Hopefully not a stupid question.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:36 pm

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I have searched for information on this and haven't found anything that explained it for me. IS there a difference between the voices of male and female zebra finches? I have found all kinds of stuff on other birds that really sing, but nothing in zebras. My female in quarantine has a raspier and much softer voice than the males I have. I just want to be sure; maybe I am reading too many posts on Goulds and air sac mites.

Post by **Sally** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:43 am

Male Zebra finches sing, there is a link to song clips under the species profile at the FIC. Females don't sing, but both males and females have this little meep, meep call. I haven't really noticed whether there is a difference in their sound. And there is no such thing as a stupid question.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:53 am

as sally says the females dont sing,but the males voices do tend to vary when they are singing,they all sing the same sequence notes but some sound different to otheres .some sound deeper or higher but they all sing the same song in exactly the same way

ken

Post by **Hilary** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:37 am

Sally, I loved that you described their call as a "little" meep sound!

Man, tell that to my brain when the light flicks on in the morning in the cage in my bedroom and all of the little buggers start meeping at once!

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:24 am

That's funny. That's happening to me now. I have the light in the living room on a timer, so the boys wake up and start making their noise before I get up... and before I had another bird in the bedroom it never woke me up... but they can hear each other through the wall so the female in the bedroom starts to make noise too. Once they are all meeping it's enough to wake me up. It's certainly not the most unpleasant alarm I've had though.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:02 am

hi beccafigs
just try this (if you can whistle ) just do a short whistle whilst you are stood near your meepers,and they should instanly stop their meeping and listen for a short while and then they should all talk at once...its a bit like an air raid siren they wait to see where the whistle has come from then they seem to decide to discuss it it works every time for me!

ken

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:46 am

They've done stuff like that with other noises too, it's so funny. My front door is squeaky and I haven't fixed it, but after I close the door they are quiet for a moment and then go off meeping like crazy. I love it. When they do it when I leave and I can hear them from outside!

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:32 pm

I am enjoying reading this thread.....my 2 Z's will do that too when I whistle at them....sudden silence then total Zebra chaos (well as much as 2 Zebras can muster)...it is just so darn funny.

And I have this little squeaky toy fuzzy dog thingy and when I squeak it that they go nuts and so do my lovebirds. So fun to watch!

Also when I flip on the light in the morning....2 seconds go by then look out....everybodys making Good Morning music.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:22 pm

That's funny about the dog toy, I got one for my birds too. If I use it just right I can get it to sound a LOT like the birds. If I can't get it to sound like them they ignore it. They do respond a lot when I make my own meep noise, (which is obviously nothing like theirs); they really sound off. I was just doing that a moment ago when I thought to check the forums.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:52 pm

try rubbing a piece of polystyrene foam on the window,make it slightly moist and rub away i have made canaries sing with this......are we all nuts or what!

ken

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:31 pm

OMG...Kenny...that is too funny....lol!!

Now you have me running around looking for some poly foam...still haven't found any yet...I know there is some in the basement somewhere.

I am proud to say I have a my masters in B.S (Bird Silliness)....life would be very boring without it.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:55 pm

i sooooooo love this site !just for what it is! you are never to old to act a little silly sometimes

ken

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:02 pm

That is too funny Kenny. I love it. I love getting to interact with my birds, even if it's in weird ways like that.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:42 pm

Hey....I just found another sound that gets my Zebras going....some fast Banjo music was playing on the radio and my 2 Z's went nuts....I got such a kick out of them....I don't know if they liked the Banjo music or were telling me to change the station....lol

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:00 pm

You all are a kick! I have had a great time reading these posts. I used to have Zebs, but the meeping drove me meeping nuts so I went to a more musical "Song of the Blue caps" with a canary accompanyment. Very nice.
Leah