by Sarah Espigares

Created on: October 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 27, 2008

Finches are amazing little birds. After all, they were the key to Darwin's life work. They have survived and evolved for years in the wild and can flourish in captivity as well if taken care of properly. There are a few main considerations to take in when deciding to add finches to your home.

The first thing every new finch owner should know is that finches always do best in pairs. Even if you decide to keep more than one pair it is best to keep them in multiples of two. Finches follow the rules of nature and natural selection. They will single out a lone finch and can peck aggressively even to the point of death. This will sometimes happen with paired finches, but your chances are better that it won't if you pair them up.

The next thing you need to consider is environment. Despite their size, compared to a lot of other pet birds, finches need a lot of room. They are very active and fly constantly throughout the day. The more room you can give them to actually fly as opposed to hop, the happier your birds will be. There is always the option of getting an aviary, but they can be expensive and a lot of work especially for one who is new to caring for finches. I would recommend starting with a cage and consider an aviary after gaining a bit more experience. When buying a cage for your birds, bigger is always better except in the case of round cages. Finches do not do well in round cages as they tend to get disoriented very easily. They will fly into the bars frequently, possibly hurting or even killing themselves.

When choosing your finches, there are a variety of breeds to choose from. I always recommend new owners to get a sturdier finch breed to start off with. There are many different species that will live in harmony so you can always add more finches at a later time, but start off simple. I recommend starting off with a male and female zebra finch. Zebra finches live in the grass areas of Australia and have been known to survive on frozen water sources in the wild when needed. They are hardy birds and not pricy. You can always spot male zebras from their female counterparts by the orange patches they have on their cheeks as well as their mating call which is quite distinct. I would recommend staying away from the Gouldian breed to start, despite their beautiful colors, as they tend to be more delicate and expensive. They can coexist with zebra finches so you can always add them to your flock at a later time.

When choosing finches for your home the main things

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