Intro:
In this article i will go over many things about Taeniopygia castanotis or more commonly known as the Australian Zebra finch. We will go over this stunning species characteristics, origins, breeding, and much more! But first i will give you a short summary of this species.
Now although there are two species they were classified as one for a long time, there is the Sunda Zebra finch and the Australian zebra finch. In this article however we will only be going over one. These small birds are flocking birds that in the wild can be found in huge groups of the thousands! they will colony breed together and they will all forage on the ground. In the wild they eat seeds and any sprouts they may come across. Today they are one of the most popular types of finches in the pet trade today. I myself have a breeding colony as seen in the photo bellow.
Characteristics:
The main characteristics of a Zebra finch do depend on the gender and their color variation. I myself have the Wildtype, Albino, Pied, Slate Fawn, Chestnut Flanked White, Black Faced, and many other color crossed which are not recognized. Telling male from female is quite simple as the males are the ones with the orange faces, the zebra pattern on their chests, and patterned sides. However the females are just plain colors unless is they are pied or black faced.
Origins:
When learning about Zebra finches you might ask the question "well how did a tiny little bird from Australia get here". As the pet trade grew Zebra finches eventually became a common type of bird simply because of its feathers. That is why there are now laws stopping people from taking wild ones and breeding captivity has become a common practice. However in the wild they commonly live in very desert-like and warm climates. In Australia they are found in almost every area except for the shoreline areas and other more tropical ranges, however it isn't unheard of.
Size:
Zebra finches currently have a few different breeds which can get pretty big. I myself have a XXL male named Goliath Man, However he is paired with a small Wild type female and his children are all normal sized. Zebra finches in the wild usually measure about 4in in length and a wingspan of about 5in.
Diet:
In the wild Zebra finches eat a variety of seeds, bugs, and any greens they can find. I've found that when given the chance they will eat just about anything. That’s I give them a rich diet blend of red and white millet, live mealworms, calcium dusted lettuce, and occasionally fruits like Kiwi, Fig, and apple (without the seeds). Around 10:30 am my whole colony will go down to their pond to bathe in the water and I've seen them hunt the minnows and the snails that call the pond home. I've also seen them eat the algae that grows on the gravel around the water's edge which I think is kinda cool! In the summer time I will give them ice cubes filled with fruit, millet, and lettuce and they love it! It's a great snack for them in the hotter days of the summer and the other birds like the quail, budgies, and society finches love it as well.
Compatibility:
I've found that with enough room Zebra finches do amazing with other birds. My breeding colony will make their compound nest in their own area which the other birds don't go to. However in smaller setups it's a better idea to keep them separate from other birds. While breeding they can be rather aggressive and although they are tiny my cockatiels don't like to mess with them too much. It's also important to make sure your other birds aren't too aggressive as Zebra finches can be hurt rather easily!
Breeding:
Zebra finches are known to breed extremely fast when given the proper setup. My breeding colony will breed together and in every nest they will lay between 3-6 or even 8 eggs per clutch, and because they are all laying at the same time all the chicks will be fledged around the same week. This means that I can get anywhere from 8-35 new chicks per month or two. This crazy abundance of new birds means that I need to regularly sell new birds. When breeding birds it's also important to give them a rich diet and that's why I talked about how I give my birds such a varied diet as they breed year round! If you are breeding in a cage it's a good idea to give them clean water and a long cage. Getting a nest that is big enough is also needed so that you can allow them to properly feed and take care of their chicks.
Selling your own birds:
Like I've said, if you are breeding your birds you might want to sell all the extra birds. You will need a large cage for the extra birds to live in while you are getting them ready to be sold. Once you start to see their beak's turn orange and their adult feathers come in you can start selling them. In Italy Zebra finches are normally sold in pairs for around 8-10 euros or 3-5 euros each, but in America they can have a rather large price tag of 30-50 dollars! It's important to make sure they are not being sold in pairs unless they are non related as it's not good for them to inbreed. It's also a good idea to make sure they are mite free and don't have parasites, so de-worming them and checking them for mites before they are sold is needed. (here is a photo of my own add)
In this article i will go over many things about Taeniopygia castanotis or more commonly known as the Australian Zebra finch. We will go over this stunning species characteristics, origins, breeding, and much more! But first i will give you a short summary of this species.
