in this respect. Aviary breeding gives more scope for zebra finches to behave as though they are in the wild. They can search for a nesting site, perform a mating ceremony and get on with nest building. By providing two nest- boxes for every pair, it is possible to ensure that there is little aggression. The nest boxes should be spaced as far apart as is practicable and, although they can be fixed at different heights, they should never be placed one above another.


When cage breeding, the nest-box should be half filled with nesting material (we use hay) pushed into a rough nest shape. Before doing this the interior of the box should be treated with an anti-mite powder or liquid. We then place nesting material - such as coconut fibre - on the cage floor for the birds to complete the nests. Moss is also a good nesting material but avoid synthetics, such as carpet fibres. These can get tangled around the birds’ legs and damage them. This year for the first time, Gerald’s wife has used soft white feathers, out of a discarded duvet, as nesting material


for her foreign birds. The zebra finches were also given a small quantity and their nests were soon white feather lined. One disadvantage is that with a white nest it is not so easy to see the eggs. Once a nest has been built, all remaining nesting material should be removed from the cage – and that includes millet sprays and green food. We have seen a cock zebra finch fly up to a nest-box, 6ft (1.8m) above him, carrying a millet spray. We have also seen one cover his partner’s eggs with a lettuce leaf. If there is any material what so ever, they might build a second nest on top of the first clutch of eggs – and then a third on top of the second clutch – and so on, with no eggs being incubated. Interestingly, when zebra finches are colony breeding in aviaries, this sandwich nesting is not a problem – probably because the birds have more choice and the conditions are more natural. Nest-boxes for cage breeding are traditionally made of wood. A typical box takes the form of a 6in (15cm) cube with a 2½ to 3in (6.3 to 7.5cm) high aperture across the


Aviary breeding gives more scope for zebra finches to behave as though they are in the wild. They can search for a nesting site, perform a mating ceremony and get on with nest building. By providing two nest-boxes for every pair, it is possible to ensure that there is little aggression. The nest boxes should be spaced as far apart as is practicable and, although they can be fixed at different heights, they should never be placed one above another.


16 BIRD SCENE


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