village indigo
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slwatson
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village indigo
Saturday I picked up a male and female pair of these birds. I know some info about them, but wanted to see if anyone could help me learn more. I know they lay their eggs in another bird's nest, (kept mentioning red-billed fire finch online), but could they do the same with societies? If so, how would I do it?
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slwatson
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Sally
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Re: village indigo
Sometimes these birds are hard-wired to do what they do, so not always easy to get them to change. One difference is the way the RB Fire and Society nests look, as RB Fires will build a very round, compact, neat nest lined with feathers, while the Societies are much more sloppy! But it never hurts to try, as when they don't have a choice, birds will often make do. I read that they have even been known to make their own nest and raise their own in the wild.
http://www.upatsix.com/chats/finch-and- ... 94455.html
http://www.upatsix.com/chats/finch-and- ... 94455.html
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slwatson
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Re: village indigo
Sally
Thanks Sally! I'll work on getting them into their own cage this weekend, and see if they'll try to nest without the use of another species!
Thanks Sally! I'll work on getting them into their own cage this weekend, and see if they'll try to nest without the use of another species!
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Rox
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Re: village indigo
Here you go, from Walter Burgess chairman of the Rand Aviculture Club here in SA. Good luck with them!
"Indigo Birds, formally known as Widow Finches, and sometimes referred to as Combassous .These, are an interesting group of finches in the Vidua family, which they share with all the true Whydahs. They are unique to the African continent, and have evolved over the millennia into a very interesting group of birds. They are probably not that well known in Aviculture outside of South Africa. They are always a joy to spot in the bush, and make for very interesting avicultural subjects!
Description:
Although there are currently about 10 species of Indigo Birds classified, the description is almost identical for all of them. They are generally around 11-12 cm in size. Males, in nuptial plumage, are generally black, with a blue-purple sheen all over. The wings and tail washed with ash brown. Beak, legs and feet colour differs according to the species, and ranges from white to red. They really have to be seen in full sunlight to really appreciate their true beauty. As they form part of the Vidua family, this means that, essentially, they are just Whydahs without tails. This means that they also go into the eclipse plumage at the end of the breeding season.Cocks in eclipse plumage are almost impossible to distinguish from hens. They appear similar to pintail whydahs, although the streaking is not as bold as in the pintail. Also, the chest is buff, not streaked.
Sub-species:
In the late 90s there were only 5 recognised species of Indigo Birds, but today this figure has risen to 10.Some species formally classified as sub-species are now recognised as full species. Among the 10 species some still have some sub-species as well. My experience, however, only relates to the three species found in South Africa, as the others are generally not imported. These are: 1 The Village, Indigo Bird, formally the Steel blue Widow Finch. This is the only species that has the bill, feet and legs in red. 2 The Dusky Indigo Bird, formally the Purple Widow Finch. This bird has the bill, feet and legs in white. 3 The Variable Indigo Bird, formally the Black Widow Finch. This bird has the bill in white, but the feet and legs in red.
Being part of the vidua family, they are also brood parasitic, with most species parasitizing different species of firefinches.Now as mentioned, most species are almost impossible to identify visually. But in the case of Indigo Birds, they are not identified by their plumage, as is the norm for most species, but instead they are identified by their song. The cocks will learn the song of their host parent and as an adult will mimic it to perfection. Equally, hens are only attracted to cocks that mimic the song of their host parent, and will only deposit her eggs in the nest of a host of the same species that raised her. Based on studies done in the early eighties, Indigo Birds were bred in captivity, with the young then fostered to Bengalese Finches. As adults, they mimicked the calls of the Bengalese and not the Fire finches. As a result, when given mates of their same species, they showed no interest in birds that mimicked the Fire finches, only those that mimicked the Bengalese! Thus it was proven thru this study, inconclusively, that should a hen in the wild lay her eggs in the nest of the wrong species of host by accident (or desperation), these birds will learn the calls of that host, and as adults will only mate with other Indigo Birds that mimics the same species, thus a new species starts to emerge. Therefor it has been suggested that their sympatric speciation must be of recent origin due to the close genetic and morphological similarities amongst species. They are, in fact, evolution in the works.
