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- Finches
| General: Finches are pleasant little birds to watch as they socialize with one another flying so peacefully. We as humans have grown to love these tiny creatures in our homes and in business settings. There are a variety of finch species kept as pets. Some of these but not excluding are the popular Zebra Finch, which is widely known for its sexual distinction between males and females. Males will have bright orange cheeks and white spots on the wings where females will lack this trait. There are over 30 color mutations of the Zebra Finch. The Lady Gouldian Finch (pictured above) is a bird known for its beautiful bright color markings. Females are duller in color. Both are an eye catching bird. Other popular finches kept as pets are the Spice Finches, Society Finch, Orange Cheek Finch, and the Java Rice Finch. The average lifespan for finches is 5 to 10 years. Environment: Among the large variety of pet finches, the The Australian Grass Finches are the most widely kept in our homes. They are found in all parts of Australia. Diet: A nutritional finch diet consists of a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, a high quality finch seed mix, and finch formulated commercial pellets. Fruits and vegetables can be cut up into bite size pieces or they can be left in chunks for enrichment purposes, allowing your finch to "work" for the food. Check out the fresh foods you should be feeding your parrot on our fresh food list. We recommend feeding fresh foods in approximately one 1/2 inch chunks. This method will create a stimulating food activity for the birds as they dig their beak into the fresh foods to retrieve it. Softer foods tend to work best such as cooked sweet potato, ripe apples, bananas, and cucumber. Sprouts and millet are a tasty favorite! Fresh water should be given twice daily, removing any contaminated water bowls and replenishing with fresh. Breeding: Some finches such as the Zebra and Society Finch are prolific breeders and will be very successful at raising their young. Once pairs have established a nesting area that has been supplied for them, the breeding process can begin. Different species prefer different nesting material, initially providing a few choices will allow them to choose their favorite. Females will lay on average four to ten eggs. Incubation time is 12 to 16 days. The young will be ready to fledge the nest at about 4 weeks and completely wean at 2 months of age. It is important that the caretaker offer plenty of fresh foods including sprout and millet to breeding parents and babies. Captivity: Finches are a delight to share your home or office with. Maintenance is low, birds are fairly inexpensive, and their cute little songs and peeps are reasonably quiet. Finches are active in the day and they are happiest when given several different sized and textured perches to bounce around from. This is very beneficial to their tiny toes and feet. Large flight cages or aviaries are great when housing multiple species of finches. The caretaker should observe for any bickering or bullies in the group. To help maintain easier upkeep of cage cleaning, we highly recommend purchasing an acrylic cage for your bird to be housed in. Nails and beaks will overgrow if they are not trimmed every few months. It is best to contact an experienced person or avian veterinarian if you are not familiar with trimming nails and beaks. Grooming your bird yourself is quite easy after being properly taught the correct handling and trimming technique. The floor of the cage and the perches should be cleaned weekly to maintain a healthy environment. Popular accessories for your finches enjoyment include swings, mirrors, bells, ladders, and small toys. Finches also love to take a bath, it is so fun to watch them flutter their wings in a bowl of cool to warm water. |
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| Fun Feathered Fact All finches have 12 tail feathers and 9 primaries feathers. |
