Breeding ecology of an Australian estrildid, the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Abstract

We studied the breeding ecology of the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda) over three seasons between 2008 and 2010 in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. Breeding took place from February to September, with a peak in laying in March-April. Pairs produced up to three successful broods per season with a mean (±s.e.) clutch-size of 4.66 ± 1.13, mean broods of3.98 ± 1.10 young, and an average of3.87 ± 1.10 fledged young per successful nest. Nesting failure occurred frequently, with 66.2% of breeding attempts failing to fledge any offspring. In nests where at least one egg hatched (47% of nests), 87 ± 17% of the eggs hatched. In successful nests, 98 ± 9% of all nestlings fledged. Annual breeding success was relatively consistent over the three breeding seasons, with 26.8-40.8% of all eggs resulting in fledged young. Successful nesting attempts lasted an average of 39 ± 3.3 days, with both parents contributing to incubation (duration 13.6 ± 2.3 days) and brooding and feeding during the nestling period (duration 20.6 ± 2 days). Site-and mate-fidelity were high, with pairs staying together during and between breeding seasons and 60% of pairs breeding in the same area in a subsequent year.