Stereotypes of finches?

[ellen7]

Hi,

I have heard about a few differences between Zebras and Societies but since I haven't owned finches before, I wanted to ask if any of these stereotypes are true. Zebras are more aggressive and louder than Societies? Loudness and aggressiveness depends on how they are raised and what their environment is like?

My husband and I are looking for a pair of finches and given what he's heard, he's leaning towards Societies. We don't want to breed them and have found some useful info on when to exchange eggs for false ones, etc. We also have found a few pairs of Zebras (m/f) for sale on Craigslist but no Society pairs. One pet store does have both Zebras and Societies but like everyone knows I guess, it's a toss up which gender you come out with if you go with Societies?? The CL ads and pet store are 2 hrs. away.

If anyone can shed some light on the above questions and point us in a good direction, I would be grateful. Thanks!

[paul-inAZ]

Both are popular. Having had both I can only give you my take on this.

Zebs are neurotic, aggressive, constantly in motion and make noise non-stop. They drove me nuts. Lots of folks like them though.
Societies can be colorful, active enough but calm and the males have a quiet song. My hands-down preference.

Others' mileage will certainly vary.

As long as you don't give them a nest you may not have to worry about egg laying with societies. They don't need a nest to sleep in.

Maybe something like Gouldians could be more available in your area.

Try a WANTED ad on your local CL. I always prefer a hobby breeder to a pet store as a source of birds.

[lovezebs]

ellen7

Hi Ellen,

Ok, lets give this a shot

Zebra Finches: Zebras are beautiful birds, which come in many different colour mutations, and you can tell the gender just by looking at them (usually, pure white ones are harder to sex).

Are they loud? YES
They meep and beep all day long, and the males do have a song (although they definitely don't sound like a Canary, lol)

Are they aggressive? YES and NO (depending on individual birds)
The regular Zebras that you see around (not the English, who are more laid back), tend to be territorial, and somewhat aggressive, again depending on individual birds. You can expect the occasinal screaming battle, chasing each other, and some will pluck each other (either out of hate or out of love depending on the mood of the moment) .

Are they active? YES
The Zebra, is a very active bird. They enjoy flying, bathing, swinging, and eating. They are fun to watch going about their daily life (never a dull moment). They are funny clowns that don't like to sit still for too long.

Will they breed? YES
If you get a male and a female, they will breed. Given a nest they will provide you with a multitude of little darlings all year around. Not provided with a nest, they will still mate, and lay eggs here and there around the cage.

Can you keep two males together? YES
Two males or six males can get along ok ( HOWEVER DO NOT OFFER A NEST, AS THIS WILL TRIGGER BREEDING TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THEY WILL FIGHT).
Can you keep two females together? YES
However, females will lay eggs, which can occasionally cause egg binding issues. Again (NO NEST).

Are they easy to care for? YES
Zebras, are fairly non demanding in their care. They need a sizable cage (minimum 18/18/30 inches in length) so that they can fly. They need a diet of good quality finch seed, hard boiled eggs, an assortment of greens, crushed egg shells, cuttle bone, and fresh water everyday.
They also love to bathe and should be supplied with a dish of lukewarm water daily for that purpose.
They enjoy swings and natural branches for perches.
If you decorate your cage with a bunch of artificial plants ($ store variety), they will love it, and it also creates little corners of privacy if they want to get away from one another for a while. They also like to have a nice lamp at one corner of the cage. Some hourse of natural sun light are beneficial.

So that's the Zebra Finch.

Society Finches: Societies or Socies, as I like to call them, are believed by many to be a man made species (so were never really in the wild).
Socies, are lovely little birds, that come in different colours and shades. They are a little harder to sex, because males and females look alike. However, only the males sing (they puff themselves up, resembling tiny feathered pears and do a little song and dance routine), the demales make a sound like crickets.

Are they loud? NOT REALLY
The male song is usually fairly quiet, and different males have slightly different renditions which they learn from their fathers.

Are they aggressive? NO
The Socie, is an extremely social bird. They love each other and will cuddle together, preening each other, and snuggling as close as they can. Their moto is, the more the merrier.

Are they active? YES
But not as active as the Zebra.
They also enjoy flying, and swinging, and are avid bathers (who will bathe several times a day, given tge opportunity). They also love playing with artificial plants in the cage.

Will the breed? OH GOD YES
The Societies, are the rabbits of the Finch world. They are the gift that keeps on giving. If you get a male and a female, they will breed and breed, and br... and raise babies (their babies and anyone elses babies, given half a chance...). Offered a nest, they will start their own dynasty, and you'd better have a lot of family and friends who like birds, because you will have an endless supply. Without a nest, you will still get some eggs, but you can simply toss them as you find them.

Can you keep two makes together? YES
They will bond very closely together and be wonderful companions for one another.
Two males, can be provided with a nest, which they will build and fiddle around with endlessly. They will also sleep in there together.
Can you keep two females together? YES
But once again, you will run into egg laying and the issues that that can bring.

The Socies require the same care as the Zebras, so the same instructions apply.

So now, you and hubby need to sit down together and decide, lol.

Have fun, and let us know what you decide.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Sally]

You've gotten good advice. Zebras are very popular, and they are usually touted as the perfect beginner finch. It is true that they are easy to care for and inexpensive, easy to sex, but they definitely can be a problem with their aggressiveness. Some people luck out and get Zebras that get along just fine, but you will see on this forum that many newbies post because they are having trouble with fighting/plucking with their Zebras.

