54



P. B. Webb—Parrot Finches



The young birds are now—24th December—exactly like the adults,

and all are full of the joy of life. They are, of course, all indoors in

their shed with about ten small Waxbills. The house is heated—

but don’t let this worry any of you—the temperature never goes above

55° F., but I don’t like it to go below 50° F., though it has been

down to 42° F. on one very cold night, without doing any harm.


It is easy to keep a small room up to this heat, so don’t look upon

it as out of your reach if you have not tried it. If you have electric

power, try this way : Get (second-hand, if possible) an ordinary water

radiator and an electric immersion heater (this must be new)—your

plumber will fix it into the radiator for you. You only need a small

heater, say 750 watts. The General Electric Co. supply one of this

power with three heats which is very suitable, but a single heat one

will do quite well, in which case probably 500 watts would be the best

size for a room about 12 by 12 feet.


You could use an ordinary electric fire, but it is inclined to dry

the air up so I like the water best.


I have decided to keep my three young birds in the hope of having

two or three true pairs for next year.


I think that no one wdio has kept and bred Red-headed Parrot

Finches would put any other foreign Finch before them, perhaps there

are few who would put any bird before them. However, with my

limited experience I should not say this, but if anyone can tell me of

any better, please do so ; I would like to have a pair in time for next

season.


Now, just one more thing, if I may. I believe that an expert can

sex these birds fairly accurately, given several to choose from. The

true pair I have are as like each other as two peas, as are all the adult

birds I have ; so unless you don't mind chancing being wrong, don’t

choose a pair of birds that show an apparent sex difference, if you do,

sure as a gun, in a month or so when the dull-coloured one has moulted,

you won’t know one from the other.


I hope these notes will be of use to some of our members who

may possess at some time a pair of these most delightful birds.


N.B.—One of the young birds is a hen, at any rate (25th January,

1932).



