Whydah Compatibility?

[flrancho]

In my days of not being very knowledgeable of finches, I was told I could place any finches together and they would be fine no matter the species. I have a mixed flight now with many species that are not supposed to get along together, and things have been going on relatively well, though I separated my Whydah pair the other week after I saw the male pull feathers form my male Zebras. Anyway, I'm going to be making a large flight cage, and hope the increase in size may not help the situation, and in the future, will also be looking for more compatible birds to house with my Whydahs.

My issue comes up with what is exactly compatible with Whydahs? My male gets along with my Silverbills and a Shaftail very well, which one website listed as "incompatible" with Whydahs. This same website said not to house Whydahs with Bronze Mannikins, yet another said they live together in the wild and have supposedly, on rare occasions, used them as hosts for their babies. I'm finding a lot of conflicting info on what I should and should not house with with Whydahs.

I tried to do a search on what species Whydahs would exist with in nature, since I figure if they exist with them in the wild, they may get along in all liklihood, but its not as easy as I thought. There seems to be no websites out there that give a list of African finches with the main population existing below the Sahara.

Any ideas on what I could/should house with them besides the obvious St. Helena, I'd be appreciative.

[debbie276]

No personal experience with the whydah but have you checked these links?
http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/ ... /index.php
http://www.finchinfo.com/housing/compatible_species.php
The first link is species in like categories and the second links is compatibility. Your best bet is going to be someone with personal experience though.
Best of luck

[flrancho]

Thanks.

I'm familiar with your second link, but had never seen the first one. That's some of the things that have me confused though. Whydahs and Zebra finches are both listed as compatible, as they are both considered pushy. However, these seems to be the ones that he is pulling feathers out on.

Interestingly, it seems the only birds he is going after are other males. He's leaving the females of other species' alone. The only male he hadn't been harassing was my male Silverbill, which according to that chart isn't compatible.

[Ursula]

...I tried to do a search on what species Whydahs would exist with in nature, since I figure if they exist with them in the wild, they may get along in all liklihood....

I would think that is not necessarily true, unless you have a huge aviary the size of a barn. In the wild 2 bird species may live alongside, but in an aviary - let alone a cage - they are cramped into the same space.
(I have blue jays and chicadees in the backyard, eating from the same feeder. But I wouldn't put them in a cage together... )
Just MHO.

[Sally]

I agree with Ursula, just because two species get along in the wild, there is no comparison with our aviaries or cages. And the compatibility charts are great as general guidelines, but you can always have that one bird that hasn't read the book and goes by his own rules.

[cjkrit]

The Pintailed whydah parasitizes on the Common waxbill.
The Paradise whydah on the Melba finch.
The Shaft-tailed whydah on the Violet-eared waxbill.
The Fischer's whydah on the Purple Grenadiers.

This applies now in their natural habitat.

Greetings from South Africa

[Jan]

I tried a pair of Pintailed in a 4X12X 8ft tall flight with a variety of waxbills and it's not big enough When the male got into full color he started pushing most everyone around & just kept things all worked up.. It is a shame, he really looked good in there... My next flight is 22X36X11 ft tall & I am going to try again..

[flrancho]

Thanks for your opinions everyone. From my research it seems the best way to go is for some sort of Waxbill(s). Hopefully the new 6 ft long cage will get him to stop harassing my Zebras.

[JohnBoy]

Pin-tailed whydahs are very aggressive. They will chase and torment other birds to death, even in a large aviary. I will not keep them any more. If you want a peaceful whydah get the paradise whydah.