I got a question via email the other day:
Hello. I am enquiring about purchasing some gouldian finches but have been informed that it is too cold to keep/breed them in an outdoor aviary in Sydney. I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you.
My first thought was to say try it and see. But this may not be the best answer, as disaster could follow.
If I was going to offer advice, as I live here on the North Coast of New South Wales, it is a bit hard to say what would be good for finches kept in Sydney.
I started my finch keeping in Sydney, keeping Western Australian Longtail Finches and Masked Finches in an outside aviary, but never Gouldian Finches.
I know for a fact that there are breeders in Sydney that keep and breed Gouldians successfully, but I am not as sure about the types of housing that these bird breeders use.
The best advice that I could give is to contact the local bird society or finch club and talk to the breeders that live in your local area.
By talking to members of bird clubs, you find out who the successful breeders are, and you can visit them and see how they do it. They will give you the tried and tested knowledge that I can only give to breeders in my local area.
There is nothing like visiting successful breeders and looking at what they have built and listening to what they have done to become successful a breeder.
Good Luck, and Let us know what you find out.