This is a guide about caring for a zebra finch. These beautiful little birds can be an excellent pet option for a small home or apartment, but they do require special care.
In my opinion, zebra finches are the most enjoyable birds there are! Now that I no longer have a cat, I hope to get some more! They are very easy to take care of. Best of all, the sounds they make are so soothing to listen to.
The only thing is, like rabbits, if you're not careful you will be over-run with birds before you know it! I started out with a pair, and within just a few months I had 7! Their first clutch hatched 5 healthy babies! I learned to separate the males from the females, and never had that problem again.
As far as caring for them, they do need a large cage. I believe that all birds need a large cage. The larger the better. However, when shopping for one, you need to make sure the wires are close enough together that the birds can't squeeze out between them. A parakeet cage usually works well, as long as the wires are no more than 3/8 inch apart.
The cage needs to be large enough to allow the birds to fly. There should also be a wire grate at the bottom with a tray underneath to put the paper in. This paper should be changed at least weekly or more often as needed. I do not believe in clipping a bird's wings. Any bird. If you aren't going to allow them to fly, why have a bird? That's what they were created to do.
Once or twice a week, I would release my birds into a bedroom, and allow them to really fly and stretch their wings. All the windows and any mirrors would be covered to prevent them from trying to fly through them and hurting themselves. I would put their cages in this room with the cage doors open, with food and treats inside. Eventually the birds would all go back into the cages on their own. This usually took several hours but the birds really enjoyed their time out.
They need to have fresh clean water at all times. It should be in a bottle with a small cup at the bottom. It needs to be small enough so the birds can't sit it in, because they will try to take a bath in it. I bought a bird bath that attached to the front of the cage and let them take baths twice a day.
As for diet, specialized pelleted foods are the best, and should consist of 60-70% of their diet. Fortified seeds can be used but only in moderation as they are higher in fat. Daily, you should give them fresh dark greens, slices of raw apples and oranges, grated carrots and sweet potato. Remove any of these that have not been eaten after 24 hours. DO NOT FEED them avocados, fruit seeds, chocolate, alcohol, or caffeine, as they can create major medical problems for the birds. My birds' favorite treat was spray millet. They loved them! They also need a dish of grit to help with digestion. Also, do not place food or water dishes under the perches, as their droppings will land in them.
Perches of various dimensions should be provided. I went outside to my trees, and cut different size branches off, and used those for perches. Using these natural branches also helped to keep their nails trimmed, too. The variety of branch sizes helps to exercise their feet.
Once a month, the entire cage should be thoroughly washed and dried. A good time to do this is while they are flying around the bedroom.
Do not place the cage directly in front of a window that gets a lot of hot sun, or anywhere that might have a draft. This includes from a fan. Birds are highly susceptible to cold and heat. The cage should not be placed on the floor, but in an area that is well lit. I have kept my cages across the room from north facing windows, so they got lots of light, but not too much. An east or north facing window would be fine, as long as the amount of sun is monitored. If it gets to be too much, pull a curtain closed. Or if it's just a bit too much, a sheer curtain would be enough.
Use a cage cover in winter will help to keep the warmth inside the cage. I never used it during the warm months though.
When I first got my birds I bought a book about the care of finches. But there is tons of information online that you can get for free, and print it out and create your own book.
Source: My own 7 zebra finches.
By Cricket from Parkton, NC
I have 4 zebra finches, 2 males and 2 females. One of the females laid four eggs in one nest and is sitting on a different nest with all the others. After 1 week or something she laid 4 more in another nest and all of the birds sit on them, but during the day they don't. If anybody could explain please? Thank you.
By Fayed from Giza, EG
By Lorelei
04/03/2011
I called my sister-in-law who once owned Zebra finches as I know nothing about them and she said, "The female will sit on the nest much longer and hardly get off it the closer the time comes for the eggs to hatch. When the female first lays her eggs, she will leave her nest a few days for food and water and will get back on the nest. It's more the bird's nature."
I have a Galapagos finch as a pet and she laid 5 eggs. I wasn't prepared for this to happen and the eggs are without a nest. My question is, are they OK being without a nest?
By Tori from San Antonio, TX
By blakez
09/27/2011
I bought some zebra finches about a month ago. Their cage has a man-made wicker nest up in the top corner and they were using that regularly for a while. Then I had the bright idea of giving them some grass. They began putting it in the nest but then ended up building it in the feed bowl so I removed the nest.
Then I read that they won't build the nest anywhere that I put the materials in. So, next time I gave them grass, I put in the food bowl thinking that they would insist on moving it somewhere else. Instead, they didn't make a nest at all and they sometimes sleep in the food bowl and sometimes in the nest.
A few days ago, she laid 2 and then 3 eggs in the nest. Oddly enough, they don't give them much attention at all and are now both sleeping in the food bowl instead of the nest with the eggs. I gave them a bit of grass today and they both got busy right away bringing it up to the nest. They didn't make a very good nest but they jammed it all in there.
This afternoon, I gave them a bit more grass and they were no longer interested in it. I am hoping they sleep in the nest with the eggs tonight. Not sure if the eggs will be dead already though. I am sure I will see some signs if they are dead soon. Its pretty hot here in Thailand!
Any tips on the bird psychology behind this, about helping them make a nest in the man-made nest, or just about taking care of these eggs would be great. I really don't know much about them although google is helping!
I have a breeding pair of Zebra finches who have recently hatched a brood of 3 chicks. They are in a very confined small basket nest. Should I move them to a larger nest? They are about 8 days old and I'm afraid that as they grow one will fall from the nest or be accidentally pushed out.
Wanda from Calgary
By consulted
05/18/2010
Hard call. Find a local breeder or bird club.
They need their combined body heat to keep each other warm until they get old enough.
If you change nests, handle them carefully. Make sure they don't get too much room and get separated from each other.
Use a larger nest for the next clutch. Make sure you have enough nesting material so that the mother can adjust the nest size to the brood size.
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