To overcome this, I placed a supplement in their drinking water. The biggest problem that I faced was that most of the Goulds would not eat “soft food” that would supply them with the nutrition they needed to bring them back into condition. Problem No.1 – Refusing to Eat "Soft Foods" During this time I faced the following problems: I wanted to make sure nothing was going on that might be causing them internal problems. The first step I took to nursing the birds back to health was to start them on my Quarantine Routine. In order to keep accurate visual records on the project, I selected three of the adults and two babies to photograph throughout the project period. The following is an account of the steps that were taken to save as many of these neglected Gouldians as possible. I wanted you to be able to see what I saw as the weeks progressed. I documented the program step by step, including photographs. I knew the products were excellent and now I had a chance to prove it. I considered my own birds to be in outstanding condition.I realized I had the "perfect" opportunity to test the supplements which I used on my birds on the neglected Gouldians. I was sure that I could turn these birds back into what they once had been. I had adults, juveniles, babies and even a few fertile eggs. I was now the proud owner of bald, rumpled, lethargic, sad Lady Gouldian finches. I purchased these birds because I knew that almost all of his breeders were excellent "parent raisers." That is, the parent Gouldians raised their own offspring and were not dependent on Society Finches as foster parents. I can only imagine what all that work would be like if I was having severe health problems…non-existent! It takes constant, non-stop attention to nutrition and hygiene. But I must say, that I completely understood what the problem was because I know how many hours I have spent caring for my own birds. What had once been the best looking Lady Gouldian Finches that I had ever seen were now balding, dull, lifeless birds. Upon entering his bird room I felt like I had entered the ‘twilight zone'. So when he called and said he needed to sell his birds, I jumped at the opportunity. I purchased several of them and was quite pleased with their size and offspring. I remembered back several years when I first saw his birds the only word that came to mind at the time was “radiant.” His birds literally glowed. They particularly like to eat tamarack and fir seeds.When a fellow breeder fell seriously ill and was unable to care for his Gouldians, he asked me to care for them. You will be very lucky to see one of these birds in your garden but placing seed feeders in there will increase your chances. They can only be seen year-round in the very north western regions of the state.Īs for the rest of the state they are only seen outside of the breeding seasons, mainly in early winter. White-winged Crossbills have been seen across the whole state of Colorado. Males will protect the female whilst she is nesting and, unlike lots of other finch species, the males will take care of the young whilst females seek another partner. When a female approaches a male, they will nip at each other’s beaks before the male starts feeding the female and the courtship is solidified. To court a female, males will perch in high places and sing a mating song, sometimes this song will be performed in groups. They have striking white tips on their wings. They have red heads and plumages with black wings. These finches, like the Red Crossbill, have a distinct beak that crosses over. Pine seeds are a favourite of this species. Make sure to have seed feeders in your garden that can hold the very small seeds that Pine Siskins eat. You are more likely to see one in your garden during the winter months when they will increase their search range for food sources. They can be seen across the rest of the state, however they are not as common and are only seen during the non-breeding season and the winter months. Pine Siskins are found in the western half of Colorado all year. This is usually during the winter months when food sources are scarce. Whilst these birds do not fight very often, they can begin to aggressive with one another over food sources. These finches are social birds and will stay in loosely structed colonies, even throughout the mating season. Males each have unique mating songs and will try to court a female by sitting on high perches and performing this song. Pine Siskins have very small bills and have noticeable streaking feathers covering their bodies.
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