My Zebra Finches are Scared of Me

[AngrySniperBear]

I got two male zebra finches last week, and they seem to have adjusted to their new environment. However, they do not seem to have adjusted to me.

Now I do not expect them to trust me immediately, but my birds appear that they just can't decide on whether to trust me or not. One night, they might be okay with my presence, and the next morning, they are scared of me again. And they also seem to have trouble recognizing me. I keep them in my room, so I would think they would at least be okay with me at this point. Because they are not tame, I understand that they will be scared of me to a point, but I would have thought that they realized by now that I'm not a threat.

Is there any way I can fix this problem? Or at least keep it under control without stressing them out too much? Any answers (within reason) is much appreciated.

[Phoenix811]

AngrySniperBear animals are very sensitive to our movements and attitude, sometimes my finch will act very anxious out of the blue and I have to pause and take a step back and realize that its ME. My approach. My movements. That may sound very simple, but its true. If Im rushing around running out the door to go to work its like its contagious and the birds start acting the same way, whereas if I'm calm sipping a cup of tea speaking in a soft tone to them, they are visibly calmer. There are videos on youtube regarding 'trust building exercises' and granted some of the ppl seem a tad bit out there, but some are genuinely good, wise ppl who understand how to handle delicate animals like a Finch bird. In one of the videos someone said 'there are 2 ways to train an animal, one is through fear and one is through trust, and trust is something earned." Good luck to u, it will take time, but the reward is well worth the investment.

[wildbird]

Did they come from an aviary? If they did, just being in a small cage will make them flighty. The environment they came from was probably a lot different than where they are now. Things in the room could frighten them and even the clothing you wear can scare them. My birds are usually afraid of red, and if anyone wears it, they are terrified. If there's anything in the room that looks like the picture on your avatar, that would scare them too!

[AngrySniperBear]

wildbird (I can't tell if that last part was supposed to be a joke or an insult, but I'm just going to assume that was supposed to be an insult more than a joke. Not my point though.)

But I can believe that finches can be scared by clothing. Sometimes I might change my clothes, and they react differently. Knowing that my clothes could play a factor in how comfortable they are makes me feel better.

[Fernando]

Birds CAN be scared with such 'faces' as your avatar, as they can by colours, noises and movements. Bird are eye-creatures: its their most important way to perceive the world around them.

If the cage is too small for them to retreat, or to hide somehow, they will be scared.

Living caged animals are highly dependent on us. Make sure you give them a place to live without fear. It is the least you owe them.

[sparrowsong98]

When I first got mine I thought " I will put them in front of the window in the main room in my house. They will be with people and next to a pretty view and happy." Apparently as a house location planner for birds I am a flop. They huddled in their nest, terrified of the dogs, humans, and constant noise on 3 sides of them, and the birds, noises, and occasional cars on the other side. I was sad to see them like this. Why would little happy social birds (or so I thought in that first week) hate this? Something must have made them sick! Then, I moved them upstairs, next to the tv. This was a nice place most days, but dark. This did not suit them either. The dim light made it hard for them to see, and the tv scared them. In the end, they are happy tucked out of the way in my room, with their cage on a shorter bookshelf wedged between two tall ones. If your room is an area of much activity, I would suggest moving them somewhere further out of the way. They seem to thrive when you are just taking care them, talking to them occasionally and providing them with treats and other things to play with.