Spice Finch
Found in store, for more details call Birdsville 9667 2555. More information coming soon.
Lonchura punctulata
Natural Distribution and Habitat
Native across many asian countries from india, china, thailand, indonesia to name a few. These birds have been introduced into australia and doing very well, In my opinion to well as i have actually seen almost as many of these introduced birds in the wild than i have the native mannikins such as the chestnut breasted mannikins where they compete for food and nesting areas. Despite this they are a beautiful finch in their own right.
Diet for Spice Finches
Seed– To get the best breeding results feed your Spice birds a good quality finch seed, be wary of some supermarket brands as they have alot of filler in the seed and not of the best quality.
Sprouted seed– Great for all mannikins for details in preparing your sprouted seed mix visit Finch care with added mung beans and grey striped sun flower.
Millet sprays– A fresh seed still on the stem re recommend 2 types of millet spray for spice finches such as pannicum and french white millet.
Greens– An important part of the spice finch diet, seeding grasses, cucumber, endive, dandelion, chickweed, flowering heads of milk thistle and silver beet .
Fruits– Apple, figs and paw paw will be eated by some birds.
Vitamin supplements– Added via the water supply is the best way to ensure the birds actually ingest the vitamins as it is wasted when placed in dry seed as they shell the seed.
Live food– such as meal worms and fly pupae may be offered when birds are feeding young.
Egg and biscuit formula– An important protein source especially when birds are breeding.
Finch grit- use a fine mix containing charcoal, crushed cuttlebone, shell, baked egg shell and limestone.
Breeding Spice Finches
An easy to breed finch they will breed in half open nest boxes, wicker nests, hollowed out cocnut husks and tall grasses. Be sure to supply nesting materials such as swamp grass. The hen will lay around 5 white eggs with an incubation period of 13 days. Both parents will feed the chicks in the nest for a further 3 weeks inside the nest by week 4 they will start to venture outside and will be continued to be fed by the parents for a further 3 weeks while they are learning to crack seed on their own. Do not remove the young from the aviary until they are ready to feed by them self.
Sexing Spice Finches
Not the easiest bird to sex but on the underside of the beak the male will have a slightly wider lower mandible apart from this they are identical.
