birding-aus
Michael:
Could it be possible that the finches are using the leaves to
line their nests to repell pests...mites, ticks, etc. Are the
leaves of pandanus aromatic when crushed? If so, the chemicals emitted
may repell pests.
Dr. Wm. James Davis, Editor
Interpretive Birding Bulletin
On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Michael Todd wrote:
> 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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