Finches: Little Jewels

There are many different species of finches, we will narrow the scope down to what we feel are the most popular and readily available in the pet trade, the society (or Bengalese), zebra and the Lady Gouldian. The finch makes an excellent pet for bird-watching purposes. If you obtain a finch it is recommended to get more than one as they are social and do enjoy the company of other members of their own flock. Finches tend to be hyperactive fast flyers. For this reason it is suggested to house them in as big a cage as possible. Silk foliage is also widely used in their cages, in addition to being decorative, it provides them with hide-out spots and privacy. They can provide countless hours of in-house bird watching entertainment.

The society finch was actually derived from one or more Asian finches originally kept by the Chinese. Typically they are the least costly of all the finches and are extremely easy keepers. Males and females look the same. The usual color mutation is a chestnut and white. Their singing is not particularly melodious, more like a warbling. They will breed with little effort, using either a wicker basket or a nesting box. They are not aggressive birds and do well in colonies provided there is sufficient flight space.

The zebra finch is native to Australia. These a busy little birds who will make a peeping sound throughout the day. Like the society, they are prolific breeders also. Males can be told apart from females by the orange patches on their cheeks. They also do best in a colony with ample flight space.

The last, and most often favored, Lady Gouldian. They are often referred to as the “Cadillac” of the finch world. The most common colors would be the black headed, the red headed and the yellow headed. The breast is a lilac, with remaining underparts deep-yellow to orange-yellow, running into white around the leg area. The back is grass green and tails are light blue and black. The males are known for their beautiful singing. As with all the finches, they do best set up in a large flight cage. The finch diet consists mainly of commercially prepared seed mix, pellet and fruits and vegetables. Cuttlebone and fresh water should always be available.