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Society Finch Information

    Society Finches are often called Bengalese finches and are the most common finch in the United States. They are not found in the wild and are thought to originate from Japan over 500 years ago. They are very pleasant birds and are rarely aggressive towards each other. Like other finches they require minimal human interaction and they prefer to keep to themselves. As their name suggests they are extremely social birds and need to be kept in at least pairs.

    Society Finches are known for being very eager breeders. Society Finches are great foster birds to virtually any type of finch that is un able to be reared from its original parents. Most males will accept new eggs and even some babies without hesitation.

Pros: These birds are a pleasure to watch and their soft chatter is very soothing.

Cons: These birds are not "hands on birds." They prefer to keep to themselves.

     There is one drawback with having birds so eager to breed, once they start breeding it is very difficult to get them to stop breeding. They will use anything as a nest including food bowls and even the bottom of the cage. Due to the conditions of these random nests most of the eggs are infertile and will never hatch. Even though the finches are not hatching eggs this doesn't mean its ok to let them continue. Breeding is very exhausting and sooner or later both the male and the female will grow weak and their health may deteriorate. 

Housing Finches

    Due to the fact these birds will rarely if ever play outside of their cage their habitat must be large enough to allow free flight. A flight get is great for a pair of finches .For a colony of finches an aviary should be used. Cage placement is also very important to finches. Their cage must not be placed in direct sunlight or drafts. It is also important to place the cage away from constant noise such as a TV or a door. Finches usually do not play with toys such as bells and plastic chains, but they do seem to enjoy ladders and swings.

    A shallow dish of water should be provided several times a week for bathing. The water in the bath should be clean so remove the bath water after every bathing session. See Housing your bird for more cage info.

Nutritional Needs

    Like all birds finches need a well balanced diet. Feeding your birds simply seeds isn't the healthiest option. They need a variety of food, vegetables such as lettuce and broccoli are not only healthy for your finches but can be a fun toy! Finches hull their seeds so they must not be fed grit. Everyday food and water containers should be emptied and cleaned to prevent bacteria growth.

Created by Brandon Hamilton

This information is distributed in order to help you care for your bird, we are not responsible for any misuse of this information resulting in unforeseen consequences.

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