New England Breeders? Waxbills and Owl Finches?

[neojinnx]

Hello all,

My husband and I just finished building our first indoor aviary. It is large, 6' x 4' x 3'. We would like to get a few pairs of finches, mixed varieties, to start. We've never had finches before so we've been doing research for quite a while now and feel ready to move forward!

I live in the Northeast corner of Connecticut and found a pet store in Rhode Island that has a lovely supply of finches. I visited a couple weeks ago and there was a pair of orange breasted waxbills, orange cheeked waxbills, red cheeked cordon bleus, pin-tailed whydahs, cut-throats, among others.

I really like waxbills in general and I think we're going to start with them but there are a few varieties of finch that I have had no luck tracking down locally that I really would like to get; lavender waxbills, seagreen parrotfinches, paradise whydahs, and owl finches in particular. I'm fairly certain that these birds are available from The Finch Farm but I would really rather avoid shipping birds at all, especially cross-country.

My question is, can anyone point me towards someone in New England that might have any of these birds for sale? I don't mind driving several hours, if necessary.

Also, I'd love to hear from you if you've had first hand experience with these particular birds and care to provide any useful insight!

Thanks everyone!

[Sally]

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care, plus ones on specific species. If you put your general location in your profile, it will help later on when members are answering questions.

I am a waxbill lover, so of course, I would push those. Is your aviary 6' tall, 4' wide' 3' deep? We'd love to see photos. Even though that seems quite large, you will find that with finches, the more space you can give them, the better. They need to fly to stay in good health and be happy. It is better to have fewer birds than too many.

I don't know what breeders would be available to you, so can't help you there, but do be careful about mixing passive birds with pushy and/or aggressive. It just makes life easier for you and the birds to try to keep passive birds away from the others.

Personally, if you can't find local breeders, then I'd go for the waxbills that you can find locally. The Orange/Goldbreasted waxbills with the Red-cheeked Cordon Bleus would make a nice combo for color and song, and then you could add another pair that you like, perhaps those Owl finches.

Have some fake plants in your aviary to provide hiding places for those times when a bird just needs to get away from it all or for that occasional squabble that might happen.

Good luck with this, I hope you can find some local breeders.

[lem2bert]

A big hi neojinnx from Betty in Massachusetts and welcome to the forum. Everyone here is so helpful and nice. I was at the Bird Supply of New Hampshire this past weekend for supplies and they had Lavender and owl finches society and Gouldians. They have an online site for information and a phone nbr to call. They are on 101A in NH. I hope it is not too far from you and you get a chance to check it out.

[Stuart whiting]

Hi there and welcome to the forum

I think Sally has pretty much covered what you'd ideally need to know,

The birds that you can find at the time are probably the best to start off with as some waxbill and finch species are rather delicate and need extra attention etc compaired to other birds,

Lavender finches are generally regarded as being a little delicate and wouldn't necessarily say that these are what you'd call beginners birds,
Also the paradise whydahs can be extremely aggressive and territorial towards other birds and need to know this before purchasing and mixing with other birds,

These particular birds are best kept on their own, preferably 1 cock bird to 2-3 hens, the reason for this is so the cock bird is not just chasing the 1 hen during the breeding season to exhaustion,

Above all else enjoy what birds you decide on and enjoy the forum

[neojinnx]

Wow, you guys really are a huge help, thanks so much!

Sally, I'm trying to figure out how to post pictures of the aviary but I'm not sure how to upload them so let's try this!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3I8F6 ... sp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3I8F6 ... sp=sharing

Nothing is installed yet, as you can see. I have quite the collection of silk plants (mostly purple wisteria), perches, and small swings that hopefully will make it in there this weekend.

Betty, I just did a quick search of Bird Supply of New Hampshire and they are only about 2 hours away! Thanks so much for the tip, I'm not sure I would have ever heard about them otherwise!

Also, thank you all for the tips on the Lavender Waxbills and Paradise Whydahs. I've been aiming for passive birds and I think I may have jumbled the Lavender in there with the rest of the waxbills by mistake, not realizing that they have a different temperament. I read somewhere that Paradise Whydahs are much less aggressive than the Pin-Tailed variety but it just goes to show you that not everything on the internet is true!

