. Tri coloured nun
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- Scientific Name: Lonchura malacca malacca
- Common Name/s: TRI
COLOURED NUN, TRI COLOURED MUNIA, THREE COLOURED MANNIKIN.
- Sub Species in country / area of origin: Many.
- Origin / Distribution: India
and Sri Lanka
- Habitat In Wild: Tall grasses
and reeds. Wet tropical
environment and has adapted to farmlands such as rice paddies and
sugar cane farms.
- Status In Wild: Secure.
- Status In (Australian) Captivity:
Secure.
- Age To Sexual Maturity: about
6 months
- Adult plumage: attained at about 6
- 12
months.
- Best breeding years (estimate):
2nd - 5th year
- Lifespan (estimate): up to 8
years.
- Best breeding years (estimate):
12 months to 5 years.
- Sexing: Monomorphic / Dimorphic
- Mutations: No
- Availability: Bird dealers.
- Temperament: Docile, hardy,
long lived bird. They 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 mm (or about 4.5 inches)
- Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer
photo/s above if available.
- Weight: Approx. 20 gms (or about 2/3 oz)
Black headed Nun, Silver headed Nun or
the Tri coloured Nun have similar husbandry requirements.
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.
In 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.
They are generally suitable for a mixed
species finch collection. They can be bred in a cage or cabinet
but the results may be less than those housed and bred in an outdoor
aviary.
They can be bred as a colony of Tri
coloured nuns. In a colony the dominant pair will be the most
productive with the least dominant bird often not producing any nests or
young.
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.
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 but may
breed year round if conditions are suitable.
- 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.
- Who incubates the eggs:
Hen / cock / both share.
Nest inspections are generally well
tolerated however some pairs may may be distressed after a nest
inspection.
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. 14 days. Fledge approx. 21 - 24 days.
Independent approx. another 3 - 4 weeks. The young may return
to the nest for the first week.
First official breeding in South
Australia was in 1937 by Mr. V. J. Duignan.
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.
Although the hen may be capable of laying before it has fully coloured,
it is preferable to allow the hens to fully mature and best long term
results are from hens that are about 12 months of age prior to
commencing breeding.
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 44 No. 12 Dec 1990 Page 322-326 (Inc photo)
- A/A Vol 29 No. 12 Dec 1975 Page
180-185 (Inc photos)
- A/A Vol 14 No. 9 Sept 1960 Page 125-126.
- A/A Vol 3 No 6 Jun 1949 Page 62 (First breeding in SA).
- Australian Birdkeeper
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