Animal Stories - People Talking About Types of Finches



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Latest Animal Stories on Types of Finches (288)

John - 2011-09-29
I have two Zebra finch they laid eggs and they hatch and now the female died.I need to know what to do. Will the male feed the babys?

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Charlie Roche - 2011-09-29
He should as both the male and female sit the eggs and feed the babies. I can't say that he will though as if first time dad and his mate just died. You can give him a few hours - maybe 6 to see if he feeds them and hopefully he does. If not it would be best to get some pedilyte water (in the baby dept of a grocery store) and a eye dropper and give the little ones each a few drops of water - just drop it on their tongue and let them swallow. Do that 4 times - about once an hour. You will also need bird feeding formula that you can buy at a pet store. You will have to hand feed them. Here is an article on Hand Feeding Finches'
and hopefully dad just feeds them.

winston - 2011-09-29
I have a couple gouldian finches and it happend twice that the female finch lay eggs and she was sitting there and the male once in a while wants to get in, through them out or just break them or expulse the female or fight in the nest and crack the eggs. The eggs were not fertilized, right now I took the nest away. What should I do ? Change the male and get another one?

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Charlie Roche - 2011-09-29
Many times - much of the time - when a young pair or inexperienced pair get together, they have no idea what it is they are supposed to do. Many times the male will play hockey with the eggs or break them - even sometimes the female. The first couple of clutches are usually for free - called free learning for the parrots and a challenge for their human. Both the male and female gouldian will share in sitting the eggs so maybe he has a little of the right idea. Eggs being infertile is probably just in experience. I'd let them be together and see if they can figure it out. Getting another male may not necessarily solve the problem - so you might as well see if the two you have can figure it out. They usually do.

Laura - 2011-05-08
I have a pair of zebra finches in a large cage, and I've been taking them outside while the weather is nice and letting them enjoy the fresh air on our covered back porch. They sing like crazy and seem to enjoy it. Today we had a zebra finch land on the back porch - I'm guessing he heard the song of my birds - and since we don't live in Australia I can only assume someone let their pet loose here in the area. I'd like to add him to our finch family so he's safe. He appears to be young and healthy but we are keeping him quarantined for several days to be sure. We put his cage next to the cage with my birds and they seemed really happy. Since he's been outside, I'm assuming he has mites so we will treat for those. Any other comments or suggestions?

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Charlie Roche - 2011-05-09
Quarantining the new finch from ther others is placeing the finch in an entirely separate area when nothing canbe transmitted that is air born also. So much for that one. Just keep an eye on the new one, checking to make sure poopr is normal, breathe is OK and no white droppings from the vent area. He could have just gotten loose from another home and honed in on yours singing. He is obviously used to people and a cage so he must have been someon'e pet so I say you're probably fine.
Laura - 2011-05-10
Thanks Cheryl - I appreciate your comments! His poop does look quite normal and he's eating/drinking in good quantities - no plummage issues either. We'll give him another day or so just to make sure he's not sick, then try to move him over.
matt - 2011-05-12
Yes, I have a comment, don't keep birds in cages and let that bird free. It's disgusting keeping a bird in a cage you should be ashamed of yourself.

The only reason I'm on this site is because I'm going to buy a load of them as they are the only birds that I can buy from the local pet store to set free.

They don't want to be safe, they want to live. You are safe in your house but if you don't ever get out of it you have no life.
Charlie Roche - 2011-05-12
I think what you are doing is a good thing. That little finch is obviously tame and used to a cage. It isn't used to trying to find food on it's own and doesn't know what a predator is. It's ability to survive in the outside world would be extremely difficult and possibly no chance at all. It is wonderful and beautiful to see birds flock and fly in the forests and trees. Unfortunately more and more habitation is being destroyed. Without people in aviculture who devote themselves to breeding and without people who love these little creatures, someday they may not exist. There was a song once that went "freedom just another word for nothing left to lose" A life spent in love with it's human or another bird, even if it is in a cage at times can be a good life. I try and think of my birds in their cage and then when they are out and about in the house as the same thing as my home being my cage and then I go out and about. I go to a restuarant and they go to the dinner table. I go to the movies and they have their own movie selection. So, you keep your little friend and love him and be with him and enjoy.
Leila Peters - 2011-08-11
Charlie, you have said it really well. Point is, while a bird should not be imprisoned in a cage, a cage should be a safe haven for a free bird, free to fly around, free from danger, and be a beloved pet at the same time. I agree totally that a bird should have a real quality of life where its owner really cares for him and provide him with optimum comfort where he will have freedom of flying and feel safe.
Leila - 2011-08-13
Matt, yes I can identify with you, as you seem very angry. I also feel very angry and sad when I see people keep birds in small cages without any freedom. I hope everyone would keep the birds well-being in mind.
Sally Ann - 2011-08-19
How many is a load of them? 15? 20? You can consider those birds dead. They have been domesticated and bred to be pets. If they were freed into the wild, just like someone said before, they would not be able to care for themselves as wild birds do. It would be akin to releasing a kitten into the Amazon jungle. I would rather have some of these beautiful creatures safe kept in case their wild counter parts die out.
Anne - 2011-08-20
Matt is just trying to be humane. Just see how many animals/birds are kept in small cages without any freedom, and that is what makes a person feel so sad. I know of lots of domesticated birds,who, after having being left open outside, have adapted to the climate and have learnt to survive. Birds must not be kept without any freedom.
emma - 2011-09-17
Matt, buying heaps of domesticated birds from a pet store and letting them go is cruel you can consider those birds dead within a day of there release. I agree it is cruel to keep birds in small cages but what about large cages or aviaries. any where with a space of at least 30 cms above there head and the same across is a cage sufficent for the bird to fly and flap its wings.
sarah - 2011-09-21
I think 30 cm is way too small - its no aviary! Birds must not be kept in
small cages, and there is nothing wrong in keeping them in aviaries, in fact it is the best place to keep domesticated birds in.

