FINCHforum

My finch prefers to sit in my hand and be pet on the head by my finger then to be in the presence of any other birds.

He is, in fact, terrified of other finches.

Terrified= Flying around the cage and crashing against the sides, banging his beak on the bars and hiding in food dishes whenever he hears/sees another finch.

He was born late September of 2010. And he's never been with other finches in the same cage. He's had a pair of zebs in the cage next to him, but that's as close as it gets. I do make sure to talk with him, let him out of the cage and play with him at least once a day though.

Which was fine, until recently. I'm rather busy these days and don't have as much time to be with him, so I wanted to get him a friend.

But all it did was make things worse and now he wants out of the cage at all times. In fact, the door was open just a crack and he flew out and landed on my shoulder. He just doesn't want to be anywhere near other birds.

It's been 3 days, and his behaviour still hasn't changed. Anything I can do to help him settle down and get rid of his fears?

What kind of finch are you talking about here?
Not sure what can be done other then slowly introducing him to others of his kind and being very patient. It's too bad he can't get any companionship from other birds especially when your very busy and can't find time.
Hopefully his fear will pass, best of luck

I would love a finch that was tame in that way. If you really are too busy to give the finch the attention, then I'd at least keep a cage of finches next to the tame one and allow him to get used to his own kind. After a while, you could slowly introduce them for brief periods at a time that gradually get longer.

He's a green singer finch. Handfed by one of my friends. The only other finches that he's ever been in a cage with were his two siblings, but they went to differant homes just over a year ago.

He's fine (in a way) with other birds being in the cage next to him, but the moment they're in his cage, he's out of control. It's like he thinks the other bird is gonna dive down and eat him or smething.

I think I'll keep them together. He'll have to get used to her eventually, right?

I think he's getting a little better...Now he only gets scared whenever she moves. If she stays on her perch on the opposite side of the cage, he's fine.

Chidori wrote:He's a green singer finch. Handfed by one of my friends. The only other finches that he's ever been in a cage with were his two siblings, but they went to differant homes just over a year ago.

He's fine (in a way) with other birds being in the cage next to him, but the moment they're in his cage, he's out of control. It's like he thinks the other bird is gonna dive down and eat him or smething.

I think I'll keep them together. He'll have to get used to her eventually, right?

I think he's getting a little better...Now he only gets scared whenever she moves. If she stays on her perch on the opposite side of the cage, he's fine.

So the other finch in there with him is a female? A green singer female? Is she pushy? I think some birds beat up others that they consider to be ill or different, especially their own breed.

Green Singers can be aggressive toward each other and feel territorial. He may be afraid and not know how to defend his turf. I'd watch them closely. My GS juvies fight sometimes, but I change their cages and mix who is with whom every few months, so they cannot get territorial.

I wish my GS was that tame!!
Mine will take meal worms from me but that's about it.
Just keep him separate and enjoy his singing!
I think if you just ignore him when he wants to be with you,
after a while he will give up and go wild again!
He should then start sing ing again for another mate!
He has imprinted on you and thinks you are his mate!

I have a little handfed gouldian that was raised by my sister-in-law and it had not been around other birds. When she brought it to me to put into the aviary it wanted nothing to do with the other birds and stayed at the wire wanting out where we were. I would spend time with it, but put it back into the aviary. I felt so sorry for him because he was always sitting alone.....
That lasted about two weeks and now he loves the birds and is even hopping for a girl. He is only three months old,.
I think given time he will adjust. Hopefully!!!

I have seen this behavior more in hookbills that are handfed, even with a clutch of siblings I have had a few that prefer humans more than their own kind. They panic when caged with their own kind and constanly want out and up on you. I found that the more they mature and start getting to breeding age...the less they want you.

He's already over a year old. He needs to learn to be a finch again! I'll stop letting him out of the cage and let him get used to the female.

He only sings when he's out of the cage though. When he's inside, he's just completly silent exept for some chirps every once and a while.