Why aren't my green singers happy?? --or is it just me?

[epriddy]

I have a very amiable pair of green singers in half of a double flight. Their cage is decorated to the best of my ability. They eat a wide variety diet of a number of different seed mixes and some zupreem fruit blend finch. They also receive mix salad and mealworms everyday. Yet, they seem quite depressed. I've looked for signs of sickness and see none. My other finches are extremely lively and getting into every little thing they can, very curious, flying around their cages constantly. My green singers sit side by side in their one spot and barely move, day or night. Am I doing something wrong? Any other green singer owners please advise!

[L in Ontario]

Wish I could give some advice but my GS are quite lively. How long have you had them?

[BigBear0007]

Green singers should be bouncing around like children who drank to much coca cola!
I would take the male out and keep him in a separate cage and see if he starts to sing to the hen?
She will call back and if she is ready to breed, she will be calling for him!
I had to do that for a while!
Keep her with other birds, but keep him apart and he will sing for you day an night!

[epriddy]

I've only had them for a month or so. I could put the male in a smaller cage, sure. I was thinking also to move the perch that they won't budge from to keep them closer to the middle of the cage? Their purch is way in the far back upper corner. Would that throw them into a panic?

[cindy]

I have GS, the one thing I can tell you is they are not fond of big changes, they may have lots of energy but they are also private birds, it is natural for them to sit at the highest point in the cage, especially if you have greens.

I would say not to worry about it to much, they are new to your home, new environment, new smells, new noises. And you just moved them to a double flight next to other birds possibly in a new spot in the room.

When I moved my cage from one area to another the GS would huddle and hide and be more afraid. The seem to like one particulair spot and they got use to the view and expecting what will come in through what door. So back the flight went and the male started singing and the pair was all over the cage.

Moving them to much, fussing with branches, taking the male out is not going to calm them down or make them move. If anything it will stress them further. Time and getting use to the area will help. As far as breeding them, they need to settle in first. Back away and don't worry, soon they will adjust. Some are not quick to adjust others are all over the place.

If the big flight does not work out and they were happy in the smaller cage then move them back and put the cage in the spot they prefer and were most active in. But give them about another week to adjust.

[epriddy]

Thanks so much for the replies. I will just let them be for now. The side of the flight they are in is in the corner, looking out of the window. The societies are on the other side near the door and seem to have np. Maybe I'll try moving their feeding station a little farther away, then they have to at least go out to that. I wish that I could feed them on the floor of the cage like I do my other finches, but they will not go down to the bottom for love nor money. If, after a decent amount of time, the flight doesn't work out, I'll just switch the cut throats in there and put them back in the quite small cage they were in. I'm not concerned about them breeding.

[finchmix22]

I have 8 GS finches and two pairs are in double flight cages that are open with other finch species. They are not as active as the Society's or waxbills, but they do make their routine activities for the day/night. I had to move some fledgling Society's as the males were plucking the tail feathers of the fledges and the GS pairs went to the corner and hid for a few hours, then were back out and about. My GS prefer to eat off paper plates on the bottom of the cage and millet that I hang from the top/center. They also love the little swings too. I would put food in the regular place and add a plate on the floor. I put paper towels over the grate to give them better footing etc. They love that, but I have to change the paper towels every day for sanitation. Hope they adjust.

[epriddy]

Thanks for the tips. I have layers of newspaper on top of the grill. I did not separate the pair but did some small re-arrainging of their cage. Removed the dowel and replaced it with a branch.

They seem to be flying back and forth now more, they're picking at the coconut tunnel, and I heard the male sing about half of a song this morning!!!

[L in Ontario]

Sounds good now! Congrats.