or Blue-headed Parrot Finches



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(a) soaked seeds, and (6) a good insectile mixture. For soaked seeds

canary and white and Indian millet may be used—they should be

just sprouting. Boiling the seed is probably worse than useless. The

birds usually eat these seeds right off, but a little honey on top may help

matters, especially if a little of the latter is smeared on a mealworm

which is put on top of the seed the first time or so. For insectile

mixture I prefer the “‘ ready to use ” kinds that require no water—

there are several on the market ; Mr. E. B. Tanner, a keeper in the

London Zoo, prepares at his home the one used here. Probably you

will find they leave the ants’ eggs, but they are very fond of the rest

of it, which looks like sponge-cake damped somehow. Some other

birds will eat the ants’ eggs left over, a Pekin Robin or a Shama for

instance, but there won’t be much anyhow.


As time goes on and the birds improve in condition and feather,

they may be put together in a flight cage which should be as large

as possible. It is not usual for Parrot Finches caged together to give

trouble by picking each other’s feathers or fighting. Unfortunately,

pairs of these birds do not display affection towards each other as most

birds do, so this will not be a means of finding out the sexes. The

sexing of these birds is, incidentally, about the most difficult job the

owner will have—but more about this later on.


About the middle of May I usually turn the birds out—this depends

more on the weather than anything else. There is no use putting them

out too soon in their summer quarters because, though our summer is

not a long one, there is plenty of time for two families of youngsters

to be reared. Even if the spring is an early one and the summer lasts

well into September it would not be advisable to let them have a third

round. There are people who think differently and say that three

families are all right, but it is better in the long run not to be greedy.


As soon as the birds are turned out place the following foods before

them daily : plain canary seed ; cod-liver oil-soaked canary seed (one

teaspoonful to the pint as usual) ; millet sprays ; insectile mixture,

soaked seeds, and mealworms, the last three named in the quantities

before mentioned. This may be continued until the nest has been

built, the eggs laid, and the hen starts sitting. It is then well to cut

out the insectile mixture and reduce the mealworms to about half.