The 10 species and their hosts currently recognised are as follows:
1.Village Indigo Bird (vidua chalybeata) – Red billed Fire finch (lagonosticta senegala)
2.Purple Indigo Bird (vidua purpurascens) – Jameson’s Fire finch (lagonosticta rhodopareia)
3.Variable Indigo Bird (vidua funerea) – Blue billed Fire finch (lagonosticta rubricata)
4.Barka Indigo Bird (vidua larvaticola) – Black faced Fire finch (lagonosticta larvata)
5.Plateau Indigo Bird (vidua maryae) – Rock Fire finch (lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis)
6.Wilsons Indigo Bird (vidua wilsonii) – Bar breasted & Brown Fire finch (lagonosticta rufopicta & nitidula)
7.Jambandu Indigo Bird (vidua raricola) – Golden breasted Waxbill (amandava subflava)
8.Cameroon Indigo Bird (vidua camerunensis) - Black bellied Fire finch (lagonosticta rara)
9.Zambezi Indigo Bird (vidua codringtoni) – Peters Twinspot (hypargos niveoguttatus)
10.Quailfinch Indigo Bird (vidua nigeriae) – African Quailfinch (ortygospiza atricollis)
Sexing:
Inside of the breeding season, sexing is quite straight forward. Cocks are bluish-black and hens are buff streaked with dark brown. In their eclipse plumage, the sexes look very similar, but to the trained eye there are subtle differences. Most cocks, in captivity at least, will retain some splashes of colour year round. Like all Viduans it is not uncommon for second year birds, thought to be hens, to colour up as cocks.
Distribution:
Indigo Birds, collectively, are unique to Africa south of the Sahara dessert. Ranging from Senegal in West Africa, thru to Ethiopia in East Africa. From hear they spread south, mostly down the Eastern half of Africa, right thru into South Africa. This entire range is shared between the different species and their sub-species.
Habitat:
Most species of Indigo Birds frequent savannah with open woodland. They appeared to be an adaptive species; therefore I believe that their habitat preference is rather the choice of the host, rather than the Indigo Birds themselves. They are also found around cultivation, and the Village Indigo Bird in particular, has also adapted to human settlement. Although they experience quite warm temperatures in their natural range, they can tolerate much colder temperatures, as they are quite hardy birds. Again, their range is restricted to the limits of their hosts range.
Indigo Birds have proven to be quite adaptable birds in captivity, and as a result, they are not too fussy when it comes to housing them. However, if the aim is to breed with them, then the specific host’s needs have to be taken into consideration. As most species make use of Fire finches as hosts, one has to cater for their needs. Fully roofed or half open aviaries will probably be the best suited form of housing for the birds. As with all African finches, a lot of sunlight is important. The added benefit is that the cocks will display to their full potential as the natural sunlight will amplify their iridescent colours. Most of the aviaries I’ve used over the years have been planted aviaries, and of course the larger, the better, as one needs to house as many pairs of the host species as possible.
Feeding:
I feed my Indigo Birds the same basic diet as all my other finches. The bulk of the mix is made up of red manna and white millet, and to a lesser extend canary seed, black rape, niger and linseed. In the early mornings and late afternoons they are also provided with a softfood mix, consisting of commercial softfood, hard boiled eggs, sprouted jap millet, broccoli, carrots, cucumber and apple. To this mix I also add multi vitamins, trace elements, calcium and pro-biotic. In the breeding season I also supply the birds with livefood by way of termites. Grit and fresh water are available at all times.
