. Silver headed nun
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- Scientific Name: Lonchura maja
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Better photo needed)
- Common Name/s:
SILVER HEADED NUN, WHITE HEADED MUNIA, WHITE HEADED NUN,
WHITE HEADED MANNIKIN.
- Sub Species in country / area of origin: Yes
- Origin / Distribution:
Malay peninsular, Indonesia, Bali, Java and Sumatra.
- Habitat In Wild: Tall
grasses and reeds. Wet tropical
environment and has adapted to urban areas and farmlands
such as rice paddies.
- Status In Wild:
Secure
- Status In (Australian) Captivity:
Secure
- Age To Sexual Maturity:
?
- Adult plumage: attained at about 12
months.
- Best breeding years (estimate):
12months - 5th year
- Lifespan (estimate):
up to 8- 10 years.
- Sexing: Monomorphic
/ Dimorphic
- Mutations: No
- Availability: Bird dealers
- Temperament:
Silver headed Nuns are social birds that like to live in a flock and fond of
company of their own species. They can be kept as a
colony or as a single pair in a mixed finch collection.
They adapt well to Canary breeding size indoor cages as well
as a planted aviary and are good as a beginners bird.
- Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: -Normal colour (Approx.) $80
- Description Of Adults:
- Length: Approx 115 - 120 mm (or about 4.5 inches)
- Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer
photo above -
top right of page. (Click on photo to enlarge).
- Weight: Approx. 17 - 19 gms (or about 2/3 oz)
Do not house Black headed Nun, Silver
headed Nun or the Tri coloured Nun in the same aviary as they may
hybridize.
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.
The Silver headed munia likes a planted aviary.
Plants
similar to their natural environment include tall growing
grasses, reed like plants, shrubs and pots of small bamboo.
Growing seeding grasses are eagerly consumed.
The Silver headed Nun can be housed and bred as a
single pair in an indoor cage of about 900mm long x 600mm high
and 500mm deep (36 in. x 24 in. x 20 in.).
Do not house Black headed Nun, Silver
headed Nun or the Tri coloured Nun in the same aviary as they may
hybridize.
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 Silver headed Nun requires a
good quality finch mix, seeding grasses
and some fruits (e.g. apple) and vegetables. Sprouted or soaked seed if available. Live food is not essential
but is beneficial especially during breeding season.
Basic seed mix should include Canary
seed, White French Millet, Japanese Millet, and Yellow and Red
Panicum.
Nesting:
A basic overview only.
- Roosting nest:
Yes / No
- Nesting months:
Spring to autumn.
- Nesting receptacles:
Both parents will build a nest in a shrub or dry brush. Equally it
will build a nest in a wide variety of artificial nests.
- Nest: The pair
make a dome shaped nest from grasses. Nest is lined
with soft fine grasses such as November or Swamp grass.
- 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 White.
Clutch/s
per year 3 - 4. Eggs per nest 4 - 7. Incubation
approx. 12 - 14 days. Fledge approx. 21 - 24 days.
Independent approx. another 3 - 4 weeks. These
birds are slow to become fully independent.
First official breeding of the Silver
headed Nun in South
Australia was in 1934 by H. Sewell.
Do not house Black headed Nun, Silver
headed Nun or the Tri coloured Nun in the same aviary as they may
hybridize.
Although a good beginner's bird,
expert opinion may be required to accurately determine the sex
of each bird.
The young may be left in an
aviary with the parent birds if there is adequate room
available. The parent birds will usually tolerate the
young independent birds and not cause them any harm. The
hen may start laying another clutch of eggs while the young are
still being fed by the cock bird. Fully independent young
should always be removed when they are bred in a cage or a small
aviary.
Adequate new nest material must
be available for the hen to rebuild the old nest or build a new
nest for the next clutch.
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 58 No. 9 Sept 2004
Page 202-204 (Inc photo).
- A/A Vol 45 No. 12 Dec 1991 Page 294-297 (Inc photo)
- A/A Vol 29 No. 12 Dec 1975 Page 180-185 (Inc photos)
- A/A Vol 27 No. 11 Nov 1973
Page 193-197 (Inc photo)
- A/A Vol 3 No 6 Jun 1949 Page 62 (First breeding in SA).
- Australian Birdkeeper
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