FINCHforum

Hello! Some of you may recognise me from Avian Avenue. I'm new to the forum as you can probably tell. I currently own my first and only Parrot, Triton, a Green cheek conure. I've never owned finches, but I've developed something of a fascination with then. I have a few basic questions;

1) What is your personal favorite finch species and why?
2) Could you describe what you do on a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule?
3) Can I keep a happy and peacefula all male aviary?
4) What is the loudness and noise frequency of common "beginner" finch species? I can handle infrequent bursts of loud noises, as I've taken care of macaws and 'toos at rescues and had no issue with their noise, but the sound of budgies drives me up the wall.
5) Can a glass aviary be successful if there are plenty of perches?
6) What are some common misconceptions about finches that you'd like to address?

Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting to meet and know everyone.

Well, you already seem pretty intelligent by asking all these questions, and you've come to the right place!! I can't help with all of them, but i can say this. A lot of pet stores call Finches a "good beginner" bird. But that's not exactly true. Zebra finches are PROLIFIC breeders, and will breed in the worst of circumstances (even when they shouldn't) so buying a Pair of Zebra finches if you're not ready for baby finches, there are some precautions to take, so i would look into that. As for an all male aviary, that is usually fine I know with Gouldians and Zebras, and Societies as well as many other species that I'm not familiar with. There are many finch websites that can help you make a decision, as far as noise they are NOTHING like budgies!! (i love budgies, but i know what you mean about their "squawk"! Finches have more of lower song. I find my Zebra's song (and the females beeping) very calming and peacful, but check out some clips of them (youtube, or sound clips online) to make sure. They are pretty easy to care for once you have everything...which in my case (my birds are spoiled rotten) took a LONG time. Everyday I make sure they have seed, and egg, and sprouted seed (mine are currently raising a clutch) I change their water for drinking before i go to work, then (if my mom isn't home) i come home on lunch and give them a warm bath I spot clean the cage 2-3 times a week (like if i see poop on something, i wipe it off) and i change the bottom once a week (unless it's REAL bad before a week) I rinse out their food dishes once a week (so like i rotate i rinse them all out in between adding food, but give them a good srubbin' once a week, obviously unless they pooop in one then it gets removed and cleaned. I also don't have a whole lot of room so mine are in a cage (a pair of zebras in a 30X18X18 which this is the SMALLEST i would go for a pair) but i also let them out for free fly time in my room every day. They aren't like hook bills that like to play with toys, so what they do to entertain themselves is fly, so they NEED fly room (which is why you need a longer cage rather than tall) Zebra's are my favorite (because they are all i have tee.hee.hee) but I'm getting Gouldians in a month, and I've heard WONDERFUL things about societies. I hope what I have to offer helps, and you've come to the right place, this forum is awesome, and if/when you get finches, be VERY careful. Mine were an "impulse" buy...and I got ADDICTED. I'm turning into the "Crazy Bird Lady" so that's the only advice i can give, you will fall in love with them, and want more!!!! Good luck and keep us posted. BTW, here's some helpful sites....
http://www.efinch.com/
http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/
http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php
http://www.petfinchfacts.com/ ~> shout out to MiaCarter this is her site, and it's pretty freakin sweet, and she is an AVID member of this forum!! Much Love MiaCarter!!!

1. Strawberry finches, closely followed by Cordon Bleus and Purple Grenadiers. The first because they were quite rare in the US when I got involved with them, the others because I love all the Uraeginthus species for their beauty, color, and song. All of the above also have great personalities too IMO.

2. This is ideal, which I rarely attain.
Daily - refill water, check feed, provide egg food/veggies, check condition of birds, offer baths.
Weekly - clean cages.
Monthly - do any major cleaning of cages.
As Needed - top off mineral/treat cups, give spray millet, trim nails.

3. Definitely, as long as you pay attention to species compatibility. Don't expect peace if you put an aggressive species in with a passive species, even if they are all males, though they can sometimes get along.

4. The most common beginner finches are Zebras and Societies. Noise level and tolerance is different for each person. Some find the Zebras meeps and beeps adorable, others are driven to distraction by them--most fall in between these two extremes. The Societies are not as loud, I don't hear many complaints about their sounds.

5. Glass aviaries can be successful if there is good ventilation. Be aware that finches tend to 'fling' their poop, and so glass or even plexiglass surfaces require quite a bit of cleaning. Lots of perches are a necessity in any aviary, whether glass, plexiglass, or wire.

6. Misconceptions about finches:
a. Social with humans? - not generally, they prefer the company of other finches, unlike so many of the hookbills.
b. Tiny birds, tiny cages? - no, they actually require a much larger cage than pet shops recommend, a 30x18x18" being the absolute smallest for one pair of finches IMO.
c. They love only seeds? - no, they actually eat a variety of seeds/insects/vegetables/fruits/minerals in the wild, so we should provide them with a similar diet in captivity.

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