FINCHforum

What could it mean if a finch just keeps it's mouth open a lot, kinda like panting?? It's in a flight with many other finches and none of the other ones are doing it. It is one of my rosy rumps and she is puffy, sometimes looks like she has a hunchback and pants??? Does she need an antibotic?

hi emily
could be an air sac mite problem!

ken

it's an african finch... the rosy rump... i thought that it was more likely found in goulds and canaries

Stress? One of my Zebra FInch hens will pant if she thinks I'm spending too much time in the cage cleaning, especially if she has eggs/chicks in a nest, but as soon as the door is shut and I back off she goes back about her business as if nothing happened.

Well I don't know what it was, but she died today I don't know if I should get her partner another one, or just let him cuddle next to a society

sorry to hear of her passing.

dont know what may have caused her death, stress can be a key factor though, hard to say whether it was your presence that stressed her, or a cagemate, finches are naturally nervous birds.

hope you can find a new girl for your male

Thanks Dan,

I don't think it was b/c of me... I've had these ones for quite awhile. I have no idea... maybe old age. I've purchased quite a few birds from this lady, and a lot of them have turned out sick, etc... I don't think I'll get anymore from her, it's just hard to find a variety around here, and she usually has a large variety... I guess I better find a different person.

Sorry for your loss, Emily. It is so frustrating with these finches, as we usually have no idea what went wrong. Even most avian vets in my area work with the larger hookbills, so have little experience with tiny finches. And when you buy an adult finch, you have no idea how old it is. I have decided that with finches, I will have unexplained losses thru no fault of mine, and I just have to accept that.

Well maybe I'll have some better luck finding some great finches at the bird fair in Denver this year... I need to find my rosy rump another partner, b/c he seems so sad without her