FINCHforum

My spice finch has recently started trying to "tear" a piece of the newspaper lining off, despite the fact that I have put a bowl of stuff (filled with yarn, shredded paper, alfalfa straw, and feathers) in the same vicinity to hopefully get him to stop. I do have an open nest in the cage and he has filled it about 4 inches high of stuff, but he still seems determined to tear some of the newspaper too (wih little success.) He's also tried to break off some stems of the ficus plant, but has only managed to bend them.

I don't really care if he tears up the paper and it's fun to watch him work like a busy little bee, but I was wondering if finches in general play/mess with the paper on the bottom of the cage?

In their old, little cage, I used bird litter with a grate over the top to keep them out of it. Do you think the newspaper might just be a novelty to him or do you think he's just trying to get more nesting material? (There's still extra in the bowl.)

Also, from what I've read about spice finches, it sounds like they need to be in a large flight (larger than my size) and with a group of spice finches to breed, so I'm surprised he's so "in" to the nesting material in the first place. (Or is this also normal, despite my smaller cage.)

I find that a number of my finches will tear paper from the bottom of the cage, even if I have provided them with nesting material. This is especially true of my Society and Shafttail finches.

I frequently give my finches nesting material to play with - even if I don't have a nest in the cage for them. They will pick it up and play with it. It gives them something to keep them entertained.

My spices bred in a large cage with a bunch of zebra hens (no other spices). Haven't tried them alone in a cage.

Hilary

when i bought my finches they had, within the space of a few days started getting nest material and sitting in the nest and they were in budgies cages (Waiting of the arrival of a big aviary) but nothing came of the nests no eggs and we moved them into the big aviary and the same happened so i think that is normal

My birds did not exhibit this type of behavior until I put a covered nest in their cage. They prefer toilet paper torn into strips, but they will also take long strips of toilet paper and "toilet paper" their cage with it. Some even ended up in the next and now there are eggs.