Plumheaded Finch
Natural Distribution and Habitat
Found Inland eastern Australia from sydney to cairns they are usually found in scrub country and grasslands these birds are nomadic i witnessed these birds 150 metres from the homebush stadium in sydney.
Diet for Plumheaded Finch
Seed– To have success breeding these finches you must feed them a good quality finch mix. Be wary of some supermarket mixes as they are not of a high quality. If you are unsure of the seed you are feeding your birds ask your local bird expert.
Sprouted seed- Always clean thoroughly with aviclens to remove bacteria before feeding your birds.
Millet sprays– A fresh seed still on the stem is relished by all finches we recommend french white millet to be among the best of millet sprays for Plumheads.
Greens– seeding grass, chickweed, silverbeet, broccoli.
Live food– meal worms, gentles, whiteworms and fly pupae
Egg and biscuit formula– Recommend to feed in small amounts with the live food and wombaroo insectivore mix
Vitamin supplements– There are many good vitamin supplements available for finches in Australia.
Grit– supply a finch grit consisting of baked egg shells, charcoal, limestone, crushed cuttlebone,and crushed shell. Do not place Grit mix in bird seed, place in a separate dish.
Breeding Plumheaded Finch
Plumheads will nest best in low shrubs and thick grass.
The hen will lay around 5 white eggs with an incubation of 12 days. Both sexes will incubate the eggs. It is especially important to increase the amount of live food available while they are raising chicks. The chicks will be almost 4 weeks old when they begin to venture outside the nest. The parental birds will continue to feed the young for a further 4 weeks while they learn to crack seed and feed on their own.
Sexing Plumheaded Finches
Although the male has a much more pronounced throat bib the best way to determin the sex is the white stripe going over the top of the female’s eyes.
Found in store, for more details call Birdsville 9667 2555. More information coming soon.