Lisa - 2011-09-12
I have a pair of Gouldian finches trying to breed them. The male is ready and doing his thing, has nest ready and all. Female seems to have accepted him, sleeps in nest with him at night but otherwise nothing. She goes in and out of nest alot during the day but no eggs. A few days before I got them she had laid 4 eggs at breeders in a nest. They were discarded. That was about a month ago now. Is she done laying now or does it take awhile to for her to be able to lay more.

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Charlie Roche - 2011-09-12
They will usually have about 3 clutches per year and breeding season starts when the warmer weather occurs. So late spring through early fall. You can extent the breeding season (or startit earlier) by using UV lights to be sunlight and warming the temperature. Feeding them protein - hard boiled eggs is required. They need egg food for reproduction and calcium so you can just scramble and egg - shell and all. They need to rest between clutches and you won't want to over breed. They have a tendency to become egg bound so don't want to over doo. They are fun though - aren't they?

Tania - 2011-09-03
I bought 2 Lady Gouldians back in May 2011 from a bird show. Both birds seemed to adjust fine to their new surroundings-but I noticed the other day my female Gould is pooping seeds (looks like spray millet). I started treating with a double dose of Ronex 6% and it's a little better but not gone :( her other symptoms are puffed up,and she seems to eat all the time,has anyone ever experienced this? is their anything else I need to be doing? thanks for any help

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Jeanne - 2010-08-09
We live in Tustin, CA and we have at least two pin tailed Whydah males and four females, duskier color on wings and no long tail. They frequent the ground under the finch feeders, are somewhat aggressive to other birds, but also have a much lower startle threshold than the Lesser Goldfinch. They arrive in the early morning or late afternoon and we can tell when they are in the area as they have a sort of high pitched shriek, unlike the twitter of the native finches. They are beautiful, but I am concerned that if they are parasitic breeders, they might compete heavily with our native birds.

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melinda - 2010-08-10
Would you have a photo of the female whydah? I would like to be able to id the female. Thanks.
Jana Palermo - 2010-08-12
Hi Jeanne:

I live in Anaheim Hills, CA and just saw one at my bird feeders for the first time. Are they escaped exotics?

"Jana"
Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28
Probably someone was breeding them and they got away, I purchased mine at the chino swap meet, I love him he sings so pretty.

Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28
Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28
I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest singing sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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Anonymous - 2010-09-10
A pin-tailed whydah has taken up residence in our Yorba Linda, Ca back yard, and is very territorial, chasing all other birds away from the feeders. I have had to set up other feeding areas so the other birds can feast.

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Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28
I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Denise - 2011-08-24
A male came to eat seed at my Brandon Florida home 2 x in the past week. perhaps more.. TODAY, I think he had a female and juvi with him.. Is the female multi-brown with same bright orange beak???

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Charlie Roche - 2011-08-25
Yep she is more tannish and brownish. Congratulations.

Shannon - 2011-03-16
I have 5 finches 2 are zebra finches 1 male and 1 female, and 3 society finches that I'm still trying to figure the genders of after 7 months. So far one or two not sure if it's two since they look similar only one is more heavier in weight while the other two are slim. The one that doesn't sing at all is one that I got from the store with a leg that broke while at the petshop and healed awkwardly positioned in a backwards L like shape. It maneuvers around the cage well and none of the other birds bother it in any way. Yet my society finches and zebra finches seem to like to stare at me when I'm in the same room, they even follow me from one end of the room to the other and I'm not sure why. My society finches do this more and have more of a tawny brown or chestnut brown color to them. My own hair is chestnut brown in color. Is it possible they are just staring at me because of my hair color or is there another reason?

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Mariah - 2011-08-20
Could be that they have something in common with you - hair color! Also they must've adjusted well to their surroundings and know that you feed them so they love following you! Be sure that it is not food that they are looking for, though.

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