Feathery friends: anyone ever owned finches?

Question

i'm thinking about getting birds when i'm older and was wondering what people have thought about finches. so far i've heard that they're a bit noisy and may need their wings clipped depending on the size of the cage. any more info out there? general opinions?

Answer 1

I own and breed gouldians - I wouldn't have it any other way.

The benefit to owning finches is that you DON'T need to clip their wings.

The whole point of finches is that they remain in the cage/aviary 24/7 unless by some random chance you get finches that are hand-raised (doesn't happen very often).

Some finches are noisy (Silverbills in particular) - others are nice to have around.  Obviously; too much of any one bird will be loud.  I have about 20 goulds, and they can cause quite a raucous in the early morning hours when they're fresh and feisty.. but on the whole, one or two finches will not create nearly as much noise as, say, 1 cockatiel.

Answer 2

I haven't know someone that owns finches! :]

If you buy some, you will be the first that I know of! :]

Answer 3

Hello.

I have bred finches for 3 years ( 10 kinds , I have up to 800 of them at one time ) Finches are small , they do make chattering noises and they do make a messy seed ( scattering around the cage ) But they are not that noisy ( any birds make noise ...you have to expect that , however, they don't scream or yell as parrots , quakers or cockatoos ( I do have these too ...lol...) But please do not trim their wings ...they need them to fly around, they usually don't walk like parakeets , cockateils ...All they need are finches seed ,  cuttle bones , mineral block ,  twice a week >>> hard boiled eggs cut in half serve shell and all , bread , brocoli head , zupreem fruit snack and crackers ...they will be very happy and enjoy their lives , you will be happy to watch them live happy ever after ( their lives 's span about 6_ 7 years . ) Have fun . TM.

Answer 4

Their songs are very sweet, at least to me.  I had two zebra finches, who unfortunately were sick when I got them and I didn't realize it before they both died.  They need a good sized caged to fly around in, no you shouldn't ever clip their wings.  Whatever bird you choose make sure you do plenty of research beforehand.

Answer 5

finches are nice to let fly around in an aviary and look pretty, not very good birds for training or handling. if you want something small to be a companion, go with a parakeet, or if you are willing to pay a little more, a pair of lovebirds or parrotlets. Make sure you do some thorough research on the last two, can be delicate creatures if not handled properly

Answer 6

I had two finches many years ago.  Zebra finches to be exact.  They did chatter quite a bit but I liked that.  If it gets too much for you, putting a cover over them will quiet them down a bit.  

My problem was that they would peck at each other and I ended up having to separate them although, I kept the cages close together.  I don't recall if I had two males or two females or one of each.  But, at any rate, before you buy two with the intention of keeping them in the same cage, talk to the people you purchase them from and find out what the best combination is to prevent fighting.

Also, you do need to keep them warm -- in a spot where there is no draft.  Otherwise, I think they are wonderful.  

Here is a link to a website.  The Zebra finches are the ones with the red cheeks.

http://www.efinch.com/