Behaviour:
Indigo Birds are very active occupants of the aviary. Unlike the Pin tailed Whydah, they do not show aggression to other species in the aviary, and I have never seen them show any aggression towards their hosts. In the wild they are usually spotted with about 4 hens, but I have seen up to double this amount. Although I prefer to house all my Whydahs in single pairs, I always keep my Indigo Birds in trios of 1 cock to 2 hens. In the past I have kept the Village Indigo Bird and the Dusky Indigo Bird in the same aviary with disastrous results. Although there is a lot of chasing around the aviary, no serious harm is caused to either party. I went on holiday for a week, and upon my return I found the Village Indigo Bird chase the Jameson’s Fire finches around the aviary to the point of exhaustion. When I entered the aviary to remove him, I found that most of my Red-billed Fire finches had been killed, presumably, by the Dusky Indigo Bird! I came to the conclusion that they were eliminating each other’s hosts, and with the Dusky Indigo Bird being the more aggressive bird, he was able to kill of most of the Red-billed Fire finches. After this unfortunate incident, I have never housed any of the Indigo Birds together, or with each other’s hosts. For the same reason I do not house them with any off the Whydah species as well. In winter, I keep all the males (both Whydah and Indigo Bird) in the same holding aviary, and the same for the hens. When the summer comes and the birds come into colour, I separate them as soon as possible, as fighting does break out, with the more aggressive Dusky – and Variable Indigo birds fully capable of killing the other occupants in such a small enclosure. Indigo Birds, and Whydahs for that matter, also consume the eggs of other birds, notably more exposed eggs like those of doves or canaries. I have never had this problem where only cocks were housed in mixed collections for display purposes, therefor I assume that this act is restricted to the hens. For this reason they are not very popular with most aviculturists. Although they supposedly only mimic their hosts, I do have in my possession a male Variable Indigo Bird that imitates my Grey Singers and Black-throated Canaries to perfection. He has even mastered the call of the Red Crested Cardinal, so some appear to be quite talented in the art of mimicry.
Breeding:
Unfortunately the Indigo Birds that are currently kept in my collection serve mainly as display birds, due to a lack of space to afford them their own aviary. Therefore all my experience in breeding them relates to my experience in the past. For most Indigo Birds, they acquire their spectacular nuptial plumage around September (depending on the species). It’s around this time that they start mimicking the mating calls of their host. I particularly like the call of the Village Indigo Bird, which is identical to that of the Red-billed Fire finch, only twice as loud. They are one of the first calls to be heard when one enters the property. As soon as the cocks show signs of colour, I place the hens in with the host. Once the cocks are half coloured I would introduce them to the breeding aviary as well. As mentioned earlier, I prefer housing them in trios, the reason for this is that some cocks will harass the lone hen to exhaustion, not affording her a chance to feed, and if not noticed in time, she will deteriorate and eventually die. With 2 hens in the enclosure the problem is somewhat eradicated, as he’s attention is now divided. For this season I will attempt to breed them in smaller aviaries, around 3m x 1.5m x 2.5m. In the past I only bred them in the big aviary, but as my prime focus will be on the Village Indigo Bird, I suspect to have success in the smaller aviaries, as there host, the Red-billed Fire finch, have been bred in a small colonies in such a size aviary. In the case of the other 2 species, this could be more difficult, as their hosts breed better in single pairs than colonies, and in order to try the colony system, a bigger aviary will definitely be required. Unlike the Whydahs, Indigo Birds do not require large aviaries in order to display. Within days the cocks will start to court the hens. Their courtship display is almost identical to that of the Pin tailed Whydah. They also hover with an up-and-down jerking motion in front of the hen, as if they also have the long tail to display. To me, this is definitive proof that at some point in the past they must have possessed tails (as the Steel blue Whydah still does) but over time lost the need for them. Hens will lay 1-2 eggs in the nest of the host, and just like the Whydahs their young are raised with the hosts young. As soon as the chicks hatch, the need for livefood is evident with the parents eagerly consuming any livefood offered. Upon fledging the young Indigo Birds can be identified easily as they are substantially larger than their siblings. They will start feeding themselves at around two weeks after fledging, but should one choose to remove them from the breeding aviary, this shouldn’t be done until they have been out of the nest for at least 4 weeks. In larger aviaries they can be left in, but in the smaller aviaries they definately have to be removed as the cock may start attacking them. Of the 3 species kept in South Africa, I have only been successful with the Village Indigo Bird, as they are by far the easier bird to breed. Not only is there host quite prolific, but their more passive nature compared to the other 2 makes them easier to work with. Although the Dusky – and the Variable Indigo Bird does form part of my collection, I have never had the privilege of breeding them. As I already said they are very aggressive, in fact, they are the most aggressive of all Viduans. Also, Jameson’s – and Blue billed Fire finches are more difficult to breed in colonies. Single pairs will breed well, but this does not leave the hen Indigo Bird with much choice. The amount of young produced in a season will depend on a few factors. Size of the aviary and the number of pairs of the host will obviously play a big role. Once the young are independent they are moved to the holding aviaries. At the end of the season they are joined by the adults. All the young produced are treated as hens, and are therefore housed with them. As soon as any colour is shown, they are moved into the same aviaries as the cocks. They usually show colour at around a year old, but as with all Viduans, this may take up to 2 years. It’s not uncommon for newly acquired hens to turn out as cocks the following year. Indigo Birds are long lived and can live for 15 years plus.
