Who's Who of Exotic Finches

I have been keeping birds for around three years now.  I started with a wacky pair of Gloster Canaries, the ones with the crest which my mum immediately christened Ringo due to his hairstyle.  I progressed to a little colony of finches, zebras and Bengalese and the bug caught hold.  I persuaded the family to part with a third of the back garden and a shed was purchased.  The flight was built on by myself and my dad, an accomplishment having never done anything remotely similar before!

Ringo, my first Gloster Canary

I keep a variety of birds, canaries, parakeets, finches, some British birds, doves, quail and a couple of rabbits have run of the floor of the flight, causing their own particular brand of chaos now and again.  I love all of the types of birds but, having recently had some bad luck with the parakeets, decided to start focusing more on the little exotic finches.

So research commenced and I quickly found there is an amazing variety of finches from all over the world available to enjoy.  Every colour and from every continent, they appear with their exotic names and very little else.  Hence my deciding to start compiling a who’s who of the finches, who can live with others or don’t play well and who can cross-breed with others.

I know a lot of people like hybrids or mules and each to their own.  Personally, I’m a ‘as nature designed’ breeder; owl finch to owl finch, zebra finch to zebra finch.  I do have three goldfinch-canary mules given to me kindly by a breeder who was giving up the hobby.  They are amazing singers and lovely birds to look at but it is heart-breaking to hear the cock singing to the hens come breeding season and watch her build her nest, only for there to be little or no chance of anything coming of it.  So therefore, my aim is to house together birds who won’t cross-breed with anyone other than their perfect other half.

Family Connections

Most of the ‘exotic’ finches we keep are from the family known as Estrildid finches.  There are a multitude of these little guys all divided neatly into smaller families by their Latin names.  Inside these smaller families are the higher chance of cross-breeding.

Normal Zebra Finch cock

Starting with the most common aviary finch, the Zebra Finch.  Adorable little Australian finch, full of character and able to produce a fantastic array of colours and variations with very little work needed.  Feed them, water them, give them nesting material and suitable sites (or not so suitable) and they will regularly produce broods of chicks.  They are a finch processing line, incubating for around two weeks and the young fledging around three weeks old.  They continue to be parent fed for a few weeks after this, though a sure sign of being nearly weaned is the noise.  The more independent they are, the more they shout at the parents for food and the less the parents feed them.  Now the Zebra is in the family Taeniopygia and the only other member of the family is the Owl or Bicheno Finch (Double Barred Finch).  These guys can cross breed so should be kept apart if you want to avoid this.

Family Resemblance

Pair of Hecks Grassfinch preening

In family Poephilia are three finches, two of which are pretty frequent aviary members and are similar enough in appearance to realise they are cousins.  The Long Tailed finch, also known as the Hecks Grassfinch or Shaft tailed finch, is the one with the scarlet red beak while the Black Throated or Parsons Finch has a black beak.  The third member, the Masked Grassfinch, has a different look about him but all three of these birds can cross with each other.

Similarly are the Cut-throat family, Amadina, consisting of the Cut-throat Finch with his unmistaken red throat slash and his cousin, the Red Headed Finch, whose name tells much about him.  These two birds are direct cousins and can hybridize.

Opposites Attract

Red headed Parrotfinches

Another very popular finch is the Gouldian Finch, who comes in a spectacular array of colour variations and a reputation for being a problematic breeder.  Many people foster these chicks to Bengalese or Society Finches but the problem with this is that these fostered birds will never learn to rear their own young, so sometimes perseverance can be the trick.  I have a young pair at the moment who have just made their first attempt at breeding.  Eggs were laid, and incubated through the day but at night they sat on their perches.  I am sticking with them though, as an experienced breeder recommended to do, in the hope that they will learn the full process with time.

Gouldians are in the same family as the Parrotfinches, so again cross-breeding can take place.  The main Parrotfinch species seemingly encountered in aviaries are the Red-Headed, Blue Faced and Tricolour or Forbes Parrotfinches.  Also colourful little birds, these guys are more reliable at the breeding side of things than their Gouldian cousins and do not have the requirement for maintaining temperature that Gouldians have often become associated with.

So…

This is just a glimpse at the potential cross-breeding issues with keeping Estrildid finches without touching on Mannikins/Munias, the wild cousins of Bengalese and Waxbills.  And if hybridisation is your aim, then this might act as a start.  Otherwise, this gives you a who’s who for living accommodations to enjoy these amazing birds.

10 Birds to Start Bird-keeping

Fancy starting to keep birds, in a cage or an aviary?  Here's some tips from my first years in doing so where to start and points to watch out with them.

Zebra Finch

The Zebra Finch is the most common Estrildid finch in Central Australia and one of the most popular aviculture birds.  These little birds come in an array of different colours or mutations, from the wild form grey bird with chestnut cheeks, striped throat and tail and chestnut-spotted sides to pure white birds and wide variety in between.  In captivity, zebra finches live usually 5-7 years but as high as 12 years.  They are seed eaters, preferring millet and other small seeds plus egg food and greens.  They love to bath and are very thorough in it!

