. Green singing finch
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- Scientific Name: Serinus
mozambicus
(Click on photo to enlarge)
- Common Name/s:
GREEN SINGING FINCH, MOZAMBIQUE GREEN SINGER, LITTLE SINGER,
GREEN SINGER.
- Sub Species in country / area of origin: 18
- Origin / Distribution: African
continent south of the Sahara.
- Habitat In Wild: Lightly
forested areas, savannah, farmlands and urban areas.
- Status In Wild:
?
- Status In (Australian) Captivity:
Secure.
- Age To Sexual Maturity: ?
- Adult plumage: attained at about
?
months
- Best breeding years (estimate):
2nd - 6th.
- Lifespan (estimate):
Long lived for a finch. 10 years or more.
- Sexing: Monomorphic
/ Dimorphic
- Mutations: Few, if any, but will
hybridize with the Grey Singing Finch and the canary.
- Availability: Bird dealers.
- Temperament: They are
active, graceful birds that are suitable for a mixed species
collection. Only one pair of "singers" per aviary.
- Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: -
Normal colour (Approx.) $150
- Description Of Adults:
- Length: Approx. 140 mm (or approx. 5.5 inches)
- Colour ("normal" colour): Refer
photo above -
top right of page. (Click on photo to enlarge).
- Weight: Approx. 20 gms (or about 3/4 ozs)
Aviary Notes:
Read
notes on "Finches - Non Australian" web page
and use in conjunction with details
outlined on this page.
Level Of Knowledge Required:
Beginner / Intermediate
/ Advanced / Specialist Breeders Only.
Government Regulations &
By-Laws: Refer to "Government Laws"
web page.
Housing Requirements:
Click on "Housing birds"
web page for general details on the housing
of Non Australian Finches or read on for specific details for this finch.
Can be housed and bred in canary style
indoor cages as well as small outdoor planted aviaries.
Although they can be kept with other
finches, only one pair of Green Singers should be housed per aviary. This
should minimize the chances of aggression or injury occurring.
Diet / Feeding:
Click on "Feeding birds"
web page for general details on the
nutrition of Non Australian Finches or read on for specific details for this
finch.
The Green Singing finch requires a good quality finch mix, seeding grasses
and some fruits (e.g. apple) and some leafy green vegetables can be
offered. Live food is not essential in the non-breeding season but
is beneficial at breeding season.
Mealworms, crickets and small locusts can be offered. Sprouted or
soaked seed if available. The young are fed only insects in the
first week when available. The parents introduce seed into the
diet gradually. The insects provide an easily digested source of
protein.
Basic seed mix should include Canary
seed, White French Millet, Japanese Millet, and Yellow and Red Panicum.
Green Singing Finches have a similar
feed requirement as Canaries and the "soft foods" as provided for
Canaries will be consumed by Green Singing Finches.
Nesting:
A basic overview only.
- Roosting nest: Yes / No
- Nesting months:
Spring to autumn.
- Nesting receptacles:
The hen will build a nest in a shrub or dry brush such as tea
tree. Equally it will build a nest in a wide variety of
artificial nests. Will use a half open nest box or a canary
nest. The nest is similar to those made by canaries.
- Nest: Made from a
variety of materials including grasses, teased short pieces of
hessian, coconut fibre. Swamp grass, November grass and Pampas
grass are good. Nest is lined with feathers and soft
materials.
- Who incubates the eggs: Hen / cock / both share.
More details on finch nests
and a selection of finch nest photos
can be located on the "nests", "finch nests"
and "finch nest photos"
web pages. Click on "Up" then "nests" then
"finch nests" and "finch nests photos" in
the navigation bars.
Breeding:
Egg Colour ?. Clutch/s
per year 2 - 3. Eggs per nest 2 - 4. Incubation
approx. 13 - 14 days. Fledge approx. 20 days.
Independent approx. another 3 - 4 weeks. The cock bird
feeds the young after the young leave the nest.
Young should be removed from the parent
birds as soon as they are fully independent so as to avoid possible
aggression from a parent and to allow the hen to care for the next
clutch with out interference from the young birds.
The Green Singing finch will hybridize with the canary and has
similar breeding and feed requirements as the canary.
They prefer to nest high up in the
aviary.
Artificial incubation, hand rearing or fostering will not be
covered on this web site. It is too complex and diverse in nature to be
attempted here. Refer "Specific References" as listed below and
"General References" listings.
Health Issues:
Refer "Avian Health Issues"
web page for information and references.
- Worming and parasite control and Quarantine
requirements of new birds or sick birds are considered to
require veterinary advice and therefore not covered on this web
site. Refer above option - "Avian Health Issues"
web page.
- Avian medicine is advancing at a rapid pace. Keep
updating your knowledge and skills.
General References:
Refer to references listed on "Book
References" web page.
Specific References:
- Australian Aviculture
- A/A Vol 32 No. 12 Dec 1978 Page 192-195 (Inc photo)
- A/A Vol 13 No 9 Sept 1959 Page 133-134.
- A/A Vol 13 No 3 Mar 1959 Page 47.
- A/A Vol 11 No 12 Dec 1957 Page 173-174.
- Australian Birdkeeper
- ABK Vol 14 Issue 11. Oct-Nov 2001 Page 612-617.
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