Societies simply have only one fault, and that is that they cannot be sexed visually. To me, they are the perfect beginner finch, barring that one fault. If you can find a hobby breeder that will sex them for you, then I would recommend that you get two males. Their song/dance is quite cute, they have wonderful personalities. If you happen to get a male/female pair, you can try to swap one of them out, or simply don't give them a nest. They will still mate, lay eggs, but not as much as if they have a nest.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at http://www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care and on both the Zebra and Society finches. I don't know if this club is close to you, but though it is a canary club, it also has many members who work with finches, and they have a finch division at their annual show.

http://www.columbiacanaryclub.org/index.html

[tamichels]

Hi Ellen!

I still consider myself a newbie to finches, but I did own a pair of Zebra finches a long time ago. My pair was VERY noisy, and not very laid back. Not much fun at all that I remember, lol. I absolutely ADORE my society finches, however! They all make noise, but it's much quieter. As one of the other members stated, the females make a cricket-like sound, and the males make a very interesting combination of noises in their songs, with no two being alike! They are interested in all types of food, very curious about every item you put in their cage, love to bathe, etc. They just seem to have wonderful personalities. I never tire of watching them interact.

Good luck in whichever you choose!

Theresa

[ellen7]

paul-inAZ - Thank you for your help! I got a chuckle when you said that Zebras drive you nuts..haha! I'm going to post a "wanted" ad on CL for a pair of Societies and see what happens.

lovezebs - Thank you for your insight! I appreciate you taking the time to type it all out and it helped a lot. We're leaning towards Societies.

Sally - Thank you for posting the links. I took a look at them and emailed the Finch breeders so I hope I hear from someone. The Columbia Canary Club meets 4 hours away from me.

tamichels - Thank you for your reply. It was helpful to read about your experiences with both.

Hubby read all the replies and we are going to try and find a pair of Societies. Not necessarily a m/f pair but a healthy pairing.

[lovezebs]

ellen7

Good luck, you're going to love them .

[Dave]

paul-inAZ, I liked your description of Zebra finches. I've always been too fearful to say that out-loud! You might check your front yard, there are probably Zebra finches protesting out there right now.

[lovezebs]

Dave and paul-inAZ

Yea!!!!

[ellen7]

lol @ dave & lovezebs!

A breeder got in touch with me and it looks like I'll be able to see some Societies as early as next week!

[paul-inAZ]

Some Bengalese reading to tease you while you wait:
http://www.zebrafinch.com/SocietyFinch/Society.html

[Babs _Owner]

ellen7 lovezebs

"Offered a nest they will start their own dynasty....." Hahahaha. So true so true Elana.

GO TEAM SOCIETIES!!! (I'm giving you the razzzberry Elana!) heehée

[lnlovesorange]

It's very strange, if given the opportunity to start from the beginning, but have the knowledge i have now. i would NOT get Zebras again, however, I LOVE my zebras, they aggrivate me, and people I've had over say that their "song" sounds like a dogs Squeaky toy... and it's kind of true! But i love to watch them, and yell at them when one is chasing around another, I am having a problem right now I have one little girl who's new she is only like a couple months old, and she is the "odd wo-MAN out" She is like a fawn, but white breasted, and she has no tear marks, I asked Cindy what she was and she seemed to think fawn, or LB, I forget what she said exactly, but anyway she's different, and she is getting picked on by the other Zebs.. Sometimes I wish so much that i could tell her, leave your own kind that are picking on you and go hang with the Societies, they'll take you into thier little circle with open arms!!! But i guess having the choice in a large flight they will always pick thier own species... So I'm constantly yelling at them to leave her alone, and she doesn't have any feather plucking signs, she just sort of runs away from them... Poor girl.... but as much as I wouldn't get Zebras again, I'm so glad I did, they taught me SO much about birds, and taught me so much about learning about birds, even thought they are small and "easy" to care for... I tell everyone thinking of getting birds to make sure they do their homework first, as the more you know, the better off you and your birds will be.... So, in that aspect you have come to the right place, ask LOTS of questions, and look through this forum, as there is not a problem out there that hasn't been addressed here on this site! And that's my 2 cents.... (BTW, i would recommend Gouldian Finches too...) oh and I wish you were not on the oppostie sea board as me, cuz I have 2 lovely chocolate pied society brothers that LOVE each other that i would be more than happy to give you, BUT i don't believe in shipping birds... Did it once (to get brids) and won't ever do it again!

[ellen7]

Thanks for posting your story, lnlovesorange. I enjoyed reading about your Zebs and wished you didn't live so far away.

[Sojourner]

ellen7 lovezebs

"Offered a nest they will start their own dynasty....." Hahahaha. So true so true Elana.

GO TEAM SOCIETIES!!! (I'm giving you the razzzberry Elana!) heehée

Heck, DON'T give 'em a nest, they'll give it a go anyway. My first pair were even both FEMALE and poor Molly Brown started laying and became eggbound anyway.

All the finches I like best lack sexual dimorphism. I specifically DID NOT want zebras even though they are sexually dimorphic (you can easily tell the males from the females) as they are so quarrelsome and noisy and just barely the wrong side of the equation on the issue of aggression. There are definitely more aggressive birds, but there are also lots that are calmer.

So what did I go and do? Took on two squawking, squabbling, suspicious, noisy, dirty (cloud of feathers around that cage at all times) rescue PARAKEETS. They are named, finally.

Thing One and Thing Two.

I love my Bengalese/Society pair but in future when I'm getting finches I will seek out a breeder who sexes them. I DO NOT want the bother of eggs or the trials and tribulations of trying to get them to stop laying. I DO NOT want to breed them. I've lost one to egg binding, I'd really like to avoid that ever being even a remote possibility in the future.

I won't have much choice when I take on rescue birds, but when I pick 'em out on purpose, it's going to be Testosterone City around here from now on, LOL!