Making weird noises

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:36 am

A few weeks ago I finally got a female Java Finch for my very lonely male.

When introduced a couple days ago, things went PERFECT! They both loved each other and within minutes were cleaning each other, mimicking each others moves, and eating together.

Things were fine until yesterday. All day yesterday they seemed to "fight" over a mirror in the cage, each one wanting to sit closest to it. Last night I removed the mirror.

That's when trouble started.

My male has started making a weird almost baby crying noise. It's not loud but like a cawing of a kitten or something. He is also sitting in the bath that is attached to the cage. Just standing in it. Sometimes making the noise, sometimes not.

The female is sitting outside the bath near him, although sometimes she has been sitting across the cage from him. She was up all NIGHT last night flying around the cage seemingly getting "night frights"

There is no REAL fighting going on at all, just this weird behaviour. Can anyone help? I am not sure if this is related to the mirror being removed, but this behaviour is just not normal from either one.

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:53 pm

He is again standing in the bird bath (one of those clear ones attached to a door on the cage) making the cat crying noise...it's like a low caw...not very loud just almost like a kitten crying for food......while she sits right outside the bath just watching him.

What's going on here?!?!

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:19 pm

I am really starting to worry.

He is just STANDING in the bird bath...has been for like an hour. I am taking it away and will put it back tomorrow for bathing.

I don't understand this behavior?

Post by **Sally** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:56 pm

I don't know anything about Javas, so can't help you there, but there are a few members here who have a lot of experience with them. Once one of them sees your post, they will probably be able to help. Here is a site that seems to have quite a lot of information, though I can't vouch for its accuracy:

www.javafinch.co.uk

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:30 am

hi
i have been searching myself for anything i can find on this behaviour but have drwan a blank i have kept javas for years but have never come across this behaviour..the only thing i could come up with ,is that the one standing in the bath may be a female that is due to lay an egg ..maybe thats why its making the odd noise .other than that i am beaten

ken

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:03 am

Thanks for your thoughts.

It's the male in the bath. (for sure) While he is standing in it, the female is right outside the bath.

They still eat, clean each other etc, but every now and then he is in the bath, standing there for like an HOUR or more, making those noises, or just standing quietly. I don't get it.

I took the bath away last night because he was standing in it at ten pm....I just put it back so they can bathe, we will see what happens.

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:09 pm

O.k. so I have been removing the bath at night, so he wont sit in it. And replacing it midday for bathing.

Anyways basically I think what's going on is HE is ready to mate and start a family. He is often doing the "jumping" dance, and singing to her, afterwhich he will try and mount her. She refuses....not violently or anything but refuses. I beleive this is because she is molting right now and in no mood for his funny business!

I THINK by sitting in the tub and crying that weird noise he is trying to entice her in the tub, or wants it to be a nest site as I have nothing else that resembles a nest in their cage.

I do not want them breeding. Many told me not supplying a nest would probably mean no breeding. But are their cases where they will just go ahead with it? Should I supply a nest to be safe even though I really dont want babies? I do have a source to give the babies too, but I am not interested in breeding really, although I'd do everything possible to make it comfortable, healthy and easy for them if they HAVE to breed.

Post by **Sally** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:15 am

He could be trying to make the bath into a nest. I have a pair of Cordon Bleus which abandoned their nest, so I took it out for a while. I bought some new hang-on baths, so put an empty one on their cage to see how it would work, and went off and left it. There was still coco fiber laying around their cage, so the next thing I knew, they were lining the bath with coco fiber! I guess when they really want to go to nest, anything will do. I also set up a pair of Owl finches with one of these nice new plastic nestboxes, and put lots of coastal hay and other nest materials on the floor. You got it, they ignored the fancy nestbox and built their own out of hay on top of a plastic plant!

If you really don't want them to breed, it would probably be best not to give them a nest. She probably isn't in breeding condition, anyway.

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:44 am

I would remove the bath altogether for awhile and quit putting it back in for a week or so. You can try putting a nest in there... he'll probably build it, etc... if he is in breeding mode, but he cannot force her to lay eggs.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:16 am

i agree ,put in a nest but wait till they have laid the clutch ,then throw them away if she is not fit enough they will not be fertile anyway....or she will just not lay them!

ken

marisab · Post by **marisab** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:29 pm

Hi guys. Thanks for the input.

Tonight I realized he is DEFINITELY trying to build a nest in the bath. He carried a couple millet sticks up there tonight and put them in, water and all!!!! So I took it away.

What effect does taking the eggs away have on the birds? Any? Will they just constantly make more eggs or???

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:26 am

i dont think it has too much of an adverse effect on the birds ,as zebra finches sometimes just lay eggs then put more material on top of them and lay more so they cannot miss them as such.more often then not they get the message and stop laying until you perhaps introduce some nesting material to kickstart thier breeding instincs . have done this often and i think it saves the birds uneccessary stress ,if they are laying all the time it will take some goodness out of the birds that takes a long time to replace,the thing is with most australian birds they lay thier eggs when they find water in the wild and fly away as soon as the water runs out leaving chicks and eggs abandoned as they know that there is not a chance they can rear them without water to drink so they just fly on..i would not let it worry you..just keep taking the eggs away ,and when you want them to breed i dont think you will have a problem getting them started

ken