Conclusion:
Whether you are attracted by their iridescent blue-black colours shining in the brightest sun, or perhaps are amazed at their power of mimicry, these little birds are guaranteed to provide you with hours of endless pleasure. South African aviculturists are one of the few lucky people who have the privilege of keeping these somewhat overlooked avian gems, and we should count ourselves lucky that we are given the opportunity to do so."
"Indigo Birds, formally known as Widow Finches, and sometimes referred to as Combassous .These, are an interesting group of finches in the Vidua family, which they share with all the true Whydahs. They are unique to the African continent, and have evolved over the millennia into a very interesting group of birds. They are probably not that well known in Aviculture outside of South Africa. They are always a joy to spot in the bush, and make for very interesting avicultural subjects!
Description:
Although there are currently about 10 species of Indigo Birds classified, the description is almost identical for all of them. They are generally around 11-12 cm in size. Males, in nuptial plumage, are generally black, with a blue-purple sheen all over. The wings and tail washed with ash brown. Beak, legs and feet colour differs according to the species, and ranges from white to red. They really have to be seen in full sunlight to really appreciate their true beauty. As they form part of the Vidua family, this means that, essentially, they are just Whydahs without tails. This means that they also go into the eclipse plumage at the end of the breeding season.Cocks in eclipse plumage are almost impossible to distinguish from hens. They appear similar to pintail whydahs, although the streaking is not as bold as in the pintail. Also, the chest is buff, not streaked.
Sub-species:
In the late 90s there were only 5 recognised species of Indigo Birds, but today this figure has risen to 10.Some species formally classified as sub-species are now recognised as full species. Among the 10 species some still have some sub-species as well. My experience, however, only relates to the three species found in South Africa, as the others are generally not imported. These are: 1 The Village, Indigo Bird, formally the Steel blue Widow Finch. This is the only species that has the bill, feet and legs in red. 2 The Dusky Indigo Bird, formally the Purple Widow Finch. This bird has the bill, feet and legs in white. 3 The Variable Indigo Bird, formally the Black Widow Finch. This bird has the bill in white, but the feet and legs in red.
Being part of the vidua family, they are also brood parasitic, with most species parasitizing different species of firefinches.Now as mentioned, most species are almost impossible to identify visually. But in the case of Indigo Birds, they are not identified by their plumage, as is the norm for most species, but instead they are identified by their song. The cocks will learn the song of their host parent and as an adult will mimic it to perfection. Equally, hens are only attracted to cocks that mimic the song of their host parent, and will only deposit her eggs in the nest of a host of the same species that raised her. Based on studies done in the early eighties, Indigo Birds were bred in captivity, with the young then fostered to Bengalese Finches. As adults, they mimicked the calls of the Bengalese and not the Fire finches. As a result, when given mates of their same species, they showed no interest in birds that mimicked the Fire finches, only those that mimicked the Bengalese! Thus it was proven thru this study, inconclusively, that should a hen in the wild lay her eggs in the nest of the wrong species of host by accident (or desperation), these birds will learn the calls of that host, and as adults will only mate with other Indigo Birds that mimics the same species, thus a new species starts to emerge. Therefor it has been suggested that their sympatric speciation must be of recent origin due to the close genetic and morphological similarities amongst species. They are, in fact, evolution in the works.
