Urgent: can I keep an aggressive finch on its own?

Philippa Johnston · Post by **Philippa Johnston** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:24 am

I was given a finch - do not the species, small black and white - and it is causing a lot of upset with my other finches, it is very aggressive and chasing one in particular. Can I isolate it and keep it on its own, or is that too cruel. The others get on well together if he is not around. Would appreciate urgent advice.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:46 am

What are your other finches...what sex.Any chance of a picture of your new bird? Seperate the new one until the problem can be resolved.Where did you get it? Can't they tell you what it is?
Paul.

Philippa Johnston · Post by **Philippa Johnston** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:55 am

Hi Paul, he was found lost and taken to the wildlife hospital where I am a volunteer and I thought he would be ok with my others, but I have just been home from work in my lunch break and taken him out and put him on his own, he is not leaving a bengalese finch alone at all, and chasing him. The bengalese looks exhausted and cannot settle or eat....Not sure what to do, I have put his new cage right up against the others so he can see and hear them easily, but I think that is the best I can do...I have 12 finches and canaries but although they all get on he is far too aggressive...hope I have done the right thing for him. sad really, not an ideal life for him.

Post by **Sally** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:36 am

If he was found lost, is he a wild finch and you are rehabilitating him? Would he then be returned to the wild? In any case, he should be kept separate from your others birds for quarantine purposes. For short term, it doesn't hurt him to be alone. You can look thru the photos of species at the FIC, linked at left, and see if you can ID him, or post a photo here to see if any of us can ID him.

Philippa Johnston · Post by **Philippa Johnston** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:42 am

Hi Sally, we think at the hospital that he was actually dumped by someone who did not want him ????because he was too aggressive. he was left on our door step in a box and we took him into the hospital until a volunteer could rehome him - me!!! I do not think he was wild. I will try and find what species he is, maybe they are all aggressive. He looks in good form however, so he was well looked after I think.

Philippa Johnston · Post by **Philippa Johnston** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:48 am

Wow, I have looked on the finch information centre for him and it says he is PASSIVE!!!!! No way. I think he is a mannikin/munia/nun, that looks the closest. Maybe his past life meant he learnt to fight, maybe in time I can try him in with the others again, but for now, sad and not ideal though it is, I think he must stay on his own....poor scrap.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:05 am

These are black & white mannikins....is it one of these?

Philippa Johnston · Post by **Philippa Johnston** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:07 am

YES!!! That's him (or her).

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:50 am

The bengalese finch was created by the Japanese many years ago.It's origins are lost in time, but it is thought that various mannikins were used to create the fertile hybrid known today.While the aggression has been bred out of the bengalese, others like the black and white mannikin can still show aggression to similar type birds.I would imagine the one you have is a male as it is showing aggression to one specific bird.Finding a mate for it would give it a companion, but finding a true female might be a problem.If you get another male by mistake you may finish up back where you started...good luck.
Paul.

Post by **Sally** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:33 pm

I have a Bronze-winged Mannikin male. He was at a cockatiel rescue place, had been paired with a Society female, and they had two babies. I swapped my Zebras for this family, but when I put the male and babies in my community cage, the male immediately started fighting with a young male Society. It was serious fighting, and I had to separate them. I took out the young Society male, so now the B-W Mannikin and his babies are in the community cage with 4 Star hens, 1 Fire hen, 1 Goldbreast male, 1 Shaft-tail male, and a sex-unknown Owl. There is no aggression at all.

Sometimes it is just swapping birds around between cages to get the right combination of personalities. Of course, it is easy for me to say that, because I have lots of cages, thus lots of possible combinations. It will not hurt him to be by himself on a short-term basis. I have a Green Singer male who was aggressive to every bird I tried with him, so he was forced to be in a cage by himself for months. He was in the birdroom, so surrounded by other cages.

Since you don't know this bird's history, I would quarantine it, so it needs to be kept in another room, away from your birds. I usually quarantine for about 3 weeks--in an unknown situation, I would probably go 4 weeks.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:05 pm

Over and over on these forums I read excited beginners buying birds for their cage...Nearly always too many birds in too small a cage.
And then they put nest boxes or baskets in.Apart from the problems of the birds attitude changing when breeding.The last thing the beginner considers is what happens when their 4 Zebras suddenly become 12 overnight.
Please if you're new to this hobby be prepared before you start breeding
your birds make sure you have extra cage space for the sudden increase in numbers...especially with societies and zebras.

Lots of little birds will live happily together but when breeding they suddenly become territorial you must be prepared if you really care for your birds.
Paul.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:53 pm

What a adorable little picture! Were those your birds? I just loved that!
And you are so right. So many people are not prepared. They think they are, but just really are not.
It is a big responsiblity to these birds that we have when we take them.