Royal Parrot Finch(E. regia)
The Royal Parrot Finch is, arguably, the most beautiful finch in the world. The composition of reds, blues and greens stand out amongst all of the Estrildid finch species. Currently, E. regia is found only on the New Hebrides islands. It is most likely extinct on Aneiteum and other islands where it was found in the past. This parrot finch feeds mainly on the seeds of ripe figs and small insects.
Reports of the Royal Parrot Finch in captivity are few and far between. A long-time aviculturalist in California reported seeing Royals there in the 1950s. There are rumored to be Royals in Germany, but, again, information is vague at best.
In the wild, fewer than 10,000 E. regia are thought to exist. One of the biggest threats to their existence has been the felling of the fig trees upon which they depend, as coniferous plantations are planted instead. Efforts are being made to closely protect the remaining birds and to expand the planting of native fig species within its range.
Pink-Billed Parrot Finch(E. Kleinschmidti)
The Pink-Billed Parrot Finch is found only on the Fiji island of Vitu Levu, where it inhabits dense forest and brush along river banks. It avoids clearings and open spaces. In recent years, expeditions have gone in search of this elusive finch and have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate it. Its current status is unknown, and the current perspective is that it is at least highly threatened if not approaching extinction. Like its cousin E. regia, E. kleinschmidti is heavily dependent of fruiting figs and small insects. It has been particularly threatened by the introduction of pine plantations in its native habitat.
Reports of the Pink-Billed ever having a place in aviculture are nonexistent.
New Species Discovered?
In 2012, a potential new species of parrot finch was documented by a birding expedition, led by James Eaton of Birdtour Asia, on the island of Timor. The bird’s physical traits are somewhat reminiscent of a hybrid between a Red Faced and Blue Faced parrot finch, neither of which occur in this range. To date, no further information is available on this potential new species.
Avicultural Techniques for Breeding Parot Finches in Captivity
Aviary vs. Cage
In warm weather regions of the United States, many aviculturalists have their parrot finches in outdoor flights or aviaries. If one chooses to house these birds in such a way, some basic precautions must be met. Shelter must be provided from the elements, as well as from hawks, cats, rats and nocturnal predators. A buried wire perimeter or solid (concrete or brick) flooring should be installed in order to protect from rats, mice or other vermin from digging into flights. Additionally, night-time low-level illumination should be present in order to prevent night fright. As a precaution, a heat source and draft/moisture protection is also necessary during inclement weather.
If multiple pairs of parrot finches are housed together in an aviary, often breeding results are less than if birds are housed one pair per cage. Often, the dominant pair will be successful in the rearing of chicks while the other pairs in the aviary make little or no effort to do so. Additionally, controlling for desirable genetics is difficult when multiple birds are housed together.
Under no circumstances should different species of parrot finches be housed in a flight or aviary where they are being given the opportunity to breed. Parrot finch species will readily hybridize and the resulting offspring will corrupt the gene pool for future generations.
In order to control for many unpredictable variables, most parrot finch breeders choose to house them indoors and to breed them in a single pair per cage setting. In this way, the birds do not have to negotiate for nesting territory and the aviculturalist is able to control the genetics of resulting offspring. This is particularly important for the rarer species, as careful selection of pairs must be made in order to prevent inbreeding.
In my bird room, I use 24 or 30” long breeding cages. Typically, each cage has a standard finch box and a wicker basket that the birds can select from.
Breeding Triggers
Parrot finches can be brought into breeding condition by a number of triggers: increased light, introduction of higher protein (egg food or insect food) into their diet, feeding germinated seed, higher humidity in the bird room and/or the sound of rain or running water such as a fountain.
During the breeding season, full spectrum lights are on in my bird room for 16 hours per day. Pairs are given germinated Japanese millet, fresh egg food, Orchard Grass seed, and a good finch mix daily. If birds are in condition, nest construction begins, typically, within the first week of pairs being housed together.
Nesting and Rearing of Chicks
A wide variety of natural, wicker and box style nests are readily accepted as nesting sites by parrot finches. The preferred nesting materials include dry grasses, coconut fiber, sisal, burlap and feathers. Depending upon the species, between 3-7 eggs are laid in tightly woven nests. Incubation is from 13-14 day incubation.
Chicks are fed heavily on egg food and germinated seed. The chicks grow rapidly and by 18-21 days, they are fledging. Within a week to 10 days, chicks are fully independent of their parents.
Using Foster Parents or Artificial Incubation
For some of the very rare parrot finch species, such as Peales or Pintail Nonpareils, many aviculturalists choose to employ the use of foster parents and/or incubator hatching eggs to rapidly increase numbers.
Other, more common parrot finch species, such as Red Headed or Blue Faced will often raise the chicks of the rarer species. Many breeders will also employ the use of Society finches or Bengalese to rear parrot finches.
A further method that is used by some breeders is to artificially hatch the eggs in an incubator and then to hand rear or foster the chicks. When choosing an incubator, consideration must be given to the delicate nature of parrot finch eggs. Incubators that use an internal moving mechanism to rotate the eggs should be avoided. I have successfully used a Brinsea Octogon-20 to hatch many rare finches with great success. Typically, the incubation temperature is slightly higher for finches, about 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit, versus 99.5 degrees used for many larger eggs. Humidity is set at approximately 52%, but that, too can vary depending upon the region of the country where you live.
A fully automatic incubator which rotates on a cradle is ideal for incubating delicate eggs.
When allowing birds to parent-rear or choosing to foster or incubate eggs, an aviculturalist should be prepared to intervene or supplement the care for chicks when things are not otherwise ideal. This means having hand feeding formula, crop needles and brooders available before they are needed!
In my experience, an 18-gauge crop needle is well suited to the hand feeding of small finch chicks. Additionally, a very finely milled hand feeding formula is necessary to pass through the crop needle. I have been using Roudybush Formula 3 successfully for many years.
Once chicks are fully independent, it is important to flock them with members of their own species. In this way, the young birds develop the song and other traits of their species. Mate attraction is also formed at a young age amongst juveniles. Parrot finches that are raised under Bengalese or by other parrot finch species may be drawn toward those foster species if not flocked with their own kind as juveniles.
Some reading this may frown upon fostering. However, if done responsibly, it can be a highly efficient means of increasing the numbers of some of the rarer parrot finches with the end goal of having stable, parent-rearing populations of birds.
Summary:
Since 1992, two of the six species of parrot finches that were present in US aviculture have been lost (Pintail Nonpareil and Bamboo). Due to the focused efforts of some dedicated American aviculturalists, two new species, the Peales and Forbes, have a solid foothold in the US.
As a group, parrot finches are an incredibly beautiful, diverse group of birds. Few are flourishing throughout their native ranges. Particularly hard-pressed by human development or persecution are the Pintail Nonpareil, Green Faced, Royal and Pink-Billed Parrot Finches.
In order to firmly establish those species of parrot finches that are available in the United States, aviculturalists must work together, exchanging information and propagation techniques. Further, bird breeders should band together in organizations such as The American Federation of Aviculture, National Finch and Softbill Society and The Avicultural Society of America. Through the work of these organizations, our collective political voice can be heard, thereby protecting our continued rights to pursue our avicultural interests.
Acknowledgements:
I offer a special thanks to the members of the international Facebook group, Parrot Finches (Erythrua). Their combined knowledge continues to encourage new and old members to strive to establish Parrot Finches in world aviculture.
References:
Goodwin, Derek, Estrildid Finches of the World, Oxford University Press , London, 1982.
Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan; Davis, John, Finches and Sparows, An Identification Guide, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.,1993.
