|
Topic |
Description |
Authors Experiences |
| Scientific Name |
Carduelis cucullata |
| Common Names |
Black-hooded Red Siskin, Hooded Siskin,
Red Siskin and
Venezuelan Black-hooded Red Siskin |
| Origin |
South America |
|
Size - |
|
Red Siskin Cock |
Approx. 110mm
or 4 inches |
|
Red Siskin Hen |
Approx. 110mm or 4 inches |
| Mutations |
None Known |
| Life Span |
7 - 8 years |
| Status in Australian Aviculture |
Secure |
|
Note - the following
information is provided as a guide only. It has been compiled from the
owners personal experiences and from information provided from fellow
red siskin breeders. |
|
Breeding Season in Australia -
North Coast of New South Wales, Australia |
September to April |
| Pairings |
Small Aviary - 1 per or trio
Larger Aviary - many pairs |
Siskin's will breed successfully as a trio (2 hens to the
one cock) in the same aviary |
| Nest Type |
Cup shaped nest |
| Nesting Material |
Coconut Fibre, Hession and cotton wool |
| Nest Location |
Some of my Siskin's build a neatly constructed
Cup shaped nest in brush within the aviary and others build their nest
in the containers I put in the aviary to hold the Coconut Fibre and
the Hession. Some breeders also
provide cane baskets and canary cups for nesting. |
| Nest Construction |
Nest is normally built over approximately
5 days - primarily by the hen bird |
I have experienced that no two pairs are
the same and often the hen will be as active as the cock with the nest
construction |
| Eggs |
2 to 4 |
| Incubation Period |
Approximately 14 days |
The hen spends most of her time sitting
on the eggs. Cock bird will normally sit on the eggs when the hens
leaves the nest for feeding/bathing |
| Fledging |
Approximately 18 days
|
Young
siskin chicks fledge and often spend
2-5 days hiding in the brush before venturing out into the aviary |
| Independence |
Red Siskins are normally independent around 21 days after fledging |
I leave my young in the aviary for a
further 3 weeks after they become independent before removing to another aviary |
| Nests per Season |
Generally 3-4 |
Once birds reach about 5 years of age I
have found that after a couple of nests they will often go into a
early moult |
| Food Requirements |
Good Quality general Finch Mix.
Niger and crushed Sunflower seed are fed in separate dishes.
Fresh green seed heads "Green Panic" is fed regularly when available. |
Mealworms are also fed together with a insectivorous cake. |
| Food Supplements |
Cuttlefish, Eggshells, Charcoal and Grit |
I put these ingredients through a meat
Mincer and refresh the supply on a fortnightly basis.
Cuttlefish is always available |
| Subsequent Nests |
Provided there is plenty of nesting material the Red Siskin will normally build a new nest. Some pairs will
often reuse the same nest |
I have also found by removing the old
nest the birds will often build a nest in the same location as the
original nest |
| End of Breeding Season |
At the end of the breeding
season I separate the cocks from the hens until the next breeding
season. |
|
Transporting by Air Freight and Long distance travel |
Preparation - Red Siskins (especially
young birds) are prone to
stress during transportation. To reduce the stress provide birds with Spark-Electrovet
for 3 days prior to transportation.
Receiving - recommend the recipient of the birds also do the same
for a couple of days after receiving the birds. |
|
Transporting Boxes |
The box size I use is approximately 125mm
High x 250mm Wide x 200mm Deep with a small opening at the front for
ventilation. |
