FEATURE
spend a lot of time on the ground, they are open to invasion by intestinal worms and Candida. Both are issues for aviculturists to deal with on a regular basis.
In the field they are regularly encountered and their trusting nature enables one to approach to within a few metres. They are particularly tame around human habitation and carry this docility into captivity. Red-billed Fire Finches are seldom troublesome when confined with other species. Because of its high numbers in Australia and subsequent low monetary value, it is unlikely that fresh stock has been brought into the country illegally over the past 56 years. Why then do Red-billed Fire Finches continue to flourish while many other species have fallen by the wayside due to the lack of fresh genetic stock? I believe the reason is two fold. Firstly, prior to the cessation of live imports into Australia in 1956, there were a number of various Fire Finch species imported. All have disappeared with some, no doubt, being cross-bred with Red-Billed Fire Finches. Such “hybrid vigour” would ensure their longevity well past the time when one would expect pure strains to survive. Through continual breeding back to the Red- billed Fire finches, the resulting birds that we have today resemble Red-
In the field they are regularly encountered and their trusting nature enables one to approach to within a few metres. They are particularly tame around human habitation…
billed Fire Finches with the following variations: (a) the intensity and hue of the red in individual birds. This varies from deep, blood red through to orange-red. In some instances, there is evidence of a suffusion of pink (not to be confused with the “Pink” mutation); (b) A variation of flank spotting from individual to individual. Some birds carry no spots at all while others have a clear cluster of spots. (c) Colouration of the mandible whereby most are wax-red while others display a hint of bluish suffusion. The second factor influencing the longevity of Red-billed Fire Finches in Australian aviaries is their possible tolerance of genetic closeness. In other words, some species are more tolerant of lack of fresh blood than are other species. In captivity, Red-billed Fire Finches are easily catered for and, provided with suitable conditions will readily reproduce. A large well-planted aviary, whilst aesthetically pleasing and enjoyed by the birds, is not essential for successfully breeding of
Open savannah and lightly wooded areas are preferred habitat, although I have seen them by roadsides and tracks in such high veldt as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda. Mostly, they gather food and socialize on the ground.
?? BIRD SCENE 09
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