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The Zebra Finches

The zebra finches are the trickiest of my birds to handle. They sure are fun to watch, but when there's a problem, one of these guys is usually at the heart of it. Intriguing, mischievous little trouble makers, they are.

My zebras are the most curious birds of the lot. They will explore every nook and cranny of the aviary, and find ways to cram into the tiniest spaces, just to have a look around. They are at the top of the pecking order and think that they run the place. They are very territorial and can sometimes cause trouble at night if another bird passes by their nesting area en route to its own sleeping spot.

Although Evel and Bucky used to be best buddies, eating, sleeping, and exploring together, their semi-aggressive natures drove them apart. One day without warning, fighting broke out between them. For a while they caused terrible chaos in the aviary, neither bird wanting to back down to the other. Now they just keep their distance. They never made up, but they no longer bicker.

Bucky has chosen to hang out with the societies. Evel eventually paired up with Jade, the remaining masked grassfinch, after her female companion passed away. Because I don't permit breeding in the aviary, this interspecies relationship is okay by me.

In general, zebras are easy to sex because for almost all mutations, the males have cheek patches (orange or sometimes black) and the females do not. For mutations in which males do not have cheek patches, beak color may be an indication of gender, as the males' beaks tend to be redder and the females' more orange.

Like the societies, the zebras are excellent eaters and also love the bath. See the Image Gallery for more photographs.

Click Previous to return to the Societies' page. Click Next to advance to the Masked Grass' page.

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