FINCHforum

I know that zebras aren't tamable like parrots and I should never hope to actually be able to teach one to willingly come to me. So this question is really about taming them enough so that they don't startle when I move around in their cage. In my first thread (in Intros), I stated that I currently have them in a "way too small for even travel" cage and that in the next week I will be exploring what type of aviary to build.

I currently have the finches on a paper towel substrate so that I can check their poo. Surprise there, there's a ton of it. I clean out the cage once a day. I replace the paper towels, replace food, clean out water bowl and get fresh water, and wipe out any poo on the sides or "furniture" of the cage. Seeing as my finches are new (I think I've had them for roughly a week), they are still jumpy. When I enter the room they are in, or move the cage, or stick my hand in the cage, I sing a little tune really softly. I think they like it despite my horrible singing as they turn their heads this way and that and stop to listen.

Anyway, for the past week, they go into flight every time I put my hand into the cage. What is the best way to tame them enough to get them to just hop out of the way when my hand is in the cage instead of going into full flight?

I sing softly, open the door slowly, insert my hand millimeter by millimeter, and go around the cage slower than grass grows. Only one finch seems not to be afraid as she has repeatedly used my hand as a stop between one side of the cage to the other.


Also, should I be worried that one female does not fly nearly as well as the others? I think she is probably the best one for "taming" as when I let the birds fly around in the bathroom, she cannot get onto the curtain rod and I have to pick her up and let her hop onto it from my hand. She even stepped up once onto my hand today (yay!). All the other finches can fly pretty well, but she flutters and can go only small distances of roughly a foot. Any suggestions on this?

And, don't worry. When I give them free flight in the bathroom, I lay a nice thick comforter in the bottom of the tub. I block all faucets with paper towels and drains. I close the toilet lid and I put another comforter on the bathroom floor and towels on top of the sink. I'm still trying to think of what to put on the walls just in case one decides to fly into one. I've been lucky so far that they only fly to the top of the vanity and the curtain rod. I think I need to cover the window too but they seem to ignore it.

Today after I finished cleaning the cage, I left the doors open and I got three of the females to go in without a problem. They just flew in. The last female and the only male were a pain and I had to catch them. Perhaps they are comfortable with their cage for the moment?

If the cage is "small" that could be the problem.
When you stick your hand in, your hand is too close to them. They feel trapped. That is just what mine do when in a small hospital cage, or in a small quarantine cage.

They have to get used to you, and associate you with FOOD. This may take a while. Some of mine seem to behave like "HEY GUY the food needs to be refilled." So they do associate me with their food. But most still don't like to be near my hand.

With the experience I have had with my zebra finches, I can say that they may never truly be use to you sticking your hands into their cage. The finches that my girlfriend and I have are caged in her room, so they are near us all the time. Like your birds, we like to give them out of cage time. When out of the cage, they will come within inches of us, and even perch on our heads occasionally! But, as use to us as they are, they don't like it when we stick our hands into the cage. They see it as their face place. Whenever a hand goes into their cage to do something other than change the food, then they honk and fly back and forth. I too agree with what was said about the cage possibly being too small. If you aren't doing so already, try just sitting near the cage to get them comfortable. I sometimes stick my hand a few inches into my birds' cage and sit there quietly. It seems to help calm them down a bit.
As far as the flight problems, my newest female zebra finch also had a tough time flying for a few days. I can't be sure, but I think it was because of the cage she was in at the pet store, which left only a small amount of room to truly fly, and the fact that she was in a small quarantine cage for several weeks. After a couple of weeks in a nice big cage, and free flight time, she got a lot better.

Well, I did stick my hand in the cage near the food bowl for about 20 minutes yesterday before I cleaned the cage and let them have free time in the bathroom. I held it as still as possible and they did do the "chicken peck" thing all around my hand. I'm debating between doing that every day and adding stress or doing it once a week for less stress but longer to get them less fearful.

I guess with the fluttery female I'll have to wait and see if the free time helps with her flying.

lol i would be happy if my zeb did not freak out from me simply talking to my other finch how loves to be talked to

My guess is that your female has to build up flight muscles. If they were in tiny cages all the time where they could just hop from perch to perch she might just not be used to it. I wouldn't worry about it as long as she doesn't show any other signs of illness or her ability to fly gets actually worse.

Something to try to calm the birds around your hands - when you place you hand in the cage for "desensitizing" time, hold a piece of food in your fingers - something like broccoli or the tip of a millet spray. The lure of the food might help encourage them to come to your hand. But sadly, they just may not ever get used to your hands, especially when you're invading their 'personal space'.

My zebras are not that tame that they will touch me but I feel like they have gotten tamer and are not as afraid when I am meddling with their cage. It might have something to do with the fact that they are in a bit of a 'traffic' area in my home so me and family members walk around a lot and stop to talk to them.

Also when I moved then to a little bigger cage they seem calmer, they might just feel crowded with a big hand flying through their cage

You can't remove all jumpiness, it's instinct which they can't control.

Their algorithm is noise/movement, fly now, ask questions later.

You can help by giving them room to get away. Everybody stand on one end of the cage, so the birds can go to the other end. Then move to the other end, and the birds will switch too.