Green singer, Lavender, and Strawberry finch questions

[hfinney]

I'm considering adding some new species to my flock, and I'm researching all I can ahead of time (especially since I can't see the birds in person first as they'll be shipped to me by a breeder).

First, how loud are the green singers? I've watched videos but it's difficult to tell. I have a grey singer and a couple of male canaries. The canaries are much louder than the grey singer. Where does the green rank in volume? I want to be able to hear him, but I want to be able to tune him out when I need to as well.

Secondly, how loud are Lavenders? I have gouldians...are lavenders louder? I want to be able to hear them!

Finally, how big are strawberry finches? What I'm reading says they may be even smaller than my tiny fire finches, but videos and pictures seem to show them being a bit bigger than that. Also how loud are strawberry finches compared to gouldians and fire finches? Will a male sing more or less frequently with a female in his cage?

Finally, if I place all of these species in a very large cage together, will they all still sing, or will one or more of them be intimidated by the other male species and be silent?

I know that's a lot of questions. I appreciate you answering with anything you know!

[isobea]

hfinney - Let's see if I can answer some of your questions (to the best of my knowledge).
Green singers are loud! I love their song and was considering (just a few weeks ago) to add a pair to my 16 foot long outdoor aviary. Everybody I talked to - even the sellers at the Pomona bird mart - cautioned me against adding them to a mixed aviary/flight. They all said that the males get very aggressive during breeding season even if there is no female around. A friend in Germany years ago had a green singer kill one of his bull finches. So if you want to get one, keep it in a separate cage.
I have had grey singers and I personally prefer their song over that of the green singer (more melodious and varied).
Lavenders: I have a pair and they are very quiet. No real song (like grey singers or canaries). Most of the time they just call to each other. BUT they are lovely little birds. Active and peaceful.
Strawberries: I've kept and bred them and love their song. They should be around the size of a red billed fire finch but I have also seen some that were very small (reminded me of gold breasts size-wise). It seems to depend on where they were imported from. A male should sing more without a female around.
About the cage: how large are you thinking? If you get all the different species you are considering, you might be better off to get a big (meaning long) aviary. They need room to fly to stay healthy and be able to get out of each other's way should one of them get cranky. How well everybody gets along depends on the individual personality of your birds, too.
I hope this will be helpful. Feel free to ask more questions and maybe other people have more input, things I forgot to mention.
Iso

[Sally]

hfinney

Agree with isobea. Green singers can be loud and aggressive. Grey Singers have a much more pleasant song, but it is still fairly loud. Lavenders are very quiet. Strawberries are usually a bit larger than the RB Fire finch, and I love their song. Males often like to sing in the early morning hours, before dawn, so keep that in mind if they will be where they can disturb your sleep.

[hfinney]

All good to know, Sally. Thank you! I’ve just about decided to get a pair of strawberries. One question though. Are they louder than a canary? If not, singing anytime will be fine. Thanks again!

[isobea]

hfinney - strawberries are not as loud as canaries (love their song!). The male needs exposure to sunlight to develop that beautiful red color. If you are getting a pair (which I think is a great idea since we need more captive bred strawberries) be forewarned that they will need lots of mini mealworms and if possible fruit flies to raise their young. If they think the supply is low, they might toss a baby or two. They've done that for me and I believe for Sally as well. I ended up replenishing the mealworms three times a day. No big deal for me since I have the time but not everybody can do that. Even with mealworms and fruit flies available, I saw my female hunt for other insects and spiders throughout my aviary. If you are up for that I think they are very well worth keeping. Lovely little birds and peaceful, too.
Iso

[Sally]

hfinney I don't think you will regret getting a pair of Strawberries. As isobea has said, they will toss babies if they think their food (protein) supply is low, but mine did raise babies on egg food alone. I did add freeze-dried bloodworms for extra protein. Most loved them, a few wouldn't eat them at all. This species has been one of my favorites!