Eve is starting his breeding season again. While I love how snugly he gets, and the constant singing, his neediness can drive you up a wall! It would be one thing if he would just sit next to me or on my lap, but vasa's will use you as a jungle gym and they never stop moving, or trying to feed you. Now him trying to feed me wouldn't be such an issue except that for vasa's mate feeding is painful! He lunges like a bite and this is perfectly normal, it you didn't know better you would think that he was in fact biting and being mean, but it's all in the name of vasa love. So I'm trying to encourage other breeding behaviors and distract him from me as to have some peace. Males vasa's have nothing to do with nest building or chick rearing, they are the ultimate dead beat dad. They mate and leave, their only responsibility is to feed all the females in the area (they do not mate bond), as the females will not eat on her own while breeding and raising chicks. But I thought I would try this anyway, so far it has given me 10 minutes of peace.






here is what he sounds like, the rest of the year he is pretty much silent. Don't mind the vid, if I pointed the phone at him he would stop signing, you might want to turn up your volume.

Video of eve - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Video of eve1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

LOL, that second video made me laugh! I love learning about vasas, they're so fascinating!

Sweet guy! Love is a many splendid thing....

I cant get the video but I always thought a vasa pair is one female and 2 males? Is there another reason that vasa is sold in three's ? Or am I confused again. I think I am thinking of greaters.

I love it! Sooo cute and sweet! I love the paper idea too!

Eve is a greater and yes you are correct, kinda....

In the wild male vasa's flock together while the females live solitary lives. Even during breeding season the vasa does not pair up. The role of the male is strictly to breed and feed all the females in the surrounding area regardless of if they have or have not breed with that female. However, the males will not feed any female that they feed the year before. That job is left to the other male vasa's that hadn't feed those females before. So each year different males feed different females. The chicks grow up never having seen the fathers nor bonding with them. There simple is no emotional mate bond between vasa's. The male are driven to feed the females and the females with the best song and brightest bald head, gets the most feedings and therefore her chicks will grow the strongest. Sex roles are reversed in vasa's. It is the female that does the soliciting. Females will even fake sex to obtain more feedings from males. In captivity it is suggested that you have at least 2 males to 1 female, simple because the chicks need that amount of food. But females will kill males if the males do not provide well, or if the encloser is not big enough because well...they do not mate bond or flock together. Again females are programmed to live by themselves. Housing a piar is always a bad idea, but if done you need to have a much older and experienced male to live with a young female, or the female will most likely kill the male.

Very interesting Kimba! Great idea with the paper. I am going to try that. Hang in there, this season shall pass soon (I hope!)

For me it just started! And will stop at the end of feb. But at least he's not aggressive like most birds, it's like I get an over bonded Too when Eve is hormonal. So far the paper is working! He's happily tearing at it instead of feeding me.

That seems like a short season? Do they normally only average of few weeks of breeding behaviors? I've been reading here and there that many are experiencing hormones already, they haven't hit here yet....

Very interesting so basically the same 3 vasa wont breed the following year they need to be switched around?