Do finches breathe heavier when resting?

[chirpy]

Hello!
I was wondering, my female who is still quite timid seems to breathe deeper when she is "resting" not exactly sleeping cause when I walk by she opens her eyes.
Is this normal?
When she isn't resting, flying around etc she isn't breathing fast or deep.. I am just concerned because my tiel who passed breathed heavier and faster just before she got violently ill.

Thank you

[Diana]

It is normal:)

[chirpy]

Diana phew!!!!!!!! I can stop reloading this page lol!!! So it's just means she's at rest n I suppose that's good..?

[dcompt]

Their breathing is more evident when they are sitting still. Maybe because they're easier to see?

[chirpy]

dcompt Haha how so true!! They aren't frantically flying around doing NOTHING!

[fhgwgads]

Great question! I have noticed this in my zebra finches as well... they will bounce around all morning and then take a rest/nap in the afternoon and they are visibly breathing faster! I was also wondering the same thing so it's good to know! They are also so much smaller and have tiny lungs so they have to breathe quicker.

[chirpy]

fhgwgads I googled for hours! and all i can come across were breathing heavy = too late they might die soon!
... or.. bigger birds nothing on finches! it was really bothering me and I KNEW someone could answer here so glad my constant QUESTIONING is helping someone else

[fhgwgads]

chirpy Aww good! I appreciate it!! I ran into the same problem when I tried to find an answer and every answer was, "You're doomed!!". It does look a little scary when you first notice them sitting there resting and breathing so hard! I thought they were all going to drop dead!! But now we know!

[chirpy]

fhgwgads yeah!!! Exactly! I was like "Oh no! She's going to die" and every morning I wake up thinking "she survived another day!"
LOL well little did I know she's fine and healthy. She's so chunky, my male is quite slender so her breathing looks like very heavy LOL maybe she just has more feathers!
I may as well ask you this Q! Do finches beak grind like hook bills do? Except I think they don't make the grinding noise... Maybe they just open and close their mouth? I know my tiel did this when she was happy content and about to catch some Zzzzs

[fhgwgads]

chirpy Mine don't seem to grind.. I know they LOVE to puff up and act fat though when they are happy and when they want to take naps. This alarmed me too because I thought they were going to die... and then the Dad and baby were sitting on the bottom of the cage which also made me think they were going to die but they are just weird. The other day I found the baby just chilling out in the covered food bowl.. and they love to sleep on top of the millet spray, lol! I provided them with a bunch of perches and a swing and leaves to hide under but they prefer to sleep on their food. They are weird! But they seem very healthy and happy! I don't really notice them doing much with their beaks though.. sometimes they will bite random things, or clean off their beaks on the perches. But my parakeets always grind their beaks, and they yawn a lot too. The parakeets will also sing or talk themselves to sleep... whereas my finches don't do that. They will however squeak happily while they are eating, and the parents will make little cute squeaking noises when they are breeding or building a nest. They are funny little creatures!

But I also agree with you about my female.. she seems MUCH fatter and fluffier than my male, haha.

[chirpy]

Aww your babies are so cute!!
I don't know if it is.. grinding.. its like.. pacman LOL.

AND I KNOW!!!
OMG! When they sit all fat and fluffed on the floor of the cage! I was all "AHHH!! THEY ARE BOTH GOING TO DIE!".... .. yeah right, both sick at the same exact time, same day... like REALLY? Im so dumb sometimes. then they were all eating, dancing and frolicking and im like "oh.. "
My stewie would grind his beak very loud (I GRIND MY TEETH loudly too ) and would chirp away while doing it until he fell asleep... I hope mine make noise when they are making nests and everything thatd be so cute!

[fhgwgads]

chirpy LOL!!! PACMAN!! That is hilarious! Mine haven't done that. But then again mine are going to die every day, LOL!

But the noises they make when nesting are adorable! It sounds like they are almost whispering... well not whispering but they are quieter in the nest as if they're trying to be quiet around the eggs.. lol. But it's the cutest sound! It's my favorite as well as the little chirp noise my boy makes when he's eating.. as if he is approving of his food.. and the baby trying to learn to sing. OMG I almost die from the cuteness every time! I posted a video on another thread, and a sound file of him trying! It's so cute!

[chirpy]

fhgwgads my female has finally stopped acting like a drama queen gasping for air like a fish THANK YOU cause she was starting make me feel like I was torturing her! BUT, yes it is like pac man.. it isn't the gaping mouth thing that she used to do it is more like .. uh' pacman lol. I dont know how else to describe it.

I HAVE seen the BABY SING I saw it.. and I closed it because it was making me want babies (not human babies I am good for now! ) I love that little guy how is the dad treating him now? I would feel sad to watch the mom do this too.. why are some eggs infertile.. i still dont understand that.

[chirpy]

chirpy But then again mine are going to die every day, LOL!

literally rolled around laughing! Mine are dying every day as well... I saw a BIG BROWN POOP today and I was googling self diagnosing apparently it was something very bad and they might die!

... it was a part of kale that had been ripped off and browned.

SO, today.. they live another day

[fhgwgads]

chirpy LOL! dying every day.. I am hysterical!!! I had a huge poop scare too! I even took pictures!!!!! But mine are STILL ALIVE!!! I really can't think of what the whole pacman deal is about, maybe they are just a little derpy like mine? LOL. I know sometimes mine make weird mouth movements because they are swallowing funny.. but they mostly did it when feeding the babies.

But Dad and Baby have been good! They are best buds now that Mom is on her own. Baby is starting to get orange in his beak! And he is starting to sing more! They both hang out together all day, they cuddle while sitting there all fluffed up on the perch sitting on their feet looking like fluffy ping pong balls while hyperventilating and quite possibly dying at the same time LOL, they take baths.. their favorite thing to do is climb inside their covered water dish when the water is freezing cold, they like to sit in the food bowl, and bite their leaves... the Dad loves to fly back and forth across the cage for hours at a time while meeping, and he will jump off and on the swing... sometimes while the baby is on the perch next to it so the baby keeps getting hit with the swing! Lol.. but he still doesn't move away all the time! But they are getting along great. I just feel bad for Mom because she is alone and so patiently sitting on the eggs. I don't know why the egg(s) haven't hatched? They were matching daily if not more before I moved Dad out.. so I have no clue what could be wrong. I am giving her extra time to be safe but at the same time I am afraid she will die because she is in there almost non-stop! LOL. She does come out to eat.. but she is in there most of the time. It just breaks my heart that she is so diligent and nothing is happening! But soon I will put Dad back in to try again.. I just want to be 100% sure that my little Baby will be ok on his own!!

I should have names him already.. lol. I think I might end up going with Sparrow! Little one-eyed cutie butt! The boyfriend gets mad when I turn off the AC and mute the tv just to listen to him singing, LOL!! But I gotta enjoy them before they all drop dead, right? LOL!!! We are so horrible!! Every day.. I'm telling you!! It's getting better though!