This article gives a background of the most common variety of finch which is the zebra finch. Almost all finch owners start out with this particular species, for reasons that will be laid out in this article. At the end, pointers will be given to enthusiasts who would like to start having zebra finches as pets.

The Zebra Finch species is an introduced bird in the Philippines. The birds are native to Australia, and they can now be found in captivity in almost all countries of the world. Wild zebra finches have already adapted to human civilization, and in Australia, their nests can be found in house roofs, building cracks, old tires and other man-made structures. Its scientific name is Taeniopygia guttata, a distant cousin of our local brown maya. Unlike the maya though, zebra finches exhibit different colorings and feather patterns. With that characteristic and their prolific breeding ability (zebras in captivity breed all year round), the birds are used as model organisms and studied in-depth by by geneticists and biologists. Breeders are also fond of the zebra finch because they are inexpensive on the market and they cost less to maintain as PETS compared to parakeets, lovebirds, and parrots.

It is very easy to distinguish a male from a female zebra finch. Males exhibit the dominant colors, like an orange cheek, black and white stripes and a bright red beak when it is already ready to mate. The female on the other hand has a distinguishable orange beak and is usually plain grey, light brown, or totally white in color. Moreover, only the male zebra finch has a song(the female does not sing), which it gets from its father and other sounds in its environment. The male’s song rhythm and pattern, which at first sounds like an old analog cellphone beeping, is recognizable after a few minutes of listening to them. Considering these birds are only 2-3 inches long, the sound they produce can be very loud, and can be quite unbelievable and captivating when you hear them the first time.

Most finches, at least here in the Philippines, are raised in bird cages and not in aviaries. A small cage, measuring 2 x 2 x 1 ft, can accommodate a zebra finch family, father and mother and three to ten youngs at the same time. After the youngs are able to fly around the cage which is about two months after hatching, that’s the only time to separate them from their parents.   With regard to their diet, zebras are fond of bird seeds, and they are messy eaters. In the wild, this helps spread around the seeds for trees to proliferate, but in captivity, this can prove to be quite a challenge for the pet owner. A lot of uneaten seeds will end up in the waste tray and seed husks will be all over the place, fanned off when the finches play inside the cage. ( But of course, this shouldn’t be a problem for pet lovers, right?) The zebras must also be provided with a variety of food like vegetables, fruits, egg food, cuttlebone, and spray millets intermixed with the regular bird seed. This will ensure healthy and active birds and will greatly help them especially when youngs are already being raised by the parents. It is very important for the finches to have a fresh supply of food and water everyday, and when a bath is not provided, the zebras will make sure you notice because they will play around with the available water.

A zebra finch pair can produce a new set of young or a clutch every month, but this is unadvisable for the human breeder because it can prove quite stressful for the parents. The pair shows sign of breeding time when the birds start gathering nest materials in one corner of the cage. During this time, a nest or small basket is necessary, placed at the upper part of the cage. The pair will gather leaves, coconut husks, and any soft material you will provide, and even their own feathers to make the nest. Once they get settled and the female starts laying eggs, the nests and eggs must be left alone because the finch pair might abandon their eggs and even their hatch. Most young parents do not know how to raise the hatchlings, and so it is possible that the first clutch of chicks will die. This is alright and eventually they will learn to become good parents. A clutch may be composed of as few as three chicks and as many as ten, but don’t worry because the parents will take care of their young no matter how many they are. In order to prevent stressing the parents, it is recommended that the nest be removed when the young finches are already capable of flying and mingling with their parents, and a few more weeks the young should then be separated so that the parents can produce a new clutch.

Although more difficult to tame than a parakeet and a lovebird, the zebra finch provides the same amusement and wonderful experience for the pet owner.

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The usual price of a zebra finch pair in Cartimar is from 250-300 Pesos(roughy equivalent to 6-8 US Dollars). They are usually found inside semi-large cages, with one cage containing at most 50 finches. If you buy from Cartimar, I suggest you buy the female from one store, and the male from another. Being in one cage usually means that they come from the same parents, and you wouldn’t want inter-breeding with your chosen pair. The next item to go for is the cage, which ranges from 150 Pesos(small ones) to 400 Pesos(large ones with a divider.) The cage usually comes with plastic feeding cups for both food and water. Clay and marble vessels are usually priced at 10 to 30 Pesos, their advantage being larger and more sturdy. For the beginner pet enthusiast, the plastics would do. A kilo of bird seed costs P60 which will last two months for one pair, and for breeders, cuttlefish cost P10 and nests from P10-20. All in all, the beginner pet owner will shell out only P500 to 700($11 to 15) to own a pair of zebra finch.

If you are really serious about raising and breeding finches though, FinchMe suggests that you get your birds from private breeders. This will assure the health quality and gene pool variety of your birds and their offsprings. Some breeders even offer a lower price for birds with even higher quality. To find out more about trusted breeders near your area, please see our Breeders page. The featured breeders’ address and contact numbers are listed there.

Happy Finching!