BREEDS & their NEEDS PEKIN ROBIN Leiothrix lutea

 
GENERAL INFORMATION :
 

• Common Name/s: PEKIN ROBIN,   RED BILLED LEIOTHRIX.
  • The Pekin Robin is not a "Robin".
    
• Origin / Distribution: From the Himalayas to China.
• Status In Wild:  Has CITES Appendix II listing.
• Age To Sexual Maturity: ?
• Sexing:   (Similar but visual sexing is possible)
• Colour mutations: None
• Temperament:
  • Has a pleasant song,
  • they are inquisitive birds and will become fairly tame and take food from the breeders hand.
  • The attractive plumage (see picture above)  has made the Pekin Robin a sought after bird both for the bird breeders as well as a pet.

DESCRIPTION :

• The yellow throat and yellow-orange chest are much brighter in males
• whilst females lack the red patch on the primaries.
• Tail coverts are red in males and orange-buff in females.
• Care needs to be taken when using primaries for sexing, as different sub-species have varying amounts present.
• Likewise some races are brighter in overall body colouration than others.
  
  
• If choosing a pair of birds, pick the two extremes :
  • – in theory, the brightest should be a male, likewise, the dullest a female.
  • Another theory indicates that males have a redder beak and pale legs
  • while females have dark legs and a paler beak.
   
• The Pekin Robin loves to preen and be preened.
  
  

SONG :

• Pekins are renowned songsters and it is the vocalisation of the male

  • (or lack of it in the female) which is the most reliable method of identifying the sexes.
    
    

• So much so that one Breeder, who seemed to be able to imitate the call of a female, states that he could sex young as early as two or three weeks of age by this means.

• It seems extremely early and I would welcome confirmation of this from other breeders if possible?

• The call of the female is a simple two-syllable whistle repeated up to five times.

• That of the male has been described variously as tee-tee-tee-tee-tee-tee…

• According to the above Breeder, "calling-females" will illicit a response from both sexes if they are separated, thus enabling sexing.

HOUSING:

• The Pekin Robin prefers a well planted aviary. 
• Only one pair per aviary. 
• They do not like to be on their own
• If more than one cock bird is in the same aviary, the cock birds can become aggressive to each
  other during the breeding season.
  
• Pekin Robins like to bathe. 
  • This helps these birds keep their plumage in top condition.

Diet / Feeding: 

• The Pekin Robin is a "Softbill"
• The name "Softbill" refers to their diet not their beak. 
• Softbills feed on soft foods such as insects and plant materials and rely less on hard seeds.
• They eat foods like fruit, insects and nectars.
• If a variety of Softbills are housed in one aviary, care must be taken to satisfy the needs of
  each type of Softbill. 
• Separate feed stations should be provided.
• They will keep the Aviary free of ants, earwigs, flies, moths and even spiders. (They only tend to eat the spiders' body tho' and leave the legs in a gruesome pile on the floor.)
  
  
• The Pekin Robin requires a good quality finch mix
• Basic Finch seed mix should include  :  Canary seed, White French Millet, Japanese Millet,
  Yellow and Red Panicum millet.
  
• Seeding grasses
• some fruits (e.g. apple, figs), some berries and some leafy green vegetables can be offered.
• Sprouted or soaked seed if available.
  
  
• Live food is essential especially at breeding season. 
  • Mealworms, crickets, small commercially bred cockroaches and small locusts are ideal. 
  • Insects form the majority of its food intake.

NESTING:

• In the Wild :
  • They will build a nest in a shrub or dry brush.
• In Captivity :
  • they will use a wooden nest box with the top half of the front removed.
    
    

NEST:

• The Pekin Robin will build a cup shaped nest out of grasses, twigs, mosses, short pieces of teased hessian and other materials.
• Nest is lined with feathers, soft materials and soft fine grasses.
• May use a half open nest box.
• If a nest box is to be used, the box should be placed in a concealed place preferably behind some shrubbery to provide some privacy for the birds.
  
  
   

WHO INCUBATES THE EGGS:

• Both Hen & cock share

• Adequate spare nest receptacles must be available for pairs nesting in artificial nests before the current clutch leave the nest. 
• Adequate new nest material must be available for the birds to rebuild the old nest or build a new nest for the next clutch.
• Cocks are highly territorial once nesting begins.
  
  
   

BREEDING:

• Egg Colour  : White with orange /brown spots on the larger end. 
• Clutches per year :  2 - 3. 
• Eggs per nest   : 3 - 4.
• Incubation   :  approx. 12-14 days. 
• Fledge   :  approx. 12 - 14 days. 
• Independent  :  approx. another 3 - 4 weeks.
  
  
• Pekin Robin breeding pairs can be offered soft-bill rearing foods. 
• They usually moult in autumn.
• Young should be removed from the parent birds as soon as they are fully independent so as to avoid possible aggression from a parent.
   

HAND-REARING MIX
(If you are ever in the unfortunate position that you have to save a chick by Handrearing)

• Dried fruit-rearing mix with egg-food mixed with warm water to a runny consistency
• Depending on age feed: tiny babies every 2 hours thru the day and poss less during the night
• Lessening frequency with age, growth etc.,
• Keep warm.
• See page on hand-rearing for further Tips.
  
  

SEXING IMMATURE YOUNGSTERS :

• Chicks can be sexed at about a week old, just as the tail coverts begin to show

• – males are rusty red,

• while those of the female are buff.

• young can be sexed around 6-8 weeks,  presumably by the same method.

• Sexing presents no problem with this species, if this method is used.