FINCHforum

I have a flight cage (58"long - 33" tall - 18" deep) that contains three pairs of zebra finches. Would it be a bad idea to add a couple of unsexed (possibly a pair) java sparrows to this mix?

I have never had Javas, so I don't know how they would be. Both species are listed as pushy, so they may coexist just fine. That is a nice size flight cage.

Nice size cage but don't overcrowd it. Javas are big birds and could bully the zebras.Better a happy smaller community,birds suffer stress when too many are in a small space.
Paul.

I agree with poohbear, javas are big birds with strong beaks, I had Javas in my very large aviary with Zebs and Cordon Bleus and the literary dwarfed the much smaller waxbills. I removed them and still keep them with zebras with no problems, they do tend to get aggressive around the feeding station and when breeding so just watch out for that.

I keep zebras, societies, and javas and on one occasion I had a zebra finch in the the javas temporarily (she was being a major bully and I stuck her in there until I worked something else out). Within five minutes she had done something to offend a java and he nipped her wing and made her bleed. She is now in a cage with a handicapped java and they get along just fine. Javas are so much bigger than zebras that they can definitely hurt them, but I think it depends on the personalities of the individual birds as to whether the situation will work out. Just don't overcrowd everyone. That will only be asking for trouble.

I just adopted a 1 legged zebra. I have 9 society and 2 shaft tails in my flight cage, the zebra is in my hospital cage now. It is right beside the flight cage. he sits on his perch and watches the other birds. do you think it is safe to put him in with the others? James

James, I would at least try putting him with the other birds. The zebra will do better in a community and might get "adopted" by one of the other birds. Just watch for aggressive behaviour towards him, the societies should be fine but nesting shaftails can get territorial and might pick on him.

Kate;
Where did you get a cage that size I would love to have one.

My little zebra is doing great in the big cage I was going to get him a nest and put it lower down in the cage as he spends so much time on the bottom of the cage, but he has now taken over one of the boxes at the top.so I guess he is going to hold his own.

Zebras on the recieving end of some bullying/harrassment would almost like to see that. come on admit it, you've all seen zebras be right pains in the backside at times

Kate;
Could you post a picture of your big flight cage? I still want to know where you got it I can't find one any where, that size.

Mickp;
If he were normal I would say yes, but you watch him for a while and you start to cheer him when he stands up for himself, and when he set beside another bird that was weak and kept the other birds at bay.

Javas while being described on some websites as being passive, they are actually very aggressive when it comes to their favourite "patch" (I keep Javas BTW). As people have said they are large and they are very powerful and sometimes don't know their own strength (during playtime I have had my lips and earlobes nipped enough to know this). Putting them in with Zebras will not be very nice for the Zebras IMO, especially if you have a male Zebra that wants to stamp it's authority, the Javas will soon put the Zebras in their place and may end up making the smaller Zebras lives a misery.

So I wouldn't put smaller finches in with Javas, same size finches with them, or even larger birds are ok with Javas but not smaller ones with a tendency to be aggressive. Javas can and will try to dominate the roost no matter what size birds you have with them and they can be bullies.