The 10 species and their hosts currently recognised are as follows:
1.Village Indigo Bird (vidua chalybeata) – Red billed Fire finch (lagonosticta senegala)
2.Purple Indigo Bird (vidua purpurascens) – Jameson’s Fire finch (lagonosticta rhodopareia)
3.Variable Indigo Bird (vidua funerea) – Blue billed Fire finch (lagonosticta rubricata)
4.Barka Indigo Bird (vidua larvaticola) – Black faced Fire finch (lagonosticta larvata)
5.Plateau Indigo Bird (vidua maryae) – Rock Fire finch (lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis)
6.Wilsons Indigo Bird (vidua wilsonii) – Bar breasted & Brown Fire finch (lagonosticta rufopicta & nitidula)
7.Jambandu Indigo Bird (vidua raricola) – Golden breasted Waxbill (amandava subflava)
8.Cameroon Indigo Bird (vidua camerunensis) - Black bellied Fire finch (lagonosticta rara)
9.Zambezi Indigo Bird (vidua codringtoni) – Peters Twinspot (hypargos niveoguttatus)
10.Quailfinch Indigo Bird (vidua nigeriae) – African Quailfinch (ortygospiza atricollis)
Sexing:
Inside of the breeding season, sexing is quite straight forward. Cocks are bluish-black and hens are buff streaked with dark brown. In their eclipse plumage, the sexes look very similar, but to the trained eye there are subtle differences. Most cocks, in captivity at least, will retain some splashes of colour year round. Like all Viduans it is not uncommon for second year birds, thought to be hens, to colour up as cocks.
Distribution:
Indigo Birds, collectively, are unique to Africa south of the Sahara dessert. Ranging from Senegal in West Africa, thru to Ethiopia in East Africa. From hear they spread south, mostly down the Eastern half of Africa, right thru into South Africa. This entire range is shared between the different species and their sub-species.
Habitat:
Most species of Indigo Birds frequent savannah with open woodland. They appeared to be an adaptive species; therefore I believe that their habitat preference is rather the choice of the host, rather than the Indigo Birds themselves. They are also found around cultivation, and the Village Indigo Bird in particular, has also adapted to human settlement. Although they experience quite warm temperatures in their natural range, they can tolerate much colder temperatures, as they are quite hardy birds. Again, their range is restricted to the limits of their hosts range.
Indigo Birds have proven to be quite adaptable birds in captivity, and as a result, they are not too fussy when it comes to housing them. However, if the aim is to breed with them, then the specific host’s needs have to be taken into consideration. As most species make use of Fire finches as hosts, one has to cater for their needs. Fully roofed or half open aviaries will probably be the best suited form of housing for the birds. As with all African finches, a lot of sunlight is important. The added benefit is that the cocks will display to their full potential as the natural sunlight will amplify their iridescent colours. Most of the aviaries I’ve used over the years have been planted aviaries, and of course the larger, the better, as one needs to house as many pairs of the host species as possible.
Feeding:
I feed my Indigo Birds the same basic diet as all my other finches. The bulk of the mix is made up of red manna and white millet, and to a lesser extend canary seed, black rape, niger and linseed. In the early mornings and late afternoons they are also provided with a softfood mix, consisting of commercial softfood, hard boiled eggs, sprouted jap millet, broccoli, carrots, cucumber and apple. To this mix I also add multi vitamins, trace elements, calcium and pro-biotic. In the breeding season I also supply the birds with livefood by way of termites. Grit and fresh water are available at all times.
