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Rescued Zebra Finch
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09-06-2009 7:19pm#1So... About an hour ago I was sitting here minding my own business, writing some abuse against some gob****e on the politics forum, when I heard a bang on my window, and looked out to see a tiny white bird being set upon by a magpie. I chased away the magpie and the little bird stayed there, twitching slightly.
I've identified it as a Zebra Finch, which is a domestic bird, and I've never seen in my life... So... The magpie must have gotten it from someone's house, or it escaped before being chased, maybe? I've no idea how I'd go about returning it to its owner, if it continues not being dead. My mam won't let it in the house, so it's currently in the shed with food and water, but I'm worried this is too cold for it if it's a household bird.
any ideas?0
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So... About an hour ago I was sitting here minding my own business, writing some abuse against some gob****e on the politics forum, when I heard a bang on my window, and looked out to see a tiny white bird being set upon by a magpie. I chased away the magpie and the little bird stayed there, twitching slightly.
I've identified it as a Zebra Finch, which is a domestic bird, and I've never seen in my life... So... The magpie must have gotten it from someone's house, or it escaped before being chased, maybe? I've no idea how I'd go about returning it to its owner, if it continues not being dead. My mam won't let it in the house, so it's currently in the shed with food and water, but I'm worried this is too cold for it if it's a household bird.
any ideas?
Zebra finches are grand outside in this weather, mine are in an outdoor aviary at the moment. What food have you got for it? Are its wings damaged? You can't really let it free fly in a shed, especially if there's window, because it'll just end up breaking its neck.0 -
Update:
The bird is now in a cage, with food and stuff, hopping around happily on bars. The family seems happy enough to keep him, and I don't really see that there's any chance of finding the owner. It could have flown from any of the estates around my house, and they've probably given up on it. It's quite young, we think, so they probably didn't have time to get attached.
He's lovely
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Update:
The bird is now in a cage, with food and stuff, hopping around happily on bars. The family seems happy enough to keep him, and I don't really see that there's any chance of finding the owner. It could have flown from any of the estates around my house, and they've probably given up on it. It's quite young, we think, so they probably didn't have time to get attached.
He's lovely
Cool! its a girl by the way! Give her a shallow dish with some water in it, bout 3 quarters of an inch deep and she'll clean herself up a bit. She doesn't look that young at all really. Why do you think she is young? Make sure to feed some veg, not just seed.
Have a read of this:
http://www.finchniche.com/f-finchfood.mgi0 -
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Cool! its a girl by the way! Give her a shallow dish with some water in it, bout 3/4 inch deep and she'll clean herself up a bit. She doesn't look that young at all really. Why do you think she is young? Make sure to feed some veg, not just seed.
Have a read of this:
http://www.finchniche.com/f-finchfood.mgi
oh... we had thought girl 'cos of the colour of the beak, but my mam said the person at the pet shop said, based on her description (possibly an important point), that it was a young male... I dunno.. *shrugs*
And okay, will read all that, and put some water for her... was actually asking if she had water to wash earlier, but the cage doesn't seem to have a thing for that. thanks a lot 0 -
oh... we had thought girl 'cos of the colour of the beak, but my mam said the person at the pet shop said, based on her description (possibly an important point), that it was a young male... I dunno.. *shrugs*
And okay, will read all that, and put some water for her... was actually asking if she had water to wash earlier, but the cage doesn't seem to have a thing for that. thanks a lot
Nah a juvenile male would have a grey/dull colouration to its beak, and it's feathers would be different. You don't sex them by their beaks anyway, males and females look completely different.
Here's one I used to have who looks very similar to yours, she was a fully mature female:
Here's a pair for male/female contrast:
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She has a boy-friend (soon to be boyfriend, I assume?) now, and I passed the parents on the info about food, so hopefully they'll branch out a bit from seed and try them out with other things. She (name still TBC, currently leaning towards Dorothy, though I'm just calling her birdy...) seems much happier now. I love their squeaky little chirps
Either way I leave for Australia this Sunday, so the care of the pair rests with the parents, but all in all it was a good stroke of fate, for us and the bird. Thanks for all the advice, everyone!
How important is it to let them fly around and stretch their wings? The pet shop people told my parents they're grand in the cage, but you seem to have deviated from their advice in terms of dietary advice already, so if they should be let ramble around the room the odd evening, or it doesn't really matter, it'd be good to know before I leave them. We had a good time getting the male into the cage after he escaped the box earlier, so short of buying a net I dunno how to get them back in once they get out, but they seem happy enough hopping about for the time being.0 -
She has a boy-friend (soon to be boyfriend, I assume?) now, and I passed the parents on the info about food, so hopefully they'll branch out a bit from seed and try them out with other things. She (name still TBC, currently leaning towards Dorothy, though I'm just calling her birdy...) seems much happier now. I love their squeaky little chirps
Either way I leave for Australia this Sunday, so the care of the pair rests with the parents, but all in all it was a good stroke of fate, for us and the bird. Thanks for all the advice, everyone!
How important is it to let them fly around and stretch their wings? The pet shop people told my parents they're grand in the cage, but you seem to have deviated from their advice in terms of dietary advice already, so if they should be let ramble around the room the odd evening, or it doesn't really matter, it'd be good to know before I leave them. We had a good time getting the male into the cage after he escaped the box earlier, so short of buying a net I dunno how to get them back in once they get out, but they seem happy enough hopping about for the time being.
Provided she has an alright sized cage they'll be fine. You can't really let softbills(finches etc..) to free fly as they can't find their own way back to the cage and they end up getting very stressed and injuring themselves. Birds like budgies are different in that they can have a fly around a room and then they'll get back in their cage themselves. So they're grand the way they are!
Oh and bit of lettuce usually goes down well with them! Easy to do!0 -
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