For more information
on other animals found at Cub Creek Science Camp visit our
animal page.
Saffron Finch
Sicalis flaveola, also known
as the saffron finch, is a South American tanager that
inhabits northern Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela,
north-east Brazil and central Argentina. In
the wild, they are found in lightly wooded
areas and open grassland. These birds are mainly seed and
grain eaters, but will feed on various insects and plants as
well, especially when breeding.
Male saffron finches are
highly territorial and will fight to the death. For this
reason, they are sometimes used as fighting birds in South
America. They love to fly and enjoy bathing. The male is
more likely to sing than the female. The song is repetitive.
Saffron finches mate for
life. Saffron finches are "cavity nesters," meaning they
prefer the inside of a tree or a hollowed-out area in
bushes. The nests they build tend to be rather crude.
Alternatively, they might use the abandoned nests of other
birds. In captivity, they are most likely to lay eggs in
large nest boxes. The female incubates the eggs by herself
while the male guards the nest. They lay three to five eggs,
which can be brown or white with brown spots, two to three
times per year, which hatch in approximately 14 days. Both
parents feed the hatchlings, which begin to fledge at about
two weeks. They acquire adult plumage at one to three years,
with males maturing more slowly than females. The saffron
finch reaches sexual maturity at about 2 years of age. The
birds live up to 10 years.
This information was taken from
http://www.ehow.com
by
Sarah Goodwin-Nguyen.
At Cub Creek Science Camp we
have a Saffron Finch. This small finch adds a flash of
color to the large free flight enclosure in the Habitat area
of the Animal Learning Center. Our Science Camp campers may
see this Saffron Finch if they adopt the Six Banded
Armadillo or maybe the Lemurs who are housed in the Habitats
also. There are many different kinds of Finches and
they are all characterized by a seed eating beak.
Their primary diet is many different types of seeds.
