Help me pick a new pet: finches, doves, or (more) fish

Leaves · Post by **Leaves** » Fri May 04, 2007 9:57 am

I just moved to a new condo with a 40 gallon aquarium, so I think it’s time to get a new pet to celebrate. I have been thinking about what to put in my second fish tank ever since I got my first tank stocked, so my initial idea was to get a new aquarium started, but when I went to the LPS to check out fish, I wandered into the bird section and started to re-consider.

I had always wanted a parrot when I was younger, and I eventually got a lovebird when I was in school, which was enough to tell me that hook-bills are not for me, at least not right now. (My parents gave the poor neglected thing away when I went to college, and somehow forgot to mention it until after the fact. Not that I blame them, much. He developed a crush on my mom, and liked to chew up her expensive earrings.) Anyway, the question is, are non-parrot birds more work to take care of than fish are?

(If you don’t have an aquarium, the generalized upkeep schedule is feed twice daily, clean the tank biweekly, treats weekly.)

I was most attracted to the orange-cheekeds, the spice finches, and the java rice sparrows. Will any of these birds be loud enough to bother the neighbors? Can they be kept in a lone pair, or do they need larger groups? Will I be able to move the cage out to the balcony on sunny days, or would that be too stressful? Can you recommend any other species? I would like a bird with a nice song, that has a bold pattern without being too showy (stripes and speckles, with only a few spots of bright color).

Thanks for reading! I will be on vacation for two weeks in May, so obviously I have lots of time to think about it.

StevePax · Post by **StevePax** » Fri May 04, 2007 10:25 am

The Orange Cheeked Waxbills are pretty quiet - they give our their little peeps, and they have a lovely simple song, but are on the quiet side, which is good. I just thought I'd throw that in.

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Fri May 04, 2007 11:57 am

I have kept birds for over twenty years and during part of that time also maintained a 30 gallon aquarium. IMO, the birds are no more work than the fish were. You have to keep in mind though that everyone here is pretty much bird crazy so we are willing to put up with a little bit of mess in exchange for the delight the birds give us.

I can't imagine not having birds in my house. Everyday is like spring. Even on a gloomy, dark, rainy day, their chirps and singing put a smile on my face. As much as I liked the fish, they can't compare to the joy my birds bring me.

A lone pair of finches will be quite content. Most finch species are not loud enough to disturb your neighbors. With the exception of the male Strawberry, who has a rather loud, shrill whistle that will bring you upright in bed the first time you hear it at 5 am.

For that reason I suggest you avoid the Berries.

I'm wondering if by "orange cheekeds" you mean Zebras? The male looks like this,

Zebras have a song that many people find annoying, especially if you have more than a few. So do your homework before you buy.

Check out the Species page on the FINCH INFORMATION CENTER. http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/ ... /index.php

The birds do require that you clean and refill feeder/waterer once a day. Clean cage liner at least every other day and throughly clean cage and accessories once a month. There are seed hoppers on the market now which contain the seed hulls, so they aren't flying all over the house. http://www.justbirdstuff.com/product.ph ... bestseller
I highly recommend them!

Leaves · Post by **Leaves** » Fri May 04, 2007 3:07 pm

tammieb wrote: I'm wondering if by "orange cheekeds" you mean Zebras?

They were marked "orange cheek finches" but I think they were orange cheeked waxbills. Very tiny, mostly gray, and in constant motion. I mostly liked them because they jumped around so much, much more than the spice finches.

StevePax · Post by **StevePax** » Fri May 04, 2007 3:58 pm

Yup, those are the OC Waxbills. They are very flighty, and they flit about nonstop. And so ridiculously tiny.

Rue · Post by **Rue** » Fri May 04, 2007 6:21 pm

The finches aren't too bad...although they're messier than my parrots...but just a pair wouldn't be so bad...

...I really love my 2 Java Rice Sparrows...but if I could only have one species I'd be hard put to pick...

...I'm awfully fond of my sick little Spice Finch too...such a trooper!

Don't forget, you don't have to get a male/female pair...two males or two females...or two different compatible species are all good...and no babies to worry about finding homes for!