Bearded Reedling set up.

[608duj]

I have had three wild caught pairs for a year. All doing well. They are a most amusing bird, as acrobatic as a hookbill. The hens run along the top of their cage upside down and dangle by one foot. I have not seen this behavior in the males. They allopreen continuously. They have been on a parakeet mix, Higgins egg, greens and mealworms. One pair is in a planted room 6 x 6. One pair I am going to put outside when the weather settles and flying insects are abundant. One pair is in the flight pictured that is 6+' x 3 ' x 1.5 '. I gathered bullrushes from a local swamp for them to climb on. They have torn apart the fluffy seed heads and left them on the cage bottom in the dried grass. In one of the pictures you can see the hen doing the splits between reeds, a favorite posture for both sexes. I made the tepee as a next box for them based on a video from UK.

[finchandlovebird]

You do like the unusual birds, don't you? Didn't even know you had these

[dunker817]

I like the set up and the teepee is a very cool idea. The birds sure look really cute.

[jonvill]

Very nice set up!

[Colt]

What an interesting bird. And I love their set-up.

[Sally]

608duj

I'll move this topic to the All Things Softbill forum, since the Bearded Reedling (or Tit) is a softbill. These are gorgeous birds, they show well. Rayray, a former member, kept them in his outside aviary, so if you do a search for his posts, you may find out how he kept them. If I remember right, he said they needed lots of insects for breeding.

[608duj]

Thanks Sally, I have a copy of an article he posted online some years ago
about his adventures breeding these birds. Frustrating to be sure, but he
successfully raised some youngsters. If it is too easy why bother !

I have an old milkhouse here on the farm that would be a perfect habitat for them ( cement walled building used to cool milk cans in water before refrigeration ). It could be a substitute swamp environment.

There is certainly an ample supply of water based insects here in the summer, not sure how temperatures compare to his home in the Netherlands , but they breed successfully in the southern UK swampland and often live on there unless a cold snap takes them out.

I have waited a year since I got them to make sure I could care for them properly without breeding considerations and am ready to take the next step.

[Colt]

Sounds like a fantastic set-up. Good luck with the breeding endeavor.

[Jen]

Very cool setup. Keep us posted. I'd love to know about this species. Thank you for sharing!!!

[MiaCarter]

OOOH!
Am I ever jealous!
I've never heard this bird called a reedling; I know it as a bearded tit.
And I love them!
That's a great set up! I love that you have reeds in there for a reedling. How appropriate.

I'm dying for a pair of black-throated tits. (I keep checking Paradise earth hoping they'll be in stock someday!!)

And Japanse Tits? The. Cutest. Creatures. Ever! (And if I can ever get my hands on a pair, I can die happy!)

[jamezyboo21]

That's a pretty neat bird. The males have a very interesting look. I like how they do the splits between reeds

[608duj]

They were first classified as a Titmouse, but later changed to a classification of their own Panurus Biarmicus. They are available now on Birdsexpress and BirdProducts at 150. each. They need horizontal room to
exercise their acrobatics.

I do not normally keep birds that are wild caught and do not breed in captivity, like most softbills.

[Colt]

How are the Bearded Reedlings doing? Have you moved any outdoors or seen any breeding behavior?

[608duj]

The pair in the pictures lives in my living room, it is very quiet here and my activity path does not disturb them. I only approach their flight to tend water and feed. They seem indifferent to DVD or iTunes sounds.
I have added another tepee, whose seed heads they demolished. Their tepees sit in 12" plant saucers ( 4" deep ) that I half filled with top soil . I keep the soil moist to encourage fungus gnats. I give them more mealworms of all sizes ( I breed them ) than they eat, as well as dried fly pupae and bloodworms. All these I add to their saucer of Higgins egg. They make such a mess of it I cannot tell how much they eat and how much they scatter about. Messier even than the Parrotfinches. They have started eating the Romaine which they have previously ignored. They have an 8" saucer of water with live duckweed ( I raise that too. ). Again, because they make such a mess and come out with the tiny plants all over them, I can't tell if they eat any. They have constructed a nest in front of one of the tepees ( primarily of the bullrush seeds ) which they occupy from time to time but I have not seen any one-on-one breeding activity otherwise. I only observe them for extended periods, from about 7' away, when I am relaxing before lights out.

[Colt]

How exciting. And what an interesting diet. Duckweed? I never would have imagined. I can imagine the little goofballs make quite the mess with their acrobatics and eating habits...lol

Very neat that they've started a nest at all. Hopefully you'll end up with some babies soon. Are you still planning on moving one of the pairs into the old milk house? If I recall RayRay kept his outdoors in an aviary.