FINCHforum

Hi All

I went out to the Veld and got myself some Slangbos and reconstructed my wire nests, the next day there was much activity with B+W Mannikins, Stars and Blue caps all choosing sites within the wire housing to build their nests. I have included a photo and you can see some nests taking shape.
Steve

steve I also got slangbos the other day. I put small pieces in the corner of my aviaries. The birds really like it. My canary hen took over the one slangbos and quickly built a nest in it. If I ever use slangbos like you, I will use the large size mesh - 10 cm X 10 cm.

MariusStegmann, you are right it just what I had at the time.

Steve

That's pretty nifty.

Steve - did you pre-fill your wire tubes? What kind of plant material (other than Slangbos) did you use? It looks like there are different fibers/grasses there as well. BTW, I love your idea.
Iso

steve

That is a great idea! Same question as Isobea, did you prefill the tube? What nesting materials did you use? I will have to google "Slangbos", not familiar with that type of nesting material. I have been trying to come up with ideas for nest for all the species in my outdoor aviary. I may have to "steal" your idea. Thank you for sharing!

Jen Slangbos is a low growing shrub that we get in Africa. Another name (directly translated from Afrikaans) for it is Bankrupt bush, because if a farmer's lands are full these bushes, he will soon go bankrupt as these things take over. The leaves sort of links together like velcro, you can mold it and make holes / nests in it and it will stay like that.

Thanks Marius, that's interesting. I'm wondering what I could find to fill that tube with (here in Texas). I've seen (on the internet) these huge "grass" type nests for gouldians in an outdoor aviary, that are horizontal in direction, unlike Steve's vertical nest, and the goulds build nest in them, but on a large scale. You can't see any wire, it's just tons of "grass" that is very thick and deep and it looks like the gouldians burrowed in them and built their nest. It's sort of the same principle as Steve's wire type, but I didn't see any wire, so I'm not sure what keeps it all together. If I can find a photo on the internet, I'll post it. I'm sure my description is not very clear. I believe it's used for colony breeding in an outdoor aviary.

But thanks for the info!

Any shrub type plant obviously safe for birds and preferably ones that hold their leaves when dry are suitable to make these wire nests. I've used conifer, tea tree and just regular dry branches with a few evergreens in the past.
The birds like the dense slangbos, also helichrysum. They both also ward off insect pests in the nests.

monotwine - I just googled Helichrysum because it sounded so familiar. It turns out the one I've grown here in my flower bed is called 'curry plant'. I wonder if that would work, too.
In southern CA tea tree shrubs are also very common as garden plants: would you use the dried plant (leave it intact so they can build in between the branches) or would you put the potted live shrub into the aviary?
Iso