Now although there are two species they were classified as one for a long time, there is the Sunda Zebra finch and the Australian zebra finch. In this article however we will only be going over one. These small birds are flocking birds that in the wild can be found in huge groups of the thousands! they will colony breed together and they will all forage on the ground. In the wild they eat seeds and any sprouts they may come across. Today they are one of the most popular types of finches in the pet trade today. I myself have a breeding colony as seen in the photo bellow.
Characteristics:
The main characteristics of a Zebra finch do depend on the gender and their color variation. I myself have the Wildtype, Albino, Pied, Slate Fawn, Chestnut Flanked White, Black Faced, and many other color crossed which are not recognized. Telling male from female is quite simple as the males are the ones with the orange faces, the zebra pattern on their chests, and patterned sides. However the females are just plain colors unless is they are pied or black faced.
Origins:
When learning about Zebra finches you might ask the question "well how did a tiny little bird from Australia get here". As the pet trade grew Zebra finches eventually became a common type of bird simply because of its feathers. That is why there are now laws stopping people from taking wild ones and breeding captivity has become a common practice. However in the wild they commonly live in very desert-like and warm climates. In Australia they are found in almost every area except for the shoreline areas and other more tropical ranges, however it isn't unheard of.
Size:
Zebra finches currently have a few different breeds which can get pretty big. I myself have a XXL male named Goliath Man, However he is paired with a small Wild type female and his children are all normal sized. Zebra finches in the wild usually measure about 4in in length and a wingspan of about 5in.
Diet:
In the wild Zebra finches eat a variety of seeds, bugs, and any greens they can find. I've found that when given the chance they will eat just about anything. That’s I give them a rich diet blend of red and white millet, live mealworms, calcium dusted lettuce, and occasionally fruits like Kiwi, Fig, and apple (without the seeds). Around 10:30 am my whole colony will go down to their pond to bathe in the water and I've seen them hunt the minnows and the snails that call the pond home. I've also seen them eat the algae that grows on the gravel around the water's edge which I think is kinda cool! In the summer time I will give them ice cubes filled with fruit, millet, and lettuce and they love it! It's a great snack for them in the hotter days of the summer and the other birds like the quail, budgies, and society finches love it as well.
Compatibility:
I've found that with enough room Zebra finches do amazing with other birds. My breeding colony will make their compound nest in their own area which the other birds don't go to. However in smaller setups it's a better idea to keep them separate from other birds. While breeding they can be rather aggressive and although they are tiny my cockatiels don't like to mess with them too much. It's also important to make sure your other birds aren't too aggressive as Zebra finches can be hurt rather easily!
Breeding:
Zebra finches are known to breed extremely fast when given the proper setup. My breeding colony will breed together and in every nest they will lay between 3-6 or even 8 eggs per clutch, and because they are all laying at the same time all the chicks will be fledged around the same week. This means that I can get anywhere from 8-35 new chicks per month or two. This crazy abundance of new birds means that I need to regularly sell new birds. When breeding birds it's also important to give them a rich diet and that's why I talked about how I give my birds such a varied diet as they breed year round! If you are breeding in a cage it's a good idea to give them clean water and a long cage. Getting a nest that is big enough is also needed so that you can allow them to properly feed and take care of their chicks.
Selling your own birds:
Like I've said, if you are breeding your birds you might want to sell all the extra birds. You will need a large cage for the extra birds to live in while you are getting them ready to be sold. Once you start to see their beak's turn orange and their adult feathers come in you can start selling them. In Italy Zebra finches are normally sold in pairs for around 8-10 euros or 3-5 euros each, but in America they can have a rather large price tag of 30-50 dollars! It's important to make sure they are not being sold in pairs unless they are non related as it's not good for them to inbreed. It's also a good idea to make sure they are mite free and don't have parasites, so de-worming them and checking them for mites before they are sold is needed. (here is a photo of my own add)
