Of the finch species mentioned in this guide, the most easygoing ones to house with Canaries are the Star finch and Bengalese finch. It’s only when these things become persistent and prolonged that you need to intervene (usually by netting and isolating the bully). The occasional peck and half-hearted chase is nothing to worry about. The birds will compete for the high perches, so making sure there are plenty eases a lot of tension in the daily settling-down routine.Īs a bird keeper, one of your jobs is to watch the aviary and assess the situation. You also need lots of roosting perches high up in the aviary. Keeping at least two separate feeding stations is necessary, otherwise a bully might establish himself on the food tray and not let anyone else get near. If your aviary or bird house is big, the potential bullies and their potential victims will be able to stay away from each other - the dominant bird’s aggressive body language will be enough to keep other birds away, without resorting to physical attacks. A mixed aviary will always have a detrimental effect on Canaries’ breeding prospects, as they need peace and quiet to successfully fledge their young.Īlthough Canaries prefer their own company, they can still thrive in a mixed aviaryĮstablishing a harmonious community of birds depends on two factors - space and species. Many finches are territorial and will bully a less aggressive bird such as a Canary. This easy-going nature also makes Canaries good mixers, and they are highly unlikely to intimidate any other species.īut there are two sides to the coin, and the problems with Canary cohabitation in an aviary come from the other species. Three or four males, for example, should be able to cohabit without going head to head. Two males or two females together will squabble but any other combination usually works very well. ![]() Zebra finches, and many other species, are usually monogamous, so a single bird will have a long wait unless new blood is introduced into the aviary.Ĭanaries are good natured birds. In the case of cock birds, they can cause confrontation in a cage by vying for the attention of a hen who has already chosen her mate. Pairs or flocks - the usual set up for most finch communitiesĪny unpaired birds will tend to live alone, rather than with their fellow singletons. At this point, male-male or female-female pairs will begin to fight, if they are being kept together with no other birds. Single birds will be fine together in a larger flock (at least three pairs), and juveniles will perch and feed together happily, until that moment when the hormones kick in (after about nine weeks) and they have the urge to pair up. If a shop or dealer is offering to sell single birds with no questions asked, you should question their competence - a good seller knows that a single finch is an unhappy and unfulfilled bird.įinches are best kept in cock-hen pairs. ![]() ![]() All pet species will be happy in a pair, and for many this is the ideal permanent setup but some only really thrive with the full interaction of a flock. With the exception of Canaries, it is not possible to keep a pet finch healthy and happy if it is alone. These are the real bullies in the pack: Diamond firetail, Cut-throat finch.The following finches can cohabit if there’s plenty of space, but you’ll need to keep a close eye on the bullies: Zebra finch, Java sparrow, Strawberry finch, Lavender waxbill.Living singly or in pairs is their preferred domestic setup. Canaries need big aviaries if they are to successfully cohabit.They are generally happier in flocks of their own kind. ![]() The Star finch needs extra space and cover, due to its timidity.Generally speaking, the following can live together happily: Gouldian finch, Double-Barred (Owl) finch, Bengalese (Society) finch, Plum-headed finch, Red-headed parrotfinch, Chestnut and Scaly-breasted munia.these bullets only list the species mentioned specifically in this guide): Use the following as a general guide, and always ask for advice from the person providing your birds (i.e. Zebra and Bengalese finches can intermingle, as long as they have lots of roomĪ good rule of thumb is to keep timid birds with other timid birds, pushy ones with other pushy ones, and to avoid bringing aggressive species into a generally ‘passive’ aviary.
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