FINCHforum

As the warm weather comes in the spring and summer, could I put the Gouldins outside for sunshine or should I leave them in? Again I have read moving the cage around will stress them out.

Getting the birds outside is wonderful for them if you can do it. They will get stressed as you move them back and forth, but you can minimize this by covering the cage with a sheet until you get it where you're going.

Of course, you will want to be sure the outdoor temperature is somewhat close to that of the indoors - and that the birds will be protected from wind/drafts and if the sun is very hot, have a place to move into a shaded area.

You also need to be very, very careful about predators. Think about the neighbors' cats, as well as other wild predators. Hawks can even be a problem. I have a friend who lives in a condo in San Francisco who put her Gouldians' cage out on her balcony each day. One day, a hawk came and was actually able to grab one of the birds and kill it.

Sounds like a lot to watch out for, but actually if you think about where you might put them outdoors - if you can either watch them closely and/or put them in a somewhat protected spot, they will thrive in the sunshine and enjoy it very much.

I agree with Martie 100%! I had a tragedy my first year of owning finches, when I had all the cages outside while I cleaned the bird room. Well, there were not any predators, but the wind got stronger and knocked a cage off our retaining wall steps. One owl was killed and the other flew away. We caught the one that flew away, but his mate died from in injury when the cage fell. I think she broke her neck. Now, I'm hesitant to take them outside, even if I'm there. You just never know what can happen; however, the finches love the sunshine. Just be careful.