What -are- they?

[eclecticartisan]

My two baby finches are fledged now, and I'm kind of curious as to what they are! I thought they were Zebra's, the male being a traditionally colored Zebra and the female a white/dusty looking one. I think. My grandpa (whom I got them from) had introduced a second pair of unknown species (just plain, dusty/brown) into the aviary a few days prior to these eggs showing up, and I didn't think that they would have a nest that quickly.

One of my babies is white with a sandy outline on each feather, and the other is a dusty chocolate with the same light outline.

Are these simply young Zebra colours?
Are they a different or even mixed species?
When do finches get their adult coloring?
What age will I be able to sex them?
I wanted a male to keep because I wanted him to sing, when will that behavior start and do females ever sing?

Also, do canaries and finches get along? I had thought about eventually getting a single canary to add some variety in the bird songs in my room.

[H2015]

These are probably young zebra colors and they will get adult coloring after 2 or 3 months and by then they can be sexually mature but it's better to wait until they're at least 6 months old. As for singing, the female does call but doesn't sing.

Now Canaries I believe do mix with Finches if it's a large enough space but I don't have much details regarding that and I read once that Canaries like their privacy at night, in that case Zebras could become annoying.

Try to post pictures of the baby birds, that way it'll be much easier to identify

[EmilyHurd]

I have never seen a chocolate colored zebra finch. It's possible that your female could be a society finch, and that the society finch mated with another dusty brown colored society finch in your grandpa's aviary? Then ended up laying eggs, and maybe the zebra male thinks he's the dad, but really isn't? It is really hard to tell without pictures?

As far as H2015 said on canaries, they can mix with finches, as long as the flight is big enough. You can only mix one I believe. I have personally never owned canaries, but from what I've heard, you couldn't put two in with a bunch of finches, unless of course you have a huge aviary.

[kenny]

hi emily
you are correct about the canaries,you can put them with zebras but they need a lot of space and they always sleep on thier own they never seem to cuddle up like finches do.when i have looked in my avairy they are spotted about all over the place when they sleep

ken