Post by Julie on Feb 14, 2006 14:22:49 GMT
From Sal:-Beginners guide to Finches…
The two classic choices for beginners are zebra finches and society finches. Both are hardy, moderately priced and easy to keep and breed. Both can also be housed in mixed flights, although my zebras are often disruptive in small mixed flights, so I limit them to large enclosures.
Zebras are native of Australia and easy to sex: Males can be identified by their orange cheek patches and chestnut flanks, which the more soberly colored females lack. Other Australian finches, including star finches, which are peaceful and attractive birds that white spots on their greenish and reddish-orange plumage, also make rewarding pets for beginners. After some experience with these species, try colorful, confiding and peaceful Gouldian finches. Male Goulds are more brightly colored then females, making it easy to select a pair.
Society finches belong to another group of birds, the mannikins, which are primarily small, African and Asian birds with sturdy builds and broad beaks. Societies, like many other mannikins, cannot be sexed visually. Watch for the song and hopping dance of the male to separate the sexes. You won't have to wait long for the male's song, since societies are domesticated and display willingly in captivity.
Also consider silverbills, gentle mannikins that mix well in community flights. Silverbills breed easily in captivity and, typical of mannikins, are hardy and easy to care for. Since they are difficult to sex on appearance, rely on the male's pleasant soft, warbling song to separate the sexes. House silverbills in established pairs, since unmated birds tend to hybridize with other mannikins.
Slightly larger, domestically bred Java rice birds have an interesting, cheerful song. Also mannikins, rice birds are hardy, fairly peaceful and easy to keep and breed. Keep rice birds with other birds about the same size, not with smaller companions.
You may also want to consider strawberry finches, small attractive Asiatic waxbills with musical songs. While in nuptial plumage, the male strawberry wears reddish feathers spotted in white. At other times, his plumage resembles his mate's. Since many strawberries are still available as wild-caught imports, look for captive-bred birds (which are easier to accommodate) or gain some experience with the other finches mentioned here before adding strawberries.
For canary like songs, consider gray singing finches, which are small, grayish serins that add cheerful songs to a mixed flight. To date, my gray singers have been peaceful neighbors (unlike their more colorful relatives, the green singing finches). No longer imported, look for young gray singers that are domestically bred.
Eventually, you may also want to add some European songbirds, such as goldfinches, greenfinches, linnets or siskins. Goldfinches are the easiest to obtain. They are colorful birds with cheerful, tinkling, canary like songs. Goldfinches, which are active birds, need roomy enclosures and a rich diet that includes some oily seeds.
To feed your finches, begin with a basic finch seed mixture containing canary and millet seeds. (If you pick songbirds, such as goldfinches or serins, include a song food mixture with dark, oily seeds such as niger, rape and hemp.) In addition, your birds need some feedings of soft foods, including egg food, nestling food or complete (pelleted) food in the form of crumbles or granules.
Also offer soaked seed or soaked millet spray, ripening seedling heads (such as crabgrass) and fresh greens (such as spinach, kale, dandelion or chickweed), which are favorites with most small birds (especially songbirds). In addition, your birds need some feedings of soft foods, including egg food, nesting food or complete (pelleted) food in the form of crumbles or granules.
Also offer soaked seed or soaked millet spray, ripening seedling heads (such as crabgrass) and fresh greens (such as spinach, kale, dandelion or chickweed), which are favorites with most small birds (especially songbirds). In addition, your birds also need oyster shell, a little grit and a cuttlebone. Few of the birds included here need live food, although many may appreciate it. Try small mealworms, especially for strawberries. To provide adequate protein for raising young, offer both egg food and nesting food. Greens, soaked seed or fresh, green seedling heads also important for breeding birds.
Provide a roomy, uncrowded enclosure with length as the largest dimension. Try to allot about 3 to 4 square feet of floor space in the enclosure for each pair of finches. Include some plant cover near various top perches so that each pair has a private spot to sit, and combine peaceful finches that are about the same size.
Place the enclosures in a secure spot where the birds will not be disturbed too often, or where people are not constantly passing. Offer your birds some tree branches for perching and include a bathtub with a water level of about an inch. Keep other pets at a distance from the finches, including your parakeet and cockatoo, since hookbills are not good neighbors for finches.