Finally, while I have you here (although maybe this needs to be a different post?), I've been avoiding zebra finches because I know that they can be pushy. The problem is that I absolutely adore the sounds they make. I know the females generally don't sing but they still make the odd 'meep beep,' don't they? Would they be less inclined to bicker if I only buy two hens?

Thanks again!
-Nikki

[w.l.]

My experience with Lavenders is different from Stuart's.
I have found them quite hardy and not aggressive at all.
I also find they have the most interesting, ever active and curious behaviour among all waxbills by far! So I'd still recommend them in a mixed aviary.
However if you plan to breed there, they could interfere with other birds nesting.

I agree that the whydah is better kept out of an aviary of that size.
If you still want one, getting a male in eclipse color (without the striking colors and long tail) would mean a less aggressive behavior and smoother integration.

I'd also be a bit careful about mixing parrotfinches with waxbills.
As for zebras, I keep the small Timor zebras in mixed aviary, and they never hurt anyone. Not sure how easily you could get these though, they are not in the average birdshop for sure. Their song is better than that of the domesticated, Australian zebras - google Timor Zebra Finch for more info.

[lem2bert]

Glad to be able to help. I checked out the picture of you're aviary and I simply love it.....you're husband did a great job !!! I cannot wait to see it decorated and full of birds

[Sally]

Beautiful aviary, that is going to be such a wonderful home for your birds. If you love the meep-meep of Zebras, try to find some youtube videos of Owl finches. They are closely related to Zebras, have a similar sound (to me), they are quite comical little characters, and you've already indicated an interest in them.

Here's a link to a thread on how to post photos on the forum:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22710

[Stuart whiting]

My experience with Lavenders is different from Stuart's.
I have found them quite hardy and not aggressive at all.
I also find they have the most interesting, ever active and curious behaviour among all waxbills by far! So I'd still recommend them in a mixed aviary.
However if you plan to breed there, they could interfere with other birds nesting.

I agree that the whydah is better kept out of an aviary of that size.ender
If you still want one, getting a male in eclipse color (without the striking colors and long tail) would mean a less aggressive behavior and smoother integration.

I'd also be a bit careful about mixing parrotfinches with waxbills.
As for zebras, I keep the small Timor zebras in mixed aviary, and they never hurt anyone. Not sure how easily you could get these though, they are not in the average birdshop for sure. Their song is better than that of the domesticated, Australian zebras - google Timor Zebra Finch for more info.

Totally agree Laszlo with all what you say,

however mate I didn't say anything about the lavender finches being aggressive as I've usually found these to be quite placid

I just basically stated that lavenders can be a little delicate because they can be quite sensitive to varying temperatures / heat control

[w.l.]

Indeed Stuart you didn't say so, but neojinnx seems to have made that conclusion anyway, saying:

Also, thank you all for the tips on the Lavender Waxbills and Paradise Whydahs. I've been aiming for passive birds and I think I may have jumbled the Lavender in there with the rest of the waxbills by mistake, not realizing that they have a different temperament.

Perhaps based on finchinfo.com putting them in the pushy group, suited for mixing with similarly pushy birds. But I have never found Lavenders disturb other adult birds in the aviary, however they seem inclined to take over nests they like and might also steal hatchlings as decor!
I would therefore not mix them with other breeding birds but happily include them in a non-breeding aviary.

I have also read freshly imported ones can be delicate but I have never had any trouble with them, freshly bought wild-caughts adapt to aviay life very fast!
Perhaps me living in a tropical country makes the difference, they don't have to adapt fo a new, cooler climate.

[Stuart whiting]

Hi Laszlo,

Yes mate yer certainly right there,

Yep it could be the lavender being wrongly placed in the pushy bird category on the finch info.com

I'd also be inclined to agree that where you are in a hot climate that the temperature sensitivity is probably not so great

[neojinnx]

Stuart and w.l.-

Thanks so much for sharing all of this info on Lavenders! It's one thing to read a summary of a bird online but it's so valuable to me to hear real peoples' hands-on experiences with them. And yes, I did see that finchinfo.com listed them in the 'pushy' category and I jumped to the conclusion that they were one of the species you were referring to. You know what they say about people who assume...

