90 P. W. Teague—Gouldian Finches


GOULDIAN FINCHES


By P. W. Teague


It has been suggested that some further and fuller notes on my

experiences in breeding Gouldian Finches would be useful to other

enthusiasts, including those in New Zealand, who have often asked for

articles on the keeping and breeding of the more or less common birds.


I have specialized in these birds and I can claim to have been fairly

successful with them, but beginning with Gouldian Finches in England

was anything but a cheerful or hopeful proposition, for practically

the only information I could get was : “ Yes, very beautiful birds,

but they only seem to die,” or, “ they don’t last long—like spring

flowers.”


I enquired from as many sources as I could, including members

of our Society, and these are a few of the encouraging replies I got:

No. 1 : “ Once acclimatized they do quite well for a time, and most

of them will attempt nesting, but my experience is, that the young

very rarely live more than three to four months—I have had nest

after nest of them and all have gone the same way, so I have given

them up in despair.” No. 2 : “I commenced the season with four

pairs and have now only one cock bird left—all seem to die for no

apparent reason.” No. 3 : “ They are very beautiful, but not worth

wasting your money on, sell them out as soon as you can and cut your

losses.” I nearly did this, for all had the same cheerful tale. However,

I decided to try methods which had proved very successful with birds.

I had kept when abroad, although many things I use now were

unobtainable there.


Necessity is the mother of invention, and this is how I came to find

out one of the finest revivers or foods I have yet used. I live miles

from a chemist’s shop so was compelled to use anything I could think

of that we had in the house, to revive a Gouldian Finch which arrived.

a mere feathered skeleton, and so exhausted and bad that if you touched

it, over it fell and there it lay until you picked the poor thing up again.

I hadn’t the usual brandy or whisky, but there happened to be some

Virol at hand. A small quantity of this was diluted with warm water,

and as the bird was too weak to drink or eat, my wife and I kept-



