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gentle lemur

Cut-throat finch

Desert House, Paignton. 24th November 2014

Cut-throat finch
gentle lemur, 26 Nov 2014
    • gentle lemur
      Desert House, Paignton. 24th November 2014
    • Parrotsandrew
      One of my favourite species of finch - excellent photograph.
    • Pertinax
      Brilliant shot GL.

      I like to see this single-species flock of Cutthroats in the dry Desert House (this incidentally being my favourite building at Paignton, rather than the Ape House.:)). This is apparently one species that birdkeepers don't normally keep in mixed finch groupings very successfully, as they can be aggressive to others. Of course the Paignton display isn't that sort anyway.
    • gentle lemur
      Thank you both.
      I like the Desert House too, but it's looking rather empty now as the reptiles have been taken to their winter quarters and the diversity of bird species is slowly falling too - I only saw one Quelea although I may have missed others, the glossy starlings and desert finches are no longer around and I didn't see the guinea pigs either. These little guys put on a good show which makes up for a lot and the various parakeets seem to be doing well too, but I feel that another species or two would give the exhibit a boost: I note that Chacoan mara (called salt desert cavy in the old books) have just been imported into the UK, they might do well if they wouldn't eat the cactuses etc.

      Alan
    • Parrotsandrew
      I also like the Desert House, but I do think it was better in its earlier days. On the subject of Cut-throat Finches I remember there being two dead specimens near the path one day the other year. I passed through several times that day and they were still in position throughout.
    • Pertinax
      Our favourite Hooded Parakeets didn't seem in evidence on my last visit either- previously there were at least two pairs. I didn't see even one.
    • Pertinax
      What, no photograph?:D
    • TeaLovingDave
      If it had been Elephas Maximus we could have been assured not only of photographs, but also of his pocketing the deceased birds for later :p
    • gentle lemur
      I saw the hoodeds on Monday and I think there was a young bird too :)

      Alan
    • Parrotsandrew
      I must have slipped up there. I don't remember taking any photographs - I'm sure I didn't.
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  • Category:
    Paignton Zoo
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    gentle lemur
    Date:
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