I have installed a Night-Vision cam on top of one of my Gouldian nests, just to see what goes on behind the scenes and also to monitor the progress of the chicks if and when they are born. I have chosen my oldest male and his mate, a very tame blue hen to be the candidates because they wouldn't mind the presence of a cam over their heads...
The camera shoots in pitch darkness therefore they are not disturbed in any way. Till now, I have already filmed them building the nest, mating and also caught the hen laying her eggs which happened around 7:30 am.
In this page I will upload some screen shots from the movies I have been taking.
Nest Building:
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| In the first picture we see the hen checking out the camera lens above her head. Her apprehension lasted for a short time after which she took to actively arrange her nest while her mate was constantly supplying her with nesting material as we can see in the second picture.... |
Mating:
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| Before and while mating, the male was singing his song and the female was making clicking sounds and screeches similar to the sounds made by Gouldian chicks. |
Egg Laying:
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The female was restless since she woke up and she went in and out of the nest several times before finally settling in around 7:30 am. Her discomfort was obvious as she changed her position every few seconds. Several contractions ran through her body indicating that the laying has become imminent.
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7 minutes after settling in, panting and straining, the female arched her back, raised her tail and with a final push, laid her first egg.
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Not 2 minutes after she laid the egg, the male was inside the box checking on things. He covered the egg while the female went out to eat and recuperate. |
Brooding:
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The birds take turns brooding their eggs. And when they are both inside the nest, it's usually the female that covers the eggs while the male sits besides her. |