Snowy, a white Zebra hen

These little breeding machines will find a suitable nesting site nearly anywhere but the preferred site is a finch nest box, a wooden or wicker covered box with a hole or gap at the front.  Eggs are laid from 2-7 per clutch and incubated by both birds for around two weeks.  When the tiny chicks hatch they are fed for a further three weeks until they are fully feathered at which point they fledge.  Fledglings are easy to see as their beaks remain black for around a month with adult markings finished around a month later.

Zebra finches are social birds who will tolerate others, although cock birds will defend their nest when the hen is on eggs or with chicks and chase others from the immediate area.  Otherwise they will be seen sitting in groups, chatting away and preen each other, and anyone else who happens to sit with them.

Downside: there isn’t one, really.  Easy to feed, easy to breed, friendly, these little guys make ideal pet birds in a cage or in a flight and their little characters will bring endless viewing pleasure.

Bengalese/Society Finch

The Bengalese or Society Finch as they are known in North America is a cage bird not found in the wild and believed to be descended from the White-rumped Munia, a Estrildid finch native to tropical continental Asia.  Bengalese come in a wide variety of colours from chocolate brown and black to pure white with both black and red eyes.  They are probably one of the most sociable and easy-going bird I have worked with.  They are very difficult to sex however, with the only definite sign being that only the cock bird sings.

Feeding Bengalese is also simple; they are seed eaters enjoying such as millet, canary seed and niger seed, though at a limit amount due to fat content.  They also love greens and fruit.

Caramel, a Bengalese hen

Bengalese, like Zebras, nest in finch boxes or similar surroundings.  Both birds incubate the eggs and can be very stubborn in not moving to allow nest checks; such is their dedication to their task.  They hatch 14-16 days and fledge in around three weeks, weaning around a month later.  They are also known for their willingness to foster other bird’s eggs and chicks.  As long as they can recognise the gape of the chick, meaning its open beak, then they will feed it.  The only downside with this method is that fostered chicks will often not then raise their own young.

Downside: the only downside of Bengalese comes from their sociability.  They like to roost all together which can result in destroyed eggs and only the alpha pair will breed, or sometimes not at all.  I have found that either keeping a single pair or in separate breeders is the best method if you are wanting to breed them but if you want to enjoy their colony antics, then a group of them in a cage or a flight are a treasure.

Canary

The domestic canary is a domesticated form of the wild Canary, a songbird originally from the Azores, Madeira and, of course, Canary Islands of Spain.  They have been captive bred since the 17^th century when Spanish sailors took them across Europe.  They now come in a wide range of colours and breeds, from the small slender Irish Fancy to the big, chunky Border Canary.

Canaries are seed eaters and also enjoy egg food, greens and some fruit.  They are impossible to sex visually and can only be definitely sexed by the song, of which the full bodied song comes from the cock while the hen ‘mutters’.

Irish Fancy Canary Harry

Breeding canaries comes about when the light levels reach around 12 hours a day and is best achieved one pair to a cage as they can be aggressive.  Breeders often separate sexes until the hen is ready to breed due to the male being over-keen and hounding his mate.  Feeding through the bars is a sure sign the hen is ready to mate.  Nests will be made in a canary nest pan or similar cup and 4-5 eggs are laid.  The hen incubates the eggs and the cock is relied on to bring her food.  Chicks hatch around 2 weeks and fledge at about 18 days old.  Sometimes it is then necessary to remove one or other of the parents to ensure they concentrate on weaning the young and not preparing the next nest.

Downside: Personally, I have found canaries a little hard to breed with a series of small disasters such as squashed chicks or eggs but as a general rule, canaries are easy to breed, easy to house and feed and have the most beautiful, uplifting song.

Budgerigar

Not many people won’t be familiar with the Budgie, one of the most common pet birds originally from Australia and bred in the wild since the 1850s.  They are a parakeet from the parrot family and are naturally yellow and green in the wild but have been bred into a fantastic range of colours.  They also come in two main size groups, known as Normal (smaller) and Exhibition (larger and often chunkier).

Sexing Budgies is achieved by the small nostrils known as the cere above their beak.  Brown, pale brown to white indicates female while blue is a male.  There are some slight exceptions to the rule for special mutations.

Budgies are intelligent birds, as are all parrots and like toys to play with an interaction with humans if this is how they have been raised, or others of their kind.  However, they have a reputation in mixed aviaries as sometimes a problem, particularly due to their preference for chewing everything to investigate it which can lead to injuries and also to eating other birds’ eggs.

Breeding comes from June to September in the wild and nests are made in boxes with small concaves in but little in the way of nesting material is used.  4-6 eggs are incubated for 18-21 days and the young fledge at 30 days.

Downside: As a pet, budgies can be noisy if you live in close proximity to your neighbours with surprising volume for their size.  As mentioned, they have a reputation as a potential problem in mixed aviaries and the other issue with chicks can be splay leg, where legs are bent outwards and can impede proper standing which leads to problems in later life.

