general behavior

[dearbhail]

hi everyone, hope everyone is well. I am enjoying this forum immensely!!

Quick question for anybody...my finches have been exhibiting odd behavior (to me anyway) in the last 3 or 4 days and hopefully someone can tell me what is happening.

I have 4 pairs of finches in an indoor aviary (yes...I took the advice and got an aviary!) with plenty of perches, different textures and widths, and plenty of food bowls, plenty of greenery, and plenty of water bowls. I have owls, strawberries, bronze winged mannikins and a pair of orange cheek waxbills. the owls and the mannikins sleep in the same nest everynight, the strawberries and the orange cheeks roost on whatever perch they feel like. However, throughout the day these last few days, I have noticed that all of the finches except the orange cheeks are piling together on one of the 8" polly perches I have in the aviary. Kind of in pyramid formation. Sometimes there isn't enough room on the perch for everyone, so they pile on top of each other, and the pairs don't necessarily perch next to one of thier kind. IE...the strawberries may have a mannikin or an owl between them, the order changes round. The orange cheeks don't usually join this little get together. The birds either rest there or sleep there when they get together in this pyramid thingy. Sometimes they are fluffed out, sometimes not.

the only changes this past week that are different from the past few months (since I've had finches) is that I have switched them from a seed diet to Harrison's organic food, which they took to readily and seem to be thriving on it though it may be too early to tell. It has also been kind of cool here in Mass weather wise, though I am keeping the room they are in the same temperature as before, which varies between 65 and 75 farenhiet, depending on if I have a window open or not for some air. The birds are no where near the window.

I have also been staying up later reading some particulary good books, and though I am covering their cage to simulate night time, I do hear some activity in there when I think they are usually sleeping.

My thoughts were that either this is normal or I am screwing up somehow and need to be told how I might be doing that. All the books I have read on finches and finch behavior don't really cover this birdy-pyramid thing.

all of the birds eat well, drink well, fly zooming around the aviary ritually, they all take baths and all exhibit otherwise the behavior I am familiar with.

Is it me? do I have to change something? or can I just sit back and enjoy the birdy pyramid when it happens?

Any and all answers are much appreciated!!

Dotty

[Crystal]

Some finches are more social and will cuddle/groom each other or huddle together at various times throughout the day. I find it interesting that your owls are this social (mine were always a little standoffish), but the mannikins do not surprise me at all--all mannikins tend to be highly social. The orange cheeks tend to be a little standoffish, and I've never kept strawberries, but unless your birds are showing signs of illness, I would not be concerned.

Is the perch they all gather on the one placed highest in the cage?

[Hilary]

That is too funny! My little swees can fit 4 birds on a 3" perch, but haven't started "pig-piling" yet! Hilary

[dearbhail]

hi everyone,

to crystal...thanks for responding. I was getting really concerned that I was doing something wrong!!! in answer to your question, ther perch is level with three others, the only difference is that the others are two natural manzanita branches with multiple branches off of them, and the middle one, the biggest, is a natural wood perch I picked up at the birdmart in NH. the perch they pile on is a textured "polly perch", if you know the ones I mean...it is supposed to help file the nails down?? they use all the other perches throughout the day as well but they all congregate on this one. It really is cute & sweet like Hilary says....I need to get a picture so everone can see it!

thank you tp everyone!