Behaviour:
Indigo Birds are very active occupants of the aviary. Unlike the Pin tailed Whydah, they do not show aggression to other species in the aviary, and I have never seen them show any aggression towards their hosts. In the wild they are usually spotted with about 4 hens, but I have seen up to double this amount. Although I prefer to house all my Whydahs in single pairs, I always keep my Indigo Birds in trios of 1 cock to 2 hens. In the past I have kept the Village Indigo Bird and the Dusky Indigo Bird in the same aviary with disastrous results. Although there is a lot of chasing around the aviary, no serious harm is caused to either party. I went on holiday for a week, and upon my return I found the Village Indigo Bird chase the Jameson’s Fire finches around the aviary to the point of exhaustion. When I entered the aviary to remove him, I found that most of my Red-billed Fire finches had been killed, presumably, by the Dusky Indigo Bird! I came to the conclusion that they were eliminating each other’s hosts, and with the Dusky Indigo Bird being the more aggressive bird, he was able to kill of most of the Red-billed Fire finches. After this unfortunate incident, I have never housed any of the Indigo Birds together, or with each other’s hosts. For the same reason I do not house them with any off the Whydah species as well. In winter, I keep all the males (both Whydah and Indigo Bird) in the same holding aviary, and the same for the hens. When the summer comes and the birds come into colour, I separate them as soon as possible, as fighting does break out, with the more aggressive Dusky – and Variable Indigo birds fully capable of killing the other occupants in such a small enclosure. Indigo Birds, and Whydahs for that matter, also consume the eggs of other birds, notably more exposed eggs like those of doves or canaries. I have never had this problem where only cocks were housed in mixed collections for display purposes, therefor I assume that this act is restricted to the hens. For this reason they are not very popular with most aviculturists. Although they supposedly only mimic their hosts, I do have in my possession a male Variable Indigo Bird that imitates my Grey Singers and Black-throated Canaries to perfection. He has even mastered the call of the Red Crested Cardinal, so some appear to be quite talented in the art of mimicry.
Breeding:
Unfortunately the Indigo Birds that are currently kept in my collection serve mainly as display birds, due to a lack of space to afford them their own aviary. Therefore all my experience in breeding them relates to my experience in the past. For most Indigo Birds, they acquire their spectacular nuptial plumage around September (depending on the species). It’s around this time that they start mimicking the mating calls of their host. I particularly like the call of the Village Indigo Bird, which is identical to that of the Red-billed Fire finch, only twice as loud. They are one of the first calls to be heard when one enters the property. As soon as the cocks show signs of colour, I place the hens in with the host. Once the cocks are half coloured I would introduce them to the breeding aviary as well. As mentioned earlier, I prefer housing them in trios, the reason for this is that some cocks will harass the lone hen to exhaustion, not affording her a chance to feed, and if not noticed in time, she will deteriorate and eventually die. With 2 hens in the enclosure the problem is somewhat eradicated, as he’s attention is now divided. For this season I will attempt to breed them in smaller aviaries, around 3m x 1.5m x 2.5m. In the past I only bred them in the big aviary, but as my prime focus will be on the Village Indigo Bird, I suspect to have success in the smaller aviaries, as there host, the Red-billed Fire finch, have been bred in a small colonies in such a size aviary. In the case of the other 2 species, this could be more difficult, as their hosts breed better in single pairs than colonies, and in order to try the colony system, a bigger aviary will definitely be required. Unlike the Whydahs, Indigo Birds do not require large aviaries in order to display. Within days the cocks will start to court the hens. Their courtship display is almost identical to that of the Pin tailed Whydah. They also hover with an up-and-down jerking motion in front of the hen, as if they also have the long tail to display. To me, this is definitive proof that at some point in the past they must have possessed tails (as the Steel blue Whydah still does) but over time lost the need for them. Hens will lay 1-2 eggs in the nest of the host, and just like the Whydahs their young are raised with the hosts young. As soon as the chicks hatch, the need for livefood is evident with the parents eagerly consuming any livefood offered. Upon fledging the young Indigo Birds can be identified easily as they are substantially larger than their siblings. They will start feeding themselves at around two weeks after fledging, but should one choose to remove them from the breeding aviary, this shouldn’t be done until they have been out of the nest for at least 4 weeks. In larger aviaries they can be left in, but in the smaller aviaries they definately have to be removed as the cock may start attacking them. Of the 3 species kept in South Africa, I have only been successful with the Village Indigo Bird, as they are by far the easier bird to breed. Not only is there host quite prolific, but their more passive nature compared to the other 2 makes them easier to work with. Although the Dusky – and the Variable Indigo Bird does form part of my collection, I have never had the privilege of breeding them. As I already said they are very aggressive, in fact, they are the most aggressive of all Viduans. Also, Jameson’s – and Blue billed Fire finches are more difficult to breed in colonies. Single pairs will breed well, but this does not leave the hen Indigo Bird with much choice. The amount of young produced in a season will depend on a few factors. Size of the aviary and the number of pairs of the host will obviously play a big role. Once the young are independent they are moved to the holding aviaries. At the end of the season they are joined by the adults. All the young produced are treated as hens, and are therefore housed with them. As soon as any colour is shown, they are moved into the same aviaries as the cocks. They usually show colour at around a year old, but as with all Viduans, this may take up to 2 years. It’s not uncommon for newly acquired hens to turn out as cocks the following year. Indigo Birds are long lived and can live for 15 years plus.
