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

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 MarchApril. Pairs produced up to three successful broods per season with a mean (s.e.) clutch-size of 4.661.13, mean broods of 3.981.10 young, and an average of 3.871.10 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), 8717% of the eggs hatched. In successful nests, 989% of all nestlings fledged. Annual breeding success was relatively consistent over the three breeding seasons, with 26.840.8% of all eggs resulting in fledged young. Successful nesting attempts lasted an average of 393.3 days, with both parents contributing to incubation (duration 13.62.3 days) and brooding and feeding during the nestling period (duration 20.62 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.