by Carole Meisenhelter

Created on: November 19, 2008   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

Finches are the most delightful aviary birds, great for the hobbyist bird-keeper or breeder. Keep their living conditions in excellent order, and watch them thrive. Enjoy their song and wonderful animation. Finches (belonging to Fringillidae family), are just the sweetest little birds to own and observe daily.

* AVIARY REQUIREMENTS

Size will depend on the available area and the amount of money ready to invest. Check with pet-store outlets that sell aviaries and be sure to look for one with small mesh size suiting this bird type especially.

For an outdoor aviary; think ahead through the varying weather conditions your birds are likely to experience. During the winter; will they have areas that are sheltered and out of strong winds and heavy rains? It is important to have a floor that is well-drained and receives good periods of sunshine to dry out thoroughly. These little birds love to sit in a cozy, protected but sunny spot too. Come the extreme hot Summer months; will they have an area that has good overhead protection/shade or even shrubbery to hide in? Protection from the extremities IS vital to their good health and well-being. Do include lots of natural branches for your finches, aside from the traditional dowel perches. They need variance in twigs/branches to exercise and keep their feet healthy too.

On cats & wild/native birds: Do consider that neighborhood cats, once they know of your aviary with active tiny birds, will absolutely delight in visiting them. Not only in the day but mostly at night (even though we know they shouldn't be out and about!). To be woken during the night hearing your finches being terrorized and find them flitting back and forth and sometimes flying into the aviary netting, is infuriating. Sometimes even if you've not heard this happening; you can go out to see your finches in the morning and find one or two have succumbed to fright and terror, and are dead on the aviary floor. Be forewarned, it can, and does happen. To take precautionary measures right up front can save you a lot of heartache. Some native birds too may frequent the aviary top and also frighten your birds. Possibly, you could string some fine fishing line back and forth above the aviary to prevent both cats and other birds gaining access to that position.

* SELECTION OF FINCH TYPE

While there is a huge range of colorful finches available, don't try to select only those that appeal most to you. Be guided by the breeder as to what types will live together

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