Finches For Dummies. Nikki Moustaki

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Finches For Dummies - Nikki  Moustaki


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      Because they comprise such a large group, finches are found in every corner of the world. Even the Galapagos Islands are home to 13 species of finches, all of which were studied by famed British naturalist, Charles Darwin. The finch was one of the animals used in Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which posits that ecological and social pressures can actually change an animal’s physiology.

      

If you’re reading this in the United States, you can only keep finches that aren’t native to North America. This goes for all birds, actually. If a bird is native to North America, housing it is illegal unless you have a permit or are a licensed bird rescuer. Birds that fall into this category include the American goldfinch, the cardinal, and the pine siskin, among others.

      Most of the companion finches available for purchase are native to other countries but were bred in captivity where you live. As of 1992, it is illegal to import birds from other countries under the Wild Bird Conservation Act.

      Finches will pair off within a flock. These are generally mating pairs, although not always. Occasionally, two males — or two females — will choose to become companions. Pairings do not always last for life, but while they are together, pair companions stay very close to one another within the flock. They forage together, groom each other, and nest together at night.

      Most finches are monogamous, but some, like the orange weaver, keep a harem and will chase off other males who try to invade their territory. Other finches, such as the whydah, are considered parasitic, laying their eggs in other birds’ nests so that those birds can take over incubation and rearing duties. They rely on these other birds the way parasites rely on other animals to survive.

      One of the more fascinating things about finches is their seeming endless variety. They range from very delicate to very hardy birds, in all colors of the rainbow. Some are drab and others are exceptionally vivid. Many species are dimorphic, which means that you can distinguish the gender of the bird just by looking at it. Others are monomorphic, which means that you can’t visually distinguish the genders of the birds.

      

All finches are scientifically grouped under the order Passeriformes. Passerines (which is what birds in the Passeriformes order are called) comprise more than half of the bird species in the world, with nearly 5,400 members. Not all Passerines are finches, but all finches are Passerines.

       Fringillidae: The more than 200 (some sources say 227) members of this group are often called the “true” finches. This family includes the canaries, chaffinches, some siskins, rosefinches, goldfinches, and bullfinches. These finches are adapted to crush seeds and, as a result, they have strong skulls and jaws. These finches are found on all continents.

       Passeridae: This group of around 40 finches includes sparrows and snowfinches. Formerly found only in Europe and the surrounding areas, these finches have now been introduced to habitats all over the world. Two types of Passeridae are commonly found in the United States, including the house sparrow. As a group, they are hardy and gregarious songbirds.

       Estrildidae: Included in this group of around 140 birds are some the most popular companion finches, including grass finches, parrot finches, waxbills, society finches, greenfinches, serins, firefinches, firetails, quailfinches, Gouldian finches, mannikins, nuns, munias, Java sparrows, cordon-bleu finches, cut throats, and zebra finches. The majority of finches in this group are from a temperate climate, preferring warm weather. They tend to be flocking birds and are all seed-eaters.

       Ploceidae: This group has approximately 120 members, including the whydahs (also called widowbirds) and weavers (also called bishops). They are found primarily in Africa and India and can be more aggressive in their response to other birds than some of the more commonly kept species.

      FIGURE 1-1: Canaries are among the most popular types of finch.

      Most people buy a canary for his beautiful song. The males are the singers of the species, and they’re generally the gender that you’ll keep if you want to hear singing in your home. The females can make great companions too, but they won’t launch into song the way a male will.

      

The canary’s song depends largely on the type of canary that you choose. Some canaries sing a variety of songs, whereas others are trained only to sing in a certain manner. Yes, canaries have to be trained to sing. Many breeders keep an “expert” singer, a canary with a particularly masterful song, in a cage within earshot of young males. The youngsters will learn from this maestro and, hopefully, pick up the essentials of beautiful singing. Some interesting research has shown that birds can actually learn songs when they are developing inside the egg! Don’t worry if you don’t have a master singer to teach the young males their trade; CDs and audio files of canary songs work just as well (you can buy these online or play them for free on YouTube).

      Size differences

      Tip I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS SHINING THROUGH …

      Some canaries, like the red factor canary shown in the figure below, turn various shades of red and orange if they’re fed a special color food or water additive made for red factor canaries only. It’s the only way for a red factor canary to achieve colors ranging from magenta to bright orange to strawberry red.

Photograph of an orange finch.

      Don’t feed your other types of canaries the color food, as their color will not change because of it. Only the red factor has the genetic predisposition to show what it eats though its feathers, much like flamingos


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