European Goldfinch Aggression

[Ratrodfink]

I purchased a "pair" of European Goldfinches on Sunday. They were in a cage with numerous other EGF's. I wasn't confident in my ability to sex a true pair but an employee of the store said she was able to sex them. I brought them home and put them together in a cage that is 36 x 30 x 24. After a day of settling into their cage they began chasing each other relentlessly. Pecking and diving after each other for 15 minutes at a time. Then they will sit calmy within inches of each other for an hour or so. They will eat and drink and explore the cage normally and then resume their aggression towards each other. Is it more than likely that they were sexed improperly and I have two males? The red is different on each bird. There is more red on one of their heads and it runs behind the eye. I don't want either bird to get hurt. Should I call the store and see if I can return them or will the aggression subside as they get acclimated?

[Ursula]

First thing I would do is separate them before they kill each other!

I have only 1 goldfinch now but in the beginning I also had a "pair". I never was sure either whether they truly were different sex, and they also chased each other regularly. But my aviary is definitely bigger than your cage and I thought they were ok, since the chasing went on for a couple minutes and then they were ok for a few days...

Sadly one day (after only a few months that I had them) I found one of them dead on the floor. He/she didn't have any apparent insuries, so I don't really think that the other one was to blame. But who knows if he died of a heart attack or something because of that aggression? He certainly didn't act sick before I found him....

Since I was never sure what exactly happened and my goldfinch seems happy enough by himself with all the other finches as company (for about 2 years now) I never replaced the other one and will keep him single...

[Ratrodfink]

I do have them separated but I don't really have the room right now to keep them separated. Am I right though? Do I have two males? I know two females will fight during breeding season and I'm sure even a true pair will have their moments but this seems almost relentless at times.

[nirep]

If you can post some photo's of them we might be able to sex them for you.In my experience like you said even true pairs can fight. Females take on being the dominant ones and after a while it might change again to male.Do you have two seperate feeding stations i found helps.

[Ratrodfink]

Ok I'm going to try to get them to stay still long enough for pics. If I do have a pair then here's another question. I have a cage that is 48x30x48. I was going to use it for Java Rice Finches. Should I move the EGF's to the big cage? Would that help defuse the situation? They would be the only birds in that cage. Would that still be a problem?

[nirep]

I just thought of an idea you can try.If you can keep them in a dark room or cover them for a couple of days it might settle them down and they might get used to each other a bit more.I don't know if this will work but just an idea.As for bigger cage mine is 90X78X46 centimetres and still had them chasing and fighting.Are your dimensions inches or centimetres?

[Ratrodfink]

Sorry it was inches.

[flrancho]

I don't know very much about European Goldfinches, or how to sex them, but I can say that even true pairs will fight. I have a pair of Pin-tailed Whydahs (in which there's no mistaking that one is male and the other is female). The male occasionally picks on the female. I've seen him chase after her before, but never pluck her. I moved them to a smaller cage a few weeks ago, because I caught the male Whydah plucking a few of my other finches. Once moved there he seemed to get more aggressive to the hen to the point of "attacking" her when he never did this in the big cage. He's settled down now to that all he'll do is chase her a short distance like he did before and there's no more attacking.

Its possible you have two birds of the same sex or maybe they're stressed because of the move to a new cage and for whatever reason seem to be turning on their mate like my Whydahs did.

Hope you get the problem worked out.

[BigBear0007]

MALE



FEMALE

Please post some pictures of your birds.
Take them the same way I did.
I need to see the wings and the side of the face.
Also a close up of the beak would be good.
As the the little feathers that are oround their breathing holes are
diferrant.
The males are black and the hens are brown.

Jerry

[Ratrodfink]

Sorry but I have hands like canned hams. I tried to keep out of the way as much as possible.

Bird 1



Bird 2

[BigBear0007]

Bird 1: HEN

Bird 2: Cock

I can tell these are young birds and probably imported from Australia.
The reason they are fighting is because they are no-where near ready to breed.
Their beaks are still black, if they were ready for breeding the beaks would be a light colour.

If I were you, and this is a suggestion and this is what I do.
Keep the cock in his own cage and it does not need to be big.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCaOxpoAjJo

Training cage.

This will steady him and get him to sing.
The hen can be placed in with other finches untill she is ready to breed.

She will hear him sing and will call to him when she is ready to breed.
Being these are imported birds, don't expect any breeding till next year.
They need to settle down and feel secure.
Not to say there isn't a chance of breeding, but it is very unlikely.

In the mean time try to get some aviary or cage bred birds to breed if you can.
You will be a lot happier with those.

http://www.british-birds-in-aviculture. ... d=newposts

http://www.cagefrontspunchbar.com/forum ... 6f3c6c572f

Here are a few sites that helped me alot.
They are British sites, but there are people from all over the world there.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Euro ... =440380290

I hope this helps?

Jerry

[Ratrodfink]

Jerry it absolutely helps especially if I can keep the male in a smaller cage. Can I leave the female in the large cage alone? Will they every be able to be put together permanently?

[BigBear0007]

Jerry it absolutely helps especially if I can keep the male in a smaller cage. Can I leave the female in the large cage alone? Will they every be able to be put together permanently?

You can leave her alone, but it is better if she is with other birds. Or get another hen and keep them together, and if one of them comes into season you can pair her with the male.
Outside of breeding season the males like to be alone. That is what I do, is keep the males seperate. Right now I have my two hens in the same cage and they are fine together. I have a couple males on order also. I really don't know if I will have luck this year either.
Only time they should be together is for breeding, othere wise they will fight.

Jerry

[BigBear0007]

http://www.youtube.com/user/BigBear0007 ... iRQW3mIVps

My mule and his Siberian Goldfinch father singing.


Jerry

[BigBear0007]

http://www.youtube.com/user/BigBear0007 ... L9DfgakdtM

http://www.youtube.com/user/BigBear0007 ... eEeQ0mqMKM

http://www.youtube.com/user/BigBear0007 ... dzUbdONnV8