Lavender Waxbills
Breeding
A classic scenario of one species appearing to be 'safe' but...
All (most), of the 2006 successes were due to one breeder. Then, he, Richard Prosser emigrated. Look at what happened in 2007!
Thanks to the WFS for permission to reproduce their records
Records for more Waxbill species can be found at www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/species breeding returns
A classic scenario of one species appearing to be 'safe' but... All (most), of the 2006 successes were due to one breeder. Then, he, Richard Prosser emigrated. Look at what happened in 2007!
Thanks to the WFS for permission to reproduce their records. Records for more Waxbill species can be found at www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/species breeding returns
Nest inspection - first pair to nest were totally tolerant. Sat happily in secluded compartment through their bob-hole while I inspected
But, were very light sitters. A 3-day youngster accidently dragged and dropped from nest. Warmed by blowing on in cupped hands and popped back into nest. Parents totally unfazed
Parent-rearing? Well, this pair did, for this round! Four eggs, 1 dead in shell, smallest died at 14 days (think fed too few Pinkies at the start)
Two fledged, beautiful (cock youngster) on the right. Parents back on five eggs still with independent youngsters (hmmm - seemed to easy, and it was). Just, wasn't easily repeated
Foster or parent rear?
From the above you could think parent-rearing is the answer. This pair certainly fooled me.
This same pair went on to lay various clutches, some in the nest, some on the floor
Sometimes they sat for a few days, had a day or two off, then re-sat. They became the lightest sitters I have ever known
The eggs were invariably useless by the time I inspected and found a clutch. Yet the husbandry was identical to when they had a successful round
A second pair laid several fertile eggs but failed to hatched any
A third pair laid 5 eggs then failed to sit. By the time I found them they were useless
Admittedly these were wild caught birds but they were very unreliable parents in cages
For me, fostering is the only way to proceed to get numbers up. Then try parent-rearing with the domestics
As domestics are the only birds available these days, breeding in cages is probably much easier
A classic scenario of one species appearing to be 'safe' but... All (most), of the 2006 successes were due to one breeder. Then, he, Richard Prosser emigrated. Look at what happened in 2007!
Thanks to the WFS for permission to reproduce their records. Records for more Waxbill species can be found at www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/species breeding returns
Nest inspection - first pair to nest were totally tolerant. Sat happily in secluded compartment through their bob-hole while I inspected
But, were very light sitters. A 3-day youngster accidently dragged and dropped from nest. Warmed by blowing on in cupped hands and popped back into nest. Parents totally unfazed
Parent-rearing? Well, this pair did, for this round! Four eggs, 1 dead in shell, smallest died at 14 days (think fed too few Pinkies at the start)
Two fledged, beautiful (cock youngster) on the right. Parents back on five eggs still with independent youngsters (hmmm - seemed to easy, and it was). Just, wasn't easily repeated
Foster or parent rear?
From the above you could think parent-rearing is the answer. This pair certainly fooled me.
This same pair went on to lay various clutches, some in the nest, some on the floor
Sometimes they sat for a few days, had a day or two off, then re-sat. They became the lightest sitters I have ever known
The eggs were invariably useless by the time I inspected and found a clutch. Yet the husbandry was identical to when they had a successful round
A second pair laid several fertile eggs but failed to hatched any
A third pair laid 5 eggs then failed to sit. By the time I found them they were useless
Admittedly these were wild caught birds but they were very unreliable parents in cages
For me, fostering is the only way to proceed to get numbers up. Then try parent-rearing with the domestics
As domestics are the only birds available these days, breeding in cages is probably much easier
So, not sorted breeding yet but am sure of - determining gender by call
www.blue-capped-waxbill.com/
www.parrot-finches.com
www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/
www.welcomewildlife.co.uk
www.snorkellingphotography.com