Conclusion:
Whether you are attracted by their iridescent blue-black colours shining in the brightest sun, or perhaps are amazed at their power of mimicry, these little birds are guaranteed to provide you with hours of endless pleasure. South African aviculturists are one of the few lucky people who have the privilege of keeping these somewhat overlooked avian gems, and we should count ourselves lucky that we are given the opportunity to do so."
Roxanne
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
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Sally
- Mod Extraordinaire
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- Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:55 pm
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Re: village indigo
Wow, that is an amazing bit of information on this bird! It is so hard to find much specific information. I wonder if Mr. Burgess would allow this to be submitted to the Finch Information Center as an article on this species?
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slwatson
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Re: village indigo
Rox
Thank you SO much for this post! At least now I know I've been feeding them the correct type of food. The part about the societies was very interesting....so now I need to decide if I should use a pair of societies or get red billed fire finches.
Thank you SO much for this post! At least now I know I've been feeding them the correct type of food. The part about the societies was very interesting....so now I need to decide if I should use a pair of societies or get red billed fire finches.
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Rox
- Proven
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- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Re: village indigo
Roxanne
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
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Rox
- Proven
- Posts: 2112
- Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:57 am
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Re: village indigo
slwatson
I was thinking about this last night and I think you should be bold and set up a pair each of red-billed fire finches and societies. This will give your indigo birds a choice of two nest locations to use.
You just need to make sure you have a big enough flight for three pairs. I don't see any issues personality wise. Both fire finches and societies are pretty chilled
I was thinking about this last night and I think you should be bold and set up a pair each of red-billed fire finches and societies. This will give your indigo birds a choice of two nest locations to use.
You just need to make sure you have a big enough flight for three pairs. I don't see any issues personality wise. Both fire finches and societies are pretty chilled
Roxanne
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
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slwatson
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Re: village indigo
Rox
That's a great idea! I currently don't have any fire finches, so I would have to wait until May if I wanted to get some.
That's a great idea! I currently don't have any fire finches, so I would have to wait until May if I wanted to get some.
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Rox
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Re: village indigo
Roxanne
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
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Colt
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Re: village indigo
No reason you can't try now in a flight with Societies and add Red-billed Fire Finches later.
Amethyst Starling
BF and RT Parrot Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lady Gouldian
Owl Finch
Shaft-tail Finch
Society Finch
Star Finch
Strawberry
Tri-colored Nun
Zebra Finch
Diamond Dove
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slwatson
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Re: village indigo
Colt
I think that's what I'm gonna do...just have to find room since hubby said no to more cages
Should I put the society pair and the indigo pair in a cage together at the same time with a nest?
I think that's what I'm gonna do...just have to find room since hubby said no to more cages
Should I put the society pair and the indigo pair in a cage together at the same time with a nest?-
Rox
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Re: village indigo
slwatson
I would put the two pairs together for a week or two first and then introduce the nest. Let them get to know each other a bit and settle down together before going into breeding mode.
I would put the two pairs together for a week or two first and then introduce the nest. Let them get to know each other a bit and settle down together before going into breeding mode.
Roxanne
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
Gouldian's, Blue Breasted Cordon Bleu's, Orange-cheeks, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked waxbill's and Peter's Twinspots
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slwatson
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