The nest of the diamond firetail may look spectacular with its long-stemmed flowers, but the intricate design is more about construction than aesthetics.
The diamond firetail is one of three finch species in Victoria, and it’s being celebrated along with other flying and feathered creatures by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority with the Year of the Wing community awareness campaign.
Goulburn Broken CMA project officer Janice Mentiplay-Smith said the bird species was under threat from invasive pest species, such as the European sparrow, which occupies the same space as the diamond firetail.
“It’s a member of the threatened Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community, a declining suite of 24 bird species predominantly associated with drier woodlands on the slopes and plains north of the Great Dividing Range,” she said.
The presence of larger native birds, such as the pied currawong, is also a significant threat to the diamond firetail.
“Nest predation increases when a natural area becomes degraded and infested with weedy, invasive vegetation such as briar rose, hawthorn and cotoneaster, which produce abundant, nutritious berries,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“Consequently, this gastronomic jackpot allows the pied currawong to comfortably remain in one place for its feeding requirements and channel its attention toward habitat dominance.
“Eventually, the smaller, non-aggressive diamond firetail and similar vulnerable woodland birds are expelled.
“Should you be fortunate enough to have the stunning little diamond firetail visit your property, make sure its ‘supermarket’ of seed-producing grasses and shrubs remain undisturbed, and deter the larger, more aggressive birds by not hand feeding them or planting berry-laden garden plants.”
Diamond firetails can be spotted in nests that often display flowers woven through the exterior.
The diamond firetail’s breeding season extends from August to January, and once the eggs are laid, usually five to six at a time, they hatch just 12 days later.
By day 22, the young have fledged and are ready to face the world.
When the time comes to seek a mate, the male birds hold a long piece of grass in their bill and then seek a mate by bobbing up and down.
Kallista Lakin was recently a work experience student at The News.