Golden Fronted Fruit Sucker

Scientific Name: Chloropsis auritions

Origin: Himalayas and Burma

One of the most colourful softbills available, this supremely graceful bird also has a delightful, melodious song. It soon becomes tame and eagerly takes a daily mealworm from the hand. It makes an excellent show bird and is often a very clever mimic of other birds, is best kept with birds of similar size in a well-sized, planted aviary.

Description:

Size: 20 cm (8 in)

COCK:

Body: bright green, shoulder patch ofturquoise-blue. Head: gold on crown.Side of head and neck: black. Cheekssport a blue band. Underside: light green.Tail: green and navy blue. Beak: black.Legs: dark green.

HEN:

Similar, but slightly duller colours.

Diet: (Softbill)

Most fruits, including pear, orange,banana and grapes, form the basic diet.

Try scooping out an orange and refilling the centre with coarse grade insectile mix and orange pieces, and watch this bird delight in dipping into it. It loves to suck the juice from a halved orange. Raisins, chopped dates, currants and sultanas areall eagerly taken. Mealworms and well-cleaned maggots are among the most suitable livefood for this species and other insects should be provided as available. Egg yolk and minced meat are verysuitable additions to the diet. Food should be placed on a pedestal high offthe ground to keep it clean as this bird often treads around in dishes. The Golden-Fronted Fruitsucker often carries a morsel of food to a favourite perching spot and daintily consumes it.

This bird is aggressive with its own kind so only, sole bird or a known truepair should be kept. It does, not cause problems when housed with other species.

Breeding:

A pair will go to nest more readily if housed alone. When nesting, pairs buildup-shaped nests high up in trees or shrubs as they need great privacy. Few eggs are laid, probably two at a maximum. Breeding birds should he fed plenty of soft fruits, insects and sponge cake soaked in honey and water.

This species loves to bathe and should,if possible, have a small pool or bird bath.It enjoys flicking raindrops from wet foliage on to its plumage.

All types of fruit sucker should he car-fully acclimatized. Although it becomes quite hardy in time, it is advisable to house the Golden-Fronted Fruit sucker Gina conservatory in winter, as it cannot tolerate frost.