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I’m having a heck of a time finding Java Finches! I live in northern Illinois and have gone to bird fairs, looked on craigslist, called pet shops, googled “Java breeders” a million different ways, and am coming up empty handed.

In October I found a Craigslist ad for a silver male and a normal hen, but when I asked questions about the parents (I don’t want pied) and whether the Java’s for sale are related, and if they’d consider taking less than $60 for the male, they suddenly decided to keep the birds. Don’t know what to make of that, but I was soooooo close! It was probably stupid of me to ask for less on the male, but this was before I knew how hard Java’s are to come by in my area.

I am beyond frustrated. I’ve had a pair of Javas for 8 years and the male died. (I posted about that in general questions in October – “Lonely Sweet Pea”) I’m still looking for a suitable companion for my elderly hen (at this point she scolds me and makes me stand in front of her cage and sing to her a couple times a day! She’s nearly tame now she’s so lonely!) I have a flight cage set up and waiting for a new young pair, but it sits empty!

Does anyone know of breeders in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin? (Yes, I know about the state line thing, but I think if I’m driving own car home across a state line I’d be fairly safe.)

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Sorry no idea...
With all the silliness about State lines, etc. is it possible to order them in?

No, I don't think it possible since no one can ship Javas across state lines. I am just surprised to be having such trouble finding them in my state! Java Finches are such sweet, brave and affectionate little things. (Well... big in comparison to other finches I guess )

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They breed quite easily from what I've heard, and raise large clutches, so one would think that there would be some of them around somewhere.....

Have you tried to get in touch with some pet bird clubs in your vicinity?

I'm in northwest Indiana and there is a breeder with two pairs near me 40 a pair, but they're pieds.

Tweet The National Bird Show is coming up Dec. 1-3 in St. Charles, IL. They do have a sale room, but often it is mostly canaries. There also is a vendor area, where there will be some vendors with birds, probably some finches, but no way to know if there might be Javas there. If it isn't too far, it might be worth a shot. At least you might meet some breeders there who would know who might have some.

Tweet I've posted on the NFSS face book page asking if anyone is attending Nationals with Java Rice birds. Worth asking. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Thanks everyone, this is just the kind of help I need!

Sally, thanks the info on the National Bird Show and for posting on the NFSS facebook. My fingers are crossed.

Sheather, I do believe I talked to your friend through Craigslist. She had two white pieds and two grey pieds. I was so darned dissapointed.

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You could check with:

Heart of Illinois Bird Club (HOIVC)
hoibirdclub@gmail.com
1 309 674 0368

Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club (GCCBC)
Alice Blayney
president@gccbc.org

Illini Bird Fanciers Inc:
www.illinibirdfanciers.com.

Might just get lucky and be able to get some information.

Thanks Lovezebs!
I just emailed everyone. I'm bound to find some Javas eventually!

Sounds crazy that Javas are so hard to get!
But I think wild color ones are the most beautiful, so keep looking for those instead of settling on pieds.

Javas are not rare here but they don't seem to be raised on a commercial scale anymore like with some of the other finches so it's all hobby breeders, which can be few and far between.

I like the natural Javas most too but pieds have a charm. Pieds are supposedly more amicable to captivity.

I love the normal color too, so dramatic!

I hadn't heard of pieds being more amicable. I've only had the pair of normal color, and they have been so friendly that if I didn’t know better I’d swear they were hand raised. That’s what I love about Javas to begin with. They are confident and interested in my life almost as much as theirs. This was my first pair of Javas. Over the years I've had the Javas, Cut Throats, Zebras and Canaries. (Not naming the hookbills in my life!) The Java's have, without doubt, been the most devoted to a relationship with me.

I had a white male and normal female for a few years and they were pretty flighty but they had a lot of personality. They did not produce chicks of their own but would help feed other birds' babies. They fostered a society finch and a zebra finch chick for me once, at the same time, and did a good job. Never had any aggression issues with them.

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Any luck?