birding-aus

birding-aus Finch Behaviour

To: "Birding-aus" <>
Subject: birding-aus Finch Behaviour
From: "Michael Todd" <>
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 20:08:54 +1100
Hello everyone,
 
I'm currently in the process of putting together an article on finch behaviour and was wondering whether anyone has any interesting anecdotes of things that they have seen finches doing or heard of finches doing.
 
To start the ball rolling, there is a particular piece of behaviour that Crimson Finches have been credited with. It involves pecking holes in the green leaves of Pandanus (Pandanus spiralis). This was documented back in the 1940's in Emu and I know of aviculturalists that have witnessed it with their aviary birds. So far in my study of Crimson behaviour I haven't seen it done, however, it is a common sight here to see dead Pandanus leaves with the holes in them. Has anyone else seen Crimsons doing this? I can only think of two reasons for why they would do it- to eat the cut-out pieces of leaf, or to eat insects that are in the leaf. Neither of them seem quite right to me as the Pandanus leaf doesn't look terribly appetising and it doesn't seem to be likely to be subject to insect attack. Any ideas?
 
Regards,
 
Mick
 
Michael Todd
Finch Researcher,
Dept.of Environment and Heritage,
Pormpuraaw, Qld, Australia, 4871
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