Finches Information

It is no wonder why these active little birds are so popular as pets. Finches are easy to care for and make wonderful pets for anyone including those who live in an apartment, have children, and even those individuals that have other pets.

Finches come in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and personalities. Popular varieties include the Zebra Finch, the Gouldian Finch, and the Society Finch. Most finches are very social and can easily be housed in spacious cages with other finches and other hardbills. But larger species may be aggressive to smaller species. It is not recommended to house finches with parakeets, lovebirds, or other hookbills because these types of birds tend to be naturally more aggressive. Be careful not to overcrowd these birds because it can lead to feather picking. Although finches are quite friendly, mixed groups of birds should still be watched for bullying and fighting. Their socialization and the fact that finches prefer to play among themselves is a positive in regards to the fact that they will not pout like a parrot would if you are unable to play with it everyday. However, being more interested in birds then people, finches may not always become finger tame birds. Although most finches will not be able to be handled, there are a few finch species that with time and patience can be finger tamed. If you do need to handle your finch for something like trimming its nails, place your palm on its back and wrap your fingers around the bird with your thumb and forefinger on either side of its head. Finches hardly ever bite, and if they do, they do not have a harmful or dangerous bite.

Most finches are extremely easy to care for but they are active and must be able to move around easily within their cages. It is important that they be able to fly from perch to perch so keep their cage accessories to a minimum to give them room to move about freely. All they need is a single toy, mirror, or branch that can be changed around within the cage periodically to provide the bird with variety. Toys that are safe for parakeets are also safe for finches. You can also give your finch a treat by offering it a bird bath within its cage a couple of times a week. Finches in the wild love to roll in dew dampened grasses for a bath so you can also provide your finches with a small amount of damp dandelion leaves or grasses in the bottom of the cage for a few hours as well.

These entertaining and hardy birds also tend to be more quiet then some other bird species. Plus, they are also less costly to purchase than many parrots and softbilled birds, adding to their appeal as pets. Finches will provide a lot of entertainment with their cheerful little voices and their unique personalities. People enjoy them for their busy antics, plumage, and for their song.

We invite you to learn the Ten Steps to Healthy, Happy Zebra Finches, get your free Zebra Finches mini course to help raise healthy, happy finches.