Correspondence



19



FISCHER’S LOVEBIRDS


Misfortune seems to be the lot of this species, the birds not lasting any

length of time after arrival or else accidents happen with them. One bird

got out and lived at liberty for a couple of months but would never visit a

trap. Eventually two birds remained, and were put in an aviary by them¬

selves, after spending the whole of the winter indoors. Fischer’s Lovebirds

seem to be more susceptible to weather conditions than other species.


Strips of ti-tree bark, grass stems and wood wool, were provided. The wood

wool and ti-tree bark was used, the majority of the grass stems being ignored.

The birds apparently took a liking to the strips of wood wool, for they

commenced to tear off chips from the door of their aviary and when they had

reduced that to about half its original thickness, they transferred their

attempts at carpentering to a wooden ledge of their shelter house

reducing what originally was a piece of wood 1| inches in height and

\ in. thick to a piece approximately f in. high. This piece must have

satisfied her ladyship for she immediately laid six eggs. Unfortunately

all were clear with the exception of one which ultimately developed into

a very handsome bird and left the nest on 9th January, 1931.


The nest was constructed in an hollow puriri log and the tunnel is a peculiar

shape, being of a larger diameter at the entrance and only large enough for

the bird to squeeze through in the front of the nest, with the added peculiarity

that, unlike many other Lovebirds, the entrance was to the side, not on top

of the nest. Why the birds should have a side entrance is difficult to say.


The birds were fed on Lovebird mixture with an additional amount of

brown millet, hulled oats, and white millet when feeding the young. They

were not keen on plain canary seed but relished an occasional millet spray.

They practically killed the root of a silver beet growing in their aviary in

feeding the one young bird.


The young are not so highly coloured as the adults, but otherwise similar,

the vivid red on the head appearing after the first moult.


G. Rowland Hutchinson.



FOREIGN HYBRIDS

Zebra Finch x Goldfinch Hybrid


I purchased a pair of Zebra Finches about the middle of last breeding

season and turned them into an outdoor aviary. When they had been in the

aviary about a week I noticed that one of the Zebra Finches was very friendly

with a Goldfinch hen. In about three days they showed signs of nesting by

carrying hay to a corner of the building. I then put some cow hair and kapok

in the aviary. When they had finished building they rested three days, on the

third day the Goldfinch went to nest and laid one egg and laid an egg every

other day until she had laid four eggs she then sat on the eggs and sat until

about two days of hatching, and then the Zebra Finch sat on the eggs. Then

the earthquake upset everything. I found chicks dead in the shells.


The Zebra Finch X Greenfinch habits were much the same as the

Zebra Finch X Goldfinch except that the nest was slightly larger.


A. R. Goudie.


Westshore,


Napier.



