FINCHforum

A new Post to satisfy my endless curiosity. I keep coming across pictures of all sorts of beautiful birdies, and I'd like to know what they are and a little bit about them. So if all you bird experts are willing, allow me to pick your brains and challange your memories, so that we can all learn and benefit from your knowledge.

~Elana~

Wire-tailed manakin - entirely unrelated to the 'mannikins' of the finch world, that group which includes societies, spices, and Javas.

Sheather
Thanks Dylan.

~Elana~

Any ideas, what this cutie might be? Found the picture but no name with it. He almost looks like he's made up of two different birds. LOL.

~Elana~

I'd say Golden Palm Weaver.

Agreed with w.l.
Golden palm weaver.

I was recently going nuts over a mystery bird myself. I kept thinking of it as the Superhero Bird because his head looks like a superhero mask.



Turns out it's a Paradise Tanager.
It's on all of Paradise Earth's bird foods for finches and small birds; that's where I saw him.

MiaCarter

Being prepared to move on from finches to softbills opens up vast dimensions.
There is tremendous variety, though all are far less popular in aviculture than finches.
Imsectivorous birds also tend to get tamer, and do so relatively faster, than finches. And they don't make so much mess. Fruit-eaters have messy poo though.
I currently have 3 species of softbills besides my finches.

Thanks for information Folks.
Found one here, that is absoluteyl irresistible . At first I thought it wasn't real, but it's real enough and so cute, that it just makes your heart go all warm and fuzzy.
Tell me what you think of this little fella.

This is a Tufted Tit Mouse.
Does anybody want one for Christmas? Or isvit just me? LOL....

~Elana~

lovezebs --- They have these guys on order at Paradise Earth, along with the lovely black throated titmouse.
I emailed a few days ago, but he said there's no way to know when they'll come in.

Can you guess what I'm ordering the second they become available?
Titmouses! (Or Titmice?)

@w.l. --- You're absolutely right!
I've even seen them kept together with finches in larger aviaries. I assume they were insectivorous species, since they have overlapping dietary needs with finches. I can't imagine you could keep finches with the nectar and fruit-eating birds.

Do you find the softbills need a lot more room than finches?

Ok Folks, we are not suppose to use pictures off the internet without permission. What can we do? Apparantly can post the goobly goop of letters and numbers, so that people can click on it to get into it to see the pictures. Please tell me how to do that,'cause I like this thread.

I'm a technical doodle head, don't know how to do it. I find a picture of a bird. I don't know what it is. If I want to ask what it is, how do I post it without posting it, so that people can see it, without looking at it, so that they can tell me what it is????? Ayyyeee!!!

~Elana~

MiaCarter

Softbills can be kept together with finches based on the same criteria applied to mixing different species of finches, they should be similarly sized, peaceful species.
Many softbills are peaceful, but some can be murderous - just like finches. Care must be taken to provide enough insects or other softbill food for all. Tiny insectivores could starve in a day if their food is consumed by the finches!

I see no reason why nectar-eaters couldn't be mixed with finches in an aviary of the right size, though apparently many of these tiny beauties can be surprisingly territorial and aggressive. Again, care must be taken that their sugary food doesn't all get drunk by other birds!

Fruit-eaters tend to be a docile lot and could be mixed with finches, too.

As for space required, many softbills are less mobile than most finches. When I kept fruit doves, they spent most of the day sitting still like a pair of statues.

An excellent intro to keeping softbills at a bargain price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/081204075 ... p_s_a_1_12

For the more advanced:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/088839393 ... mp_s_a_1_1

lovezebs

Right-click on the photo, copy its URL, then paste it here.
This should work, like I posted the URL for the Amazon page of that Softbills book below.
And in fact should be faster and easier than uploading the photo itself.

w.l.
I will try.

~Elana~

http://www.newildernesstrust.org/wp-con ... 4/Bird.jpg

By George, I think she's got it. By God, she's got it!!!
The rain in Spain, stays mainly on the plain..... (My Fair Lady)

~Elana~

w.l.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

~Elana~