Tell me everything there is to know about pet finches

[HeritageGoose13]

Just like the title says. I saw DIY aviaries made of old china cabinets and bureaus and learned people keep finches in them. What species of finches are commonly and rarely kept? What male:female ratio do you keep them in? How tame do they get? Are most aviaries inside or outside? Tell me their basic care, what you like and don't like about them, etc. I never knew people kept finches as pets before so am curious. Oh and post lots of pictures please!

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

well, there are many different types of finches, but i'd say the most common ones that i've seen are zebra, society, and Spice finches. The first 2 i see in about every pet store for around $15 each, and the others I've seen around too, but not as much. Others i have owned and seen, but are not as common are star finches, shaftail finch (longtail), Gouldian finch, masked grass finch, painted firetail, diamond firetail, plum headed finch, red headed finch, and cutthroat finch. those are the ones i can think of off the top of my mind, but there are more than that.

Finches should be kept in pairs, and they are not a pet you really handle a lot...they are a more look don't touch sort of pet. I have had a few get tame enough to be handled, but they are a minority. one thing that is fun though, sometimes i teach them to be hand fed and so when i come into the aviary, half the birds fly over and perch on me.

Aviary can be either, but if you have room, indoors is easier. it depends on you climate though. I live in Missouri, and winters get super cold, so i have to make and indoor thing attached to their outdoor aviary and heat that part so they don't freeze. If you live in a place that has nice warm temps (Florida for example) you could probably do a great year round outdoor one.

care is pretty basic, they need food (i just use finch seed) and water. most finches like to bathe, so i give them a bird bath. another thing i learned from someone who has kept these little guys a lot longer than me is to put a couple heated perches inside the aviary. With so many birds you can't really tell if one gets sick, but any that are not feeling well will got the heated perch and you can give them extra attention. you will want to give them nest boxes, and they will hatch babies f you don't take the eggs away.

I think finches are an awesome pet, and having a big flock of them in a natural aviary setting is really awesome. They are gentle on plants (unlike parrots of any kind) so you can create a really beautiful planted aviary. they sound really cool, are quite animated, and are super fun to just sit and watch them hop and fly all over the place

are you planning on getting some?

 

[HeritageGoose13]

I've never seen finches for sale in pet stores or anywhere else. I don't even see them ever on craigslist, and since I've never even heard of pet finches before, I think no one in my area is keeping them. This is all new to me.

How long do finches live? Can you keep different types together or will they fight?

The fact that they are gentle on plants compared to parrots is a big benefit in my book. One day I want a big walk-in aviary. Not now, but someday.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

really? where are you located? i guess its just area, but every petstore i've been in has had finches...petsmart./petco carry them, and should no matter where they are.

the normal age is 5-9 years, though there are reports of them living up to 11 years. Finches are docile...i keep all different kinds of finches together and they do good. They only time they have problems is when you have too many boys and not enough girls...you need them in pairs. Other bird i have kept of seen with finches are doves, cockateils, button quail (for the ground), and canarys. I've also seen them kept with small parrots, but parakeets and other parrots are much more aggressive, and in my experience, the finches get hurt.

yes, that is a good thing!! I also keep parakeets, conures, large parrots, and more, they thy sure are tough on the live plants. most rip them to shreds.

walk in aviarys are awesome...way better than keeping any bird in a small cage.