Need Help with Pestering Society Finches.

[marengokid75]

Hello,
I'm new here and new to Society finches. (Have kept Zebras in the past)
Cage: 50 H x 30 W x 22 D

Here's my dilemma.

I had the opportunity to adopt 4 society finches (lot's of black on them/some white on parts of their bodies)
Since I knew I was getting them, when I was at Petsmart the day before I was adopting the 4, I decided to go ahead and buy 1 very pretty looking cinnamon/fawn colored one.

I got the fawn colored home, and it started singing. When it sings, it fluffs up it's feathers/tail....no dancing. I just KNEW I had a male....UNTIL this....

The next day, I brought home the 4 black ones that I was adopting. All 4 black ones immediately started harassing the fawn one. Chasing it....and some pecking. As well as doing, what I am assuming, is a courtship dance....swaying/hoping back and forth on the perches while doing a warbling sound (not singing...or at least I don't call it that). I let it go for 30 minutes hoping they would settle down, but they did not. I then removed the fawn colored one and placed it in a nearby small cage in the same room.

The 4 blacks continued the courtship dance, even AFTER the fawn colored was removed. It was almost like they were doing it amongst themselves (all 4 black ones presumably are males)

After everyone settled down later that afternoon, I decided to put the fawn back in and see what happens. They started chasing the fawn colored one around and doing the courtship dance again with her...all taking turns seemingly trying to gain her affection. Funny, she wants NOTHING to do with any of them.

Now I've seen ALL 4 blacks do the courtship dance. Interestingly, now that they seem to have all settled in somewhat, the fawn colored one is doing it's singing again that I witnessed the day before when it was alone....all with fluffed up feathers and tail when doing so.

What I can't figure out, is if all 4 blacks ones are doing the "dance" around the fawn one, doesn't that mean they are males? If the fawn colored is out of the cage and it's a female, why are the 4 black ones doing the courtship dance with each other? Why is the fawn one ALSO doing some type of singing (which I have read only males do)?

Thanks for any and all help.

Brad
NOTE: Petsmart will take the fawn colored one back within 14 days if the consensus is that he/she will not be left alone and continually "bugged" and chased by the others.

[Sally]

Only males sing, so if the fawn one is singing, then it is a male. Males will sing to each other, especially if there isn't a female present. For whatever reason, sometimes birds will pick on one that doesn't look just like them. Societies usually don't pester each other, but if this continues, I would be tempted to return the fawn one.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

[marengokid75]

"Cocks have a squeaky song and perform a courtship dance (where they fluff up their feathers and hop while singing). Cocks will court either sex, so do not assume the object of the courtship dance is necessarily a hen"

Thanks for the link to the articles. I read the quote above. I'm wondering why a male would court a male?

Also, I gather since the fawn male has such a pretty song, it's due to the parents who raised him? just like the black ones have more of the warbling sound which is not as pretty as the fawns, but it's because they have copied the patents?

[lovezebs]

marengokid75

Societies, will sing to any new birds that comes into their midst. They will also dance and mount the new bird, so don't be alarmed. If they're all singing and puffing up, doing their little dance, then the odds are that they are all males.

I would take all your black birds out of the large cage, rearrange things around in the cage, and put your fawn bird in. Then a day later, I would bring in one of the black birds. Give it a day or two, then bring in the next one, etc.

The singing in Society Finches, is learned from the father, and is also (I believe ) partly genetic.

[marengokid75]

Elana,
Thanks for that suggestion and for the advice. I had actually started that process this morning after I had remembered a post once I saw about removing Zebras, rearranging, then putting back in the Zebras in an attempt to solve territory issues.

Today, I put in a new natural limb perch, washed things, then rearranged. I had planned to put ALL them in at once later today, but I will do as you suggested and do 1 at a time.

Thanks again.

[Sheather]

Individual society finches have extremely variable songs, and though they normally take influence from their father, this doesn't always work out. I have a father and son now and the son's song is nothing at all like the father's. I've had a spice finch in the past ignore his own father's song and copy the specific song of one society finch.

It's really an individual thing. Some are melodious and varied motifs, some just sort of squeak or click a bit and it's very repetitive and not musical at all. I have one of each right now, and the melodious singer is the father of the squeaker.

Males readily sing to each other. They're so domesticated that their natural reason for their songs - to attract mates and establish territory - has largely become unimportant and they just sing all the time for whatever reason. I often don't even think the birds know why they sing. If they do it means they are comfortable in their environment, though.

[marengokid75]

Dylan,
Thanks and I appreciate the post.
Gives me a little more confidence that things are okay.

The 4 have an "okay" song, but boy the fawn colored one has a remarkable one.

Thanks again!
Brad

[lnlovesorange]

Funny, I have 2 males, and they both are decent singers, one I like more though, and the one I like more is the Chocolate Pied, not the crested Pied Fawn! Like Dylan said I think it's your own personal touches on it (well "their" own personal touches) I was surprised by their little song! I like it, it was refreshing after hearing zebra squeaks and squawks all the time! LOL the up and down tone of it was similar but it was much nicer to the ears! The Gouldians is still my favorite though! (til I get a canary i'm sure!) Good luck with your boys! and Welcome!

[lovezebs]

marengokid75

How is it going with the kids?
Any improvement in the behavior?

[lovezebs]

lnlovesorange

Here's something to listen to, until you get your own Canary.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=w ... 7f7K0qD-kg

[Spreckles]

Welcome to the forum! Socies are so much fun get ready for some clowning. My male is a white, brown & black pied and he is a beautiful LOUD singer! I have his 3 sisters who do a considerable amount of twittering as well. One chocolate crested female my singing Romeo may mate with at some point. For now not offering any NESTS.

Have you named your birdies?

Karen

[marengokid75]

marengokid75

How is it going with the kids?
Any improvement in the behavior?

Everything has turned out great. Taking them out of the cage and introducing them back one at a time sure did the trick. They are all doing EVERYTHING together. Watching them try to all 5 cram into the seed box is hilarious.

Thanks for all the help.

[marengokid75]

Have you named your birdies?

Karen

Techinchally they DO have names...my daughter named them. But she's 8 and I can't remember her super long names....one is Chocolate Speckeled Pudding cup.....or something like that LOL

I think I'm leaning toward: Peter, Pete, Repeat, Darrel and his other brother Darrel!!