C. H. Macklin—Breeding of the Royal Parrot Finch



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for the next week the young birds were loud in their clamour for food

but were quieter later. The parents fed them frequently, using chiefly

the soft food and meal-worms ; they also helped themselves to the

Sunbirds’ nectar quite freely at this time and ate a good deal of apple

and seeding grass.


On 9th June I got a peep at the nest while both the parents were out

in the flight and, by using an electric throat lamp and mirror, could

see that there were two youngsters and that they were just getting

their wing and tail quills. On 22nd June they were ready to leave

the nest ; in fact for a day or two I had seen two little yellow bills

at the entrance.


Unfortunately it turned very hot and the temperature rose

tremendously inside the shelter where the nest was, near the roof, and

one of the youngsters collapsed and died in the nest entrance ; the other

I found in the outside flight quite strong on the wing : he roosted

outside in the ivy and never went back to the nest.


The young had dark green bodies and wings, deep blue heads, and

red tails and tail coverts ; the beak was orange yellow, ornamented at

the corners of a wide gape with four luminous blue spots ; feet and legs

whitish grey.


Both parents fed the youngster frequently, regurgitating food from

the crop in the usual Grass Finch manner. By 25th June he was pecking

at spray millet and soon helped himself to soft food. He is now

(11th July) quite independent and is doing well. The beak is still

yellow but the luminous spots at the corners have nearly gone and he

has lost his babyish look and is now as big as the hen.


The parents have built a second nest in the shelter again, but this

time in a small wooden box, about 6 by 4 by 4 inches, with half the front

open: it is again very compact, made of grass stems, bits of straw,

dead leaves, and roots ; no feathers were used either time. There are

now three eggs and the birds have just started to sit. I am hoping

this time to be able to supply some live ant “ eggs ”, which they liked

last year and which will probably be better for the young birds than

too many meal-worms.


The Boyal Parrot Finch is a fascinating little bird but needs care ;

he does not do well in a cage and will not live on seed alone, for he is



