Taming Serinus Mozambicus: An update of sorts (Sept. 2007)

[4halfacres]

This is the 1st vid of yours and I had some laughter beacuse of your lovely comments which I adore along with these lovely birds!!

x

[CVersailles]

Thank you for your kind comments, 4halfacres, and for your recent subscription. I hope you enjoy the other videos on my channel.

[9870321654]

had one a few years ago. he died :( old age i think. we had him 12-13 years (male) is that old for this species?

[CVersailles]

That corresponds with what I have read here and there: longevity of 8 to 12 years, or 10 to 15, depending on the source. Interrestingly, I have also read that Mozambicus has about the same life expectancy in the wild as in captivity, the reason being that it is FASTER than any of its predators!

[HorsezLover]

Woow she's doing so good, what a beautie :D

I like the play area you build for them!

[CVersailles]

Thank you. The play area looks impressive but it is really only a few perches and swings that can be put away in a matter of minutes...

[Gianaart]

J'adore vos vidéos. Vous avez sûrement beaucoup de patience. Je possède un mâle et une femelle depuis quelques années et cet automne il m'ont fait sept petits et un petit dernier en février. J'adore cette espèces d'oiseaux.

Comment va Biquette ? Elle est si mignonne.

[CVersailles]

Biquette est en pleine forme, car le printemps est arrivé! Lorsque nous l'avons eu, nous ne connaissions rien et n'avions jamais entendu parler de ces pinsons: quelle chance d'avoir choisi cette espèce par hasard! Ce sont des oiseaux absolument merveilleux!

[cedricdewit]

what song it is

[CVersailles]

The music is Haendel's Queen of Sheba.

[vodkamuzzleflash]

Mozambicus are my favorite birds, gorgeous song, tiny and tame!

[CVersailles]

They also have quite a personality! (They are classified as "agressive" finches.)

[tanubum]

they both seam to get along fine claire even with the finches smaller size its unusual to see a finch interact with a person so well thou as most people owning them dont bother so well done !!

[CVersailles]

Thank you tanubum: I appreciate these thoughtful comments. (For the "summum" interaction with our finch, see "Kissing Serinus Mozambicus..." on my channel.)

[niteowlsam]

Wondering why you have a female. The Green Singer is basically kept for its sweet song which only the male can do.

[CVersailles]

I don't think people in general know much about the Green Singer: we haved tamed our female enough so she is confortable in our presence and surroundings (see the Finch playlist on my channel: an original film and 4 updates). Quite an extraordinary bird... Extremely intelligent and "aware"... We originally got our finch to "keep our budgie company," and this particular Mozambicus was the last one left in the petshop at the time... (Its sex was then unknown.)

[dyspteris]

wow, c'est vraiment étonnant de d'entendre une femelle chanter autant, les miennes ne font que des petits bruits, c'est le mâle qui fait son ténor!

[CVersailles]

Peut-être que c'est parce qu'elle n'a pas de mâle dans les environs? Notre Biquette chante BEAUCOUP, particulièrement quand il fait beau, et moins lorsque le temps est gris... Elle fait son "chant" habituel, mais aussi un "wolf whistle", un "appel", un petit cri "d'alarme", et un ravissant "gazouillement".

[vromeros]

dont they hit the glass??

[CVersailles]

They were introduced to the room GRADUALLY: for a long time only in their cages, then for short supervised outings. They understand the room. The finch has crashed a couple of times, but when she panics, she will just as well crash in a wall... She'll go off like a veritable ROCKET, and there is no way you can control such speed in an enclosed room... As for Babi, he is always in control.

[jeebateeba56]

what a lovely bird!! it is amazing such a bird is tame like this.. brilliant videos! li'l babi made a guest star appearance =)

[CVersailles]

Thank you jeebateeba56: it is unusual to tame this type of finch, but we are slowly succeeding and that's why we are posting periodic updates reporting on our progress. Taming update # 1 also has a guest appearance by Babi, who helps us educate our finch... (You will find all updates in my finch "playlist" and there will be another one in early June.)

[jeebateeba56]

okay. many thanks.

[meriprem]

I just viewed the whole video just now - it's a favorite for sure - such a beautiful little being, obviously overjoyed with her 5 star accommodations and freedom! It was a wonderful surprise to hear her magnificent voice. Hard to believe it came from such a tiny form. When you get a chance, could you please let me know the name of the background music at my mail box? Thank you! (and will we be seeing more of Biquette before to long?

[CVersailles]

This was in the early Fall, but at THIS time of year, it seems that Biquette is overtaken by Spring Fever! Out on her swing and flying around in the conservatorium for hours on end, and sings like crazy! This is the most excited I've seen her since we got her... She has learned a couple of new things, but we're not planning an update before sometime in June. Thanks for the comment Meriprem! (P.S.: the music is Haendel's Queen of Sheba.)

[isamic]

Allô Québec!

Est-ce qu'il arrive à tes oiseaux de s'assommer dans les vitres parfois? J'ai un chardonneret jaune (recueilli sauvage et blessé mais que je vais relâcher bientôt) que je laisse libre dans la maison. Il s'est assommé une fois et sait maintenant très bien reconnaître les vitres.  Il a beau avoir une cervelle d'oiseau, il a une très bonne mémoire!

[CVersailles]

J'ai jeté un coup d'œil à tes oiseaux: je vais m'abonner! Pour les vitres, je crois que c'est surtout l'effet "miroir" qui les déroute... Notre ondulée comprend tout cela à la perfection, mais Biquette a déjà pris un peu panique 2 fois et s'est assommée dans le solarium. On voit qu'elle "comprend" très bien l'histoire des vitres, seulement, à l'encontre de Babi, elle ne se maîtrise pas à la perfection lorsqu'elle est très appeurée...

[pfcarquejo]

Hello, I am from Portugal so please forgive my bad English.I have a male of Serinus Mozambicus, and they are beautiful birds. It´s true you have a female, because of the marking she has above her neck....but it´s stange because she sings, and i though only males were suposed to sing!!!We are trying to find a female to mate with our male, but that seems to be a difficult task. Reprodution of this species is not commom around here, and Imports are forbiden. But...we haven´t given up yet.

[CVersailles]

I have heard on YouTube males that sing almost as well as true canaries. Our female has a little song, but nothing like these males... We also have only a few breeders in the whole Quebec province: this species does not seem to be that well known... I am pleased to meet you pfcarquejo, thanks for the comment!

[pfcarquejo]

Hi, my SM matted with one of my female canaries. I have 5 babies ;)

[CVersailles]

Congratulations!

[vromeros]

great aviary! check out my videos to see my idea of aviary as i live in an appartment and i have lack of space

[CVersailles]

Yes, I've seen your wonderful "bedroom aviary"! Ours is a "living room aviary"! That's the advantage of having small birds: they can still get some significant exercise in a small room... Thanks for the comment vromeros.

[StoneygateSquirrel]

That is because 'solarium' sounds exotic to us as it means a place where you go to use a sun-bed!!

:o)

[CVersailles]

You're right! Looked it up in the dictionary. It is "a glass-enclosed porch or room" but also "a room used especially for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light"!

Live and learn!

[StoneygateSquirrel]

Sweet.  Nice to see the two birds perched together.

A small flock if finches in your conservatory would look nice... but might be noisy!

[CVersailles]

A flock of finches would be nice, but would offset the balance we have between "avian comfort" and "human comfort," as our solarium is more or less our "living room."

P.S. I like your term "conservatory": sounds very "British" to our French-Canadian ears!