'normal red headed form
 

Colour - the clue is in the name, normal bird has a red head

Sea Green - attractive mutation - head mask is orange and green differs from normal (see picture).   Various pied forms exist

Feeding - do fine on either of the normal seed mixes described on 'Graham's Overview' page

Housing - the cage size does not matter, but the 600mm depth seems important, particularly for parent-rearing

Appropriate to give this very active and curious bird as much space as possible

Not exactly a colony bird but nor are they overly aggressive towards each other in a large, well planted aviary, even when breeding

In aviary with 4M x 2.5M house and flight of 4M x 2.5M and lightly planted, 6 Red-headed plus 5 Tricolors got on just fine, and bred

Nests - will nest at any height.  Nestbox - half-fronted, can be hung either inside or outside the cage

Prefer an 'inside' nest box to face bird room entrance presumably to see who, or what, enters

 
'seagreen mutation with orange head
 

Sexing - not the easiest but the third sign below seems very practical

Signs are:-
  - firstly, only the cock sings
 - secondly, red on head stronger on cock bird
 - thirdly, red on rump straight on hen but round on cock


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Clearly we can worry too much.   This self-built nest was between the rafters and a trap cage.   Nest boxes were available

Best described as 'rough and ready'.   Some coconut fibre and bamboo leaves just 'thrown' together

2 Sea-green pairs nested at the same time

pair of Sea-greens in self-built rough nest in the rafters

Other birds, including other Sea-greens, would land on the top of the trap cage just 4" from the nesting pair.   Nothing happened at all

Some other breeders say the nest needs to face the aviary entrance but...

The self-built nest faced the entrance but the nest box, chosen by another pair, backed onto the wire of the entrance porch, despite others being available with a much better 'view'


Image - group of juvenile Red-haeded Parrotfinches
A group of juveniles part way through their moult in Graham Lee's birdroom.
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'normal red headed form
 

Colour - the clue is in the name, normal bird has a red head

Sea Green - attractive mutation - head mask is orange and green differs from normal (see picture).   Various pied forms exist

Feeding - do fine on either of the normal seed mixes described on 'Graham's Overview' page

Housing - the cage size does not matter, but the 600mm depth seems important, particularly for parent-rearing.  Appropriate to give this very active and curious bird as much space as possible

Not exactly a colony bird but nor are they overly aggressive towards each other in a large, well planted aviary, even when breeding

 
'seagreen mutation with orange head
 

In aviary with 4M x 2.5M house and flight of 4M x 2.5M and lightly planted, 6 Red-headed plus 5 Tricolors got on just fine, and bred

Nests - will nest at any height.  Nestbox - half-fronted, can be hung either inside or outside the cage

Prefer an 'inside' nest box to face bird room entrance presumably to see who, or what, enters

Sexing - not the easiest but the third sign below seems very practical

Signs are:-
  - firstly, only the cock sings
 - secondly, red on head stronger on cock bird
 - thirdly, red on rump straight on hen but round on cock


to top menu
 

Clearly we can worry too much.   This self-built nest was between the rafters and a trap cage.   Nest boxes were available

pair of Sea-greens in self-built rough nest in the rafters

Best described as 'rough and ready'.   Some coconut fibre and bamboo leaves just 'thrown' together

2 Sea-green pairs nested at the same time.   Other birds, including other Sea-greens, would land on the top of the trap cage just 4" from the nesting pair.   Nothing happened at all

Some other breeders say the nest must face the avary entrance but...

The self-built nest faced the entrance but the nest box, chosen by another pair, backed onto the wire of the entrance porch, despite others being available with a much better 'view'


 
Image - group of juvenile Red-haeded Parrotfinches
A group of juveniles part way through their moult in Graham's birdroom.
to top menu
to top menu