FINCHforum

We had an odd number of finches and noticed one was roosting by himself, so we decided to get a Society to keep him company. He is a crested chocolate pied. We got him at a locally owned pet store that works with local breeders. He was quarantined in our mid-sized hospital cage for several days in a separate room and was doing great - eating, drinking, bathing, singing, etc. - so we moved him to the main flight yesterday morning. He's still eating, drinking, bathing and singing, but he won't get off the bottom of the cage. If he does fly up, he hangs on the side for a few mins, then drops back down to the floor.

This is a big flight - 4ft long, 4 ft high and 3 ft wide. He was in a small cage at the pet store and the quarantine cage is 24in x 16in x 16in. Bigger than the cage at the store, but still fairly small. We have numerous perches in the flight, all of different sizes and thicknesses. They are all natural branches from our crepe myrtles and abelia shrubs. Some are about 8 inches off the floor, with others scattered at various heights all the way up to about 6 inches from the top.

I'm thinking he just doesn't have the wing strength to get around in this big of an enclosure. Maybe? He's not acting like anything is wrong, but he certainly seems a bit confused. Maybe even freaked out by all the space. ?? Or maybe the perches are too thin for his feet and it can't get a good grip?

Thoughts? Would you be concerned?

Thanks in advance,
D

DamonIRB

Hello,

Poor little boy....
If he was always in a small cage, he might not know how to fly, and hasn't properly developed his flight muscles.

I would place some perches low to the ground, with others a bit higher up and so on, creating something like a stepping ladder.

Also I would check his wings and tail, to see if there is nothing wrong in that department.

Keep us updated.

Update - Norbert (if you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll get it. He makes noises that sound EXACTLY like Hagrid's baby...) is doing quite well! He's managed to perch several times today. I'm not sure if it's always intentional or if he's flying around and bumps into one of them, but I've seen him sitting on several of the perches, even the one at the very top, multiple times. He's also taken to flying from one end of the flight to the other as fast as he can. At first he was kinda crashing into the side of the cage and managed to hang on, but now he's getting there and slowing down for a smooth landing.

Wing muscles are building... his singing seems to denote that he's proud of himself! ;)

That's great news, glad he's doing better.

DamonIRB

Way to go Norbert!!!
So glad to hear that he's learning how to fly

DamonIRB

How is Norbert doing?
How are the flying lessons coming along???

lovezebs wrote: DamonIRB

How is Norbert doing?
How are the flying lessons coming along???

He is doing quite well; thanks for asking! He graduated from flying the length of the cage, landing on the sides, to flying from one end to a specific perch he seems to prefer. He would sit there a few seconds and fly right back to the other end, landing on the side of the cage. Mind you, he flew over 2 perches in the return trip, never giving them a glance. Just yesterday he started to land on one of the other perches. Today he's flying between all 3 of the upper perches.

He does seem a bit puzzled that he can't get from point A to point B as quickly as the waxbill do. We've tried to explain that he will never have their flight capabilities, but he's being the stubborn young'en he should be... ;)

And I think we identified his favorite food... cilantro. He was investigating it within 30 seconds of it being put in there and he ate and ate and ate. I was sure he was going to eat every last piece of it, but he finally got full and stopped. I got a screech yesterday morning when the small green dish had broccoli instead of cilantro. Seriously - he checked it out, yelled at me, then flew right back up without even touching it. The little brat...

DamonIRB

Haa haah hah.....

I'm so glad things are coming along so well for the little guy.
Sounds like he is building up his flight muscles and getting JACKED, as my gym fanatic son would say.

Sadly, he will never be able to compete with the Waxbills in speed, but he can become an excellent flyer with practice.

I had a good chuckle over his love affair with Cilantro, lol (personally I can't stand the stuff, but no telling in taste, eh?)

Don't give into his little tantrums though, he needs to learn to appreciate variety for his health, the spoiled little brat

DamonIRB, I'm so glad to hear that Norbert has his wings now. I'll have to try cilantro! Mine got green leaf lettuce today and there is not a scrap left.

I have a gouldian that can't fly if she gets wet. She hops in the bath and then she can't hoist her fat, wet self off of the ground. She stair-steps it up the perches.

Shannylee wrote: DamonIRB
I have a gouldian that can't fly if she gets wet. She hops in the bath and then she can't hoist her fat, wet self off of the ground. She stair-steps it up the perches.

That is too funny! And just happened to Norbert. The waxbills get into the water bowl to take a bath, but he had been sitting on the side, flitting around and getting a little bit of water on him. I guess he watched them and thought he'd give it a shot. He was soaked! It took him at least 20 minutes to get enough water off of him so he could fly up to the perches. It'll be interesting to see if he tries the Baptist or Methodist approach next time...

DamonIRB

Most Socies absolutely love bathing, and will bathe several times a day, given the opportunity.

They hop right in to the water and splash around forever in there, come out, flutter a bit, then go right back in there for more, lol.

I had one juvie Gouldian, who got into the water and got so soaked that he couldn't get out by himself. Had I not scooped him out, he would have drowned. By the time I pulled him out, he was so cold and shivering, that I had to wrap him up and hold him in front of the heater for quite sometime, fluffing him up gently untill he dried and warmed up again.