Do you think that I could still have a problem with offering a temperature suitable for Lavenders in an indoor aviary? I'll be the first to admit that we have some very harsh winters in Connecticut but the house is always comfortable. Do they just do better in tropical climates, in general?

Could you elaborate on why parrotfinches in an aviary with waxbills may not be ideal?

Also, I'm very intrigued by the Timor Zebra Finch! I think the chances of finding any locally are slim but if anyone from New England knows of a source, I'd love to know!

Betty and Sally-

Just an update on the aviary- my husband touched up the paint in a few spots and covered the last of the visible screw holes so it looks very crisp and clean now. It meant so much to him that you had such positive feedback, he was so pleased! He did point out, however, that I jumbled the dimensions in my original post. It's 6'H x 5'W x 3'D (we made many modifications to the design throughout this process and we ultimately decided to add a foot to the width to allow for longer horizontal flights). Once we get some plants and perches installed and, hopefully, a few birds, I'll post more pictures!

Cheers!
-Nikki

[Stuart whiting]

Hi Nikki,

The main thing that is worth remembering when it is recommended that some birds need heat is with a little bit of forethought you soon realise that you don't necessarily have to supply the amount of heat that is so often stated,

I'm keeping my waxbills out side in me birdroom once I've finished the construction which I'm currently doing

Now here's the best bit, I don't actually intend to supply any form of heat unless it's absolutely necessary,

it's not a huge area, about 9 x 5 ( feet ) so any warmth that is in the room is not lost as easily, insulation is another very big factor as I've insulated all around the walls of me birdroom,
I've got a double glazed window and have also put a clear polycarbonate panel on the inside of me glass panelled door to aid as secondary glazing,

Inside my birdroom there will be no chance of any cold air movement,

image.jpeg

now this is very important as regards to any delicate waxbills and finches,
Its not actually the cold that kills birds as many may think, it is usually a cold draught and cold air movement that chills them and then eventually causes death.

If your intending to keep your birds indoors I think you'll most probably be ok because in truth I think that this is possibly the best way to keep small foreign birds as most experienced foreign bird keepers will know because to keep foreign outside all winter and supply heat it's certainly gonna eat into yer winter electric bill

Incidentally as regards to parrot finches, the reason why it's not advisable to keep em with small waxbills etc is because the parrot finches can become rather spiteful and can show aggression to other birds especially during the breeding season, these are best kept in an avairy or cage on there own, saves any hassle

Hope you find what yer looking for

[w.l.]

Well, Stuart has pretty much said it all, but I also second it with my words.

So basically Lavenders, like most little waxbills coming from tropical climates, are made for just that: stable, warm temperature. This is especially important when birds are newly imported, already weakened by stress, unfamiliar food, possible infections picked up in overcrowded holding stations. At this stage, you need to keep them in ideal conditions to ease their transition to captivity, including warm temperatures. Once they have settled, most can "learn" to tolerate somewhat lower temperatures, too, but not much lower!
Unfortunately, many Western aviculturalists try to acclimatize their birds to whatever conditions are at their place of residence, and try and save on heating bills, too. So they often keep birds at temperatures under 10 Celsius. Hardy birds like Zebras, Javas, Lovebirds etc can tolerate that, but tiny waxbills usually can't. This is why Stuart has called Lavenders sensitive. I don't even consider this an issue of the bird being sensitive, but an issue of mere common sense, eg having to keep a tropucal bird in warm enough a place. If your aviary will stand indoors in a house where temperatures are kept over 20 Celsius (sorry, we Europeans don't use F), they will be fine.

Now for the parrotfinches.
There are several species of them, with various characters. All are larger than waxbills, so their mere size can inhibit the latter. Waxbills can get used to bigger birds if the latter behave peacefully. I'd say that the most beautiful species of parrotfinch, pintails, are very peaceful and could live with waxbills. But you won't get them in the US, apparently. I guess what you were considering are the Blue-faced PFs, and these are rather boisterous, especially in the breeding season. They may not actively harm your waxbills, but their antics alone will upset the balance.
It is better to mix birds of similsr size and temperament

Good luck finding Timor Zebras! They are wonderful little birds quite unlike the big, fat Australian ones bred in captivity, and may even be worth getting shipped to you if you find a breeder. Just make sure you do get the real thing.

[Stuart whiting]

Absolutely agree with you w.l., well said mate