Cockatiel

Cockatiels are another parrot family member, closely related to cockatoos and again originating from Australia.  They are second in popularity to Budgies as kept pets. Cockatiels are easier to learn to understand in some respects than other birds due to the expressive nature of their crest, vertical when startled or excited, slightly more relaxed when neutral or relaxed and flat to the head when angry or defensive.

The wild type bird is mainly grey with white flashes on the outer wing edges and a yellow or white face on the male or grey to light grey on the female.  The orange around the ear areas tends to be brighter in the cock bird.  Lifespan in captivity is typically 16-25 years

Cockatiel hens typically lay an egg every 48 hours and the clutch size is around 2-8 eggs.  They are incubated for 18-21 days and both parents feed the chicks once they hatch.  They fledge at 4-5 weeks and are fed by their parents for some time after this.

Downside: Like Budgies, cockatiels can be very loud, almost screaming at times, especially with hand reared birds not receiving the amount of attention they require.  In a mixed aviary, some cockatiels can be aggressive so it is best to have a bird from a mixed aviary background for this situation.

Lovebird

There are nine species of lovebirds altogether, eight from the African continent and one to Madagascar.  The Rosy-faced Lovebird, more commonly known as the Peach Faced Lovebird, is one of the more commonly known and there are several colour variations available.  Peach Faced are often said to be aggressive to other species apart from the one it has bonded with, be it another lovebird or a human.

The Yellow collared Lovebird, or Masked Lovebird, is distinctive for its black head, bright red beak and white eye-ring.  The blue mutation of the Masked has been known since the 1920s, making it the oldest lovebird mutation. 

Fischer’s Lovebirds are another species kept in aviculture and are seen as charming and affectionate birds who like to spend time with their owners and require interaction and stimulation to prevent boredom.

All species require toys and perches of wood to chew as their beaks are made from a material called keratin which keeps growing so chewing is required to prevent over-growth.  This can make them destructive to their environment and have been known to chew their way out of wooden cages!

Downside: lovebirds love to make a noise and are good at it, so may not be suitable for people living in built up areas.

Gouldian Finch

The Gouldian or Lady Gouldian Finch is a beautifully colourful Estrildid finch from Australia which comes in a wonderful variety of colours.  They can be visually sexed as the hens are duller in colour than the cock birds.  They are seed eaters like most of their cousins.

During breeding season, they are not the most sociable of birds and best kept in single pairs as the males can be territorial.  Outside breeding season, they will live in mixed colonies with other Australian finches though Parrotfinches should be avoided as hybridization can occur.

Downside: Gouldians have a reputation as troublesome breeders and a lot of people use Bengalese as foster parents.  The downside with this is that the young will then not rear their own young and so the cycle continues.  Other breeders recommend perseverance and allowing them to throw eggs and even young as part of the learning process.

Greenfinch

The Greenfinch is a common garden visitor in Britain, an olive green bird who lives across Europe, north Africa and south west Asia.  When it comes to British birds in aviculture, Greenfinches are one of the easiest to keep.  They eat a mixture of small seeds, green, fruit and occasionally some mealworms for protein. 

Greenfinches nest happily in canary nesting pans, usually above eye level and with some form of protective greenery around them to maintain the illusion of a tree.  Or a tree itself, if you can have one in your flight.  They lay 3-8 eggs.

Greenfinch hen

Legally, Greenfinches must have a special closed ring provided by either the IOC or the BBC (British Bird Council not the TV people) which is put on the chick at 5-6 days to show it has been captive bred and not caught from the wild.

Downside: Greenfinches are prone to ‘going light’ which is a sulphur deficiency.  This is treated with a drug called a sulphadimidine (for example Intradine) when chicks fledge to help prevent this.

Hecks Grassfinch

The Hecks Grassfinch is an Estrildid finch known by various names including the Shaft-tailed finch and the Long tailed Finch.  It is a beautiful little bird with black bib, grey head, fawn body and brilliant red beak with feathers that look like velvet.

Hecks Grassfinch

Breeding in captivity is not a problem, though some breeders have found that they need to be kept alone to avoid aggressiveness.  Personally, I have my Hecks with other finches and have witnessed no problems so far, but each bird has its own personality.  They lay 4-6 eggs and incubate for 13-17 days.

Downside: not much really, in my opinion.  They need to be kept separate to their two closest related species, the Masked Grassfinch and the Parsons Finch as it can hybridise with them.

Chinese Painted Quail

This last species is one for the aviary or a very large cage but are amongst the easiest birds to keep and are actually very useful as little seed vacuum-cleaners.  Chinese Painted Quail (CPQ) are the smallest of the true quail, part of the pheasant family.  They come in a range of different colours, from nearly black to brown, silver, lavender and white.

Quail are ground birds who can fly but only tend to do when startled and is an awkward undertaking for them!  They will wander around the floor picking up seed and greens and therefore are kept for their tidying abilities.  They are peaceful birds, apart from occasional cock-bird aggression to each other.  They are also good entertainment with their mating displays!

Downside: a lot of these birds are raised in incubators rather than parent reared so as a result, can find it difficult to rear their own.  Eggs are laid and sometimes incubated but can be random with results.