Pet Finch

Common Name: Finch: Many species of finch, waxbill, weaver, bunting, whydah, nun and sparrow

Scientific Name:Members of the families Fringillidae, Ploceidae, etc.

Distribution: Throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and Central and South America

Habitat: Various but frequently grassland and parkland

Adult Size: 6-30 cm(2./2-12 in) including tail

General: These seedeaters do well in community aviaries, but beware, because some are incompatible or aggressive, while others might be perfectly peaceful but because one bird is quite a lot larger than another it might cause a panic when it flies. Some birds might be reasonably housed together, but if the aviary is overcrowded squabbling can result, and this in turn can completely ruin a breeding season.

Some of these birds, such as nuns, need to be watched carefully for overgrown claws. If they are allowed to get too long they can become caught up in the wire netting and the leg might break, or the bird can even die through hanging by a foot that it cannot disentangle. It is a good idea to get someone to show you how to clip a bird's claws the first time. After that it is no problem.

It is best to introduce newly imported birds into an aviary in the early summer so that they have plenty of time to become acclimatized before the cold weather - remember that they have come from climates that are much hotter than our native climates. Even so there must always be a cozy draught-free shelter that they can enter whenever they wish, and it is a good idea to heat it through-out the first winter. Do not worry if you see one of your precious birds bathing in a snow surrounded pond in the middle of February - it does not know that it is supposed to be delicate.

Food: The basic diet is seed, the seed mixture itself - various sorts of millet and canary seed - will vary according to which birds you intend to keep. To this should be added a small amount of Tonic Mixture - a wide variety of seeds - and some sprouted seeds should be given daily. Many of the birds will take food eaten by softballs, such as chopped up insects, fat, fruit, live food and other foods. As a general rule of thumb the shorter, chunkier the shape of the bill, the more likely it is that seed forms a great part of the diet, while if the bill is longer and sharper, other foodstuffs will probably be more important.

Like all seedeaters these birds need mineral grit to digest their food and a vitamin compound should be added periodically. Clean water is necessary for drinking. You can provide this in a fountain clipped to the side of the cage/aviary and also in a wide shallow container for bathing.

Housing: Never keep these birds on their own - they are ultra gregarious. They are almost invariably sold in pairs and do better if they are kept in groups. Because of this an aviary is ideal, but they can be housed in cages. They are all very active so cages should be as long as possible. The perches should be as far apart as possible so that the birds can obtain a maximum of exercise, but make sure the birds' tails do not scrape on the walls! Natural perches should be used, not dowels, and these should be scrubbed clean regularly.

Breeding: Nowadays it is becoming rather easier to buy US-bred foreign finches and, if you can get hold of them, do not hesitate for they will be hardier than newly imported birds and should breed more readily. Wild populations are being depleted by pollution, destruction of habitat, hunting and trapping and it really is important that all foreign bird fanciers do their utmost to breed their stock these days.

To go about this put up plenty of nest boxes - quite a few more than you have pairs of birds. Some finches like pans to nesting but many like an enclosed nest box and you can buy these made from wicker. You can also use hollowed out coconuts within entrance in one side and a few drainage holes at the bottom. These nests ought to be sited as near the top of the cage or aviary as possible and as far away from disturbances as you can.

It is important that the aviary is well-planted, for if a bird feels insecure it is not likely to breed, but in addition to this many species use bits of the plants in making their nests - weavers, for example, tear long strips from leaves such as those of pampas grass. Adequate nest material is essential so whenever you find some, as when you comb the dog, stuff it through the wire and someone will find it and use it; but do not use long horse or human hairs, these can get caught round toes and things.