![]() Good aviary hygiene practices and protection from temperature extremes is essential. Gouldians are more “fragile” than many other Australian finch species. If there are other finches in the aviary that consume live food, the Gouldians may follow this behavior.ĭo not feed anything from the list of forbidden foods. ![]() Gouldians do not typically eat live insects. Spinach can also be given, but only sparingly as it can contribute to calcium deficiency.Ĭommercial soft finch food mixes can also be provided for an added nutrient boost, particularly when breeding. Kale, bok choy, chard (silverbeet), endive, cucumber, and finely grated apple, carrot or broccoli are much loved by Gouldians. Freshly grown green seed heads should also be offered frequently. Sprouting seed increases its nutritional value and is a cheap way to improve your birds health. Unfortunately seed is lacking in many essential vitamins and minerals which must be compensated for by introducing other foods. Seed forms the basis of most Gouldian finch diets. Photo credit: Linda De Volder Diet & Feeding Finch Stuff have an excellent overview of Gouldian mutations with photos. Other popular mutations include blue, Australian yellow, European yellow, dilute, and pastel. As the name suggests, white-breasted Gouldians have bright white feathers replacing the chest feather that are ordinarily purple. The most common mutation is the white-breasted Gouldian. Pure wild-type birds are becoming more difficult to acquire. Some of them have only been established in specific regions, such as the Australian yellow. There are dozens of different Gouldian mutations available throughout the world. Some color mutations are challenging to visually sex-especially those where the male’s coloring becomes washed-out. Photo Credit: Josh More Sexingįemale Gouldians have less vibrant coloring than males. Some breeders like to retire their older birds (by moving them to a non-breeding aviary) to free up nest sites for more productive pairs. The breeding performance of a Gouldian pair will generally decrease after about four years of breeding. Juveniles born late in the season will do a partial moult and then reach their full adult plumage the following year. The moult starts in about July in the southern hemisphere or February in the northern hemisphere, and takes 3-4 months to complete. Juvenile Gouldians are pale green/grey and will remain that color until they moult into their adult feathers. The young Gouldians will leave the nest at approximately 20 days of age, after which they will (generally) not return to the nest. Once the eggs have hatched, the parents should be supplied with a wide range of nutritious food, especially those high in calcium to assist in bone development. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for two weeks. Gouldians are poor nest builders, so it may be necessary to construct a nest on their behalf using fine strands of dry grass.Ī clutch typically consists of between 4 and 8 eggs. If not breeding as a single-pair, you must provide more nest boxes than finch pairs to reduce competition. Gouldians will breed as a single pair, in a colony of other Gouldian finches or as part of a mixed collection. They prefer to nest in small budgie-style boxes. The Gouldian finch breeding season begins in late summer and continues through to the end of autumn. They are a larger-sized finch and can be assertive during the breeding season, so it may be necessary to avoid housing them with small species if you have smaller aviary. They can be successfully housed with most placid finches, quail, doves, and (space permitting) Neophema parrots. Gouldian finches are generally very placid in a mixed aviary situation. The aviary should be designed to limit exposure to draughts, winter rain, and temperature extremes. Gouldians originate from a hot tropical climate and don’t possess down feathers, so care must be taken to protect them from cold weather. They prefer a large planted aviary, but are generally tolerant of smaller aviaries or even a large flight cage. Gouldian finches can be housed successfully as single pairs, a colony, or as part of a mixed collection. ![]() Wild-type Gouldians can have either red, orange, or black heads. Despite their rapidly declining wild population, they are quite common in the pet trade, where dozens of colour mutations have been established. The Gouldian finch is a small, colorful finch endemic to Australia’s savanna woodlands.
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