The two classic choices for beginners are zebra finches and society finches. Both are hardy, moderately priced and easy to keep and breed. Both can also be housed in mixed flights, although my zebras are often disruptive in small mixed flights, so I limit them to large enclosures.
Zebras are native of Australia and easy to sex: Males can be identified by their orange cheek patches and chestnut flanks, which the more soberly colored females lack. Other Australian finches, including star finches, which are peaceful and attractive birds that white spots on their greenish and reddish-orange plumage, also make rewarding pets for beginners. After some experience with these species, try colorful, confiding and peaceful Gouldian finches. Male Goulds are more brightly colored then females, making it easy to select a pair.
Society finches belong to another group of birds, the mannikins, which are primarily small, African and Asian birds with sturdy builds and broad beaks. Societies, like many other mannikins, cannot be sexed visually. Watch for the song and hopping dance of the male to separate the sexes. You won't have to wait long for the male's song, since societies are domesticated and display willingly in captivity.
Also consider silverbills, gentle mannikins that mix well in community flights. Silverbills breed easily in captivity and, typical of mannikins, are hardy and easy to care for. Since they are difficult to sex on appearance, rely on the male's pleasant soft, warbling song to separate the sexes. House silverbills in established pairs, since unmated birds tend to hybridize with other mannikins.
Slightly larger, domestically bred Java rice birds have an interesting, cheerful song. Also mannikins, rice birds are hardy, fairly peaceful and easy to keep and breed. Keep rice birds with other birds about the same size, not with smaller companions.
You may also want to consider strawberry finches, small attractive Asiatic waxbills with musical songs. While in nuptial plumage, the male strawberry wears reddish feathers spotted in white. At other times, his plumage resembles his mate's. Since many strawberries are still available as wild-caught imports, look for captive-bred birds (which are easier to accommodate) or gain some experience with the other finches mentioned here before adding strawberries.
For canary like songs, consider gray singing finches, which are small, grayish serins that add cheerful songs to a mixed flight. To date, my gray singers have been peaceful neighbors (unlike their more colorful relatives, the green singing finches). No longer imported, look for young gray singers that are domestically bred.
Eventually, you may also want to add some European songbirds, such as goldfinches, greenfinches, linnets or siskins. Goldfinches are the easiest to obtain. They are colorful birds with cheerful, tinkling, canary like songs. Goldfinches, which are active birds, need roomy enclosures and a rich diet that includes some oily seeds.
To feed your finches, begin with a basic finch seed mixture containing canary and millet seeds. (If you pick songbirds, such as goldfinches or serins, include a song food mixture with dark, oily seeds such as niger, rape and hemp.) In addition, your birds need some feedings of soft foods, including egg food, nestling food or complete (pelleted) food in the form of crumbles or granules.
Also offer soaked seed or soaked millet spray, ripening seedling heads (such as crabgrass) and fresh greens (such as spinach, kale, dandelion or chickweed), which are favorites with most small birds (especially songbirds). In addition, your birds need some feedings of soft foods, including egg food, nesting food or complete (pelleted) food in the form of crumbles or granules.
Also offer soaked seed or soaked millet spray, ripening seedling heads (such as crabgrass) and fresh greens (such as spinach, kale, dandelion or chickweed), which are favorites with most small birds (especially songbirds). In addition, your birds also need oyster shell, a little grit and a cuttlebone. Few of the birds included here need live food, although many may appreciate it. Try small mealworms, especially for strawberries. To provide adequate protein for raising young, offer both egg food and nesting food. Greens, soaked seed or fresh, green seedling heads also important for breeding birds.
Provide a roomy, uncrowded enclosure with length as the largest dimension. Try to allot about 3 to 4 square feet of floor space in the enclosure for each pair of finches. Include some plant cover near various top perches so that each pair has a private spot to sit, and combine peaceful finches that are about the same size.
Place the enclosures in a secure spot where the birds will not be disturbed too often, or where people are not constantly passing. Offer your birds some tree branches for perching and include a bathtub with a water level of about an inch. Keep other pets at a distance from the finches, including your parakeet and cockatoo, since hookbills are not good neighbors for finches.
