Here are the most frequently asked questions about finches that I receive, along with my answers.

How many finches should I have (or can I have) together?
The answer depends on how much room you have, how many cages you have and how large your cages are. You should never keep one finch alone, so at least two would be the answer to have many you should have. The answer to how many you can have depends on how much room you have and how large the cage(s). If you are not planning on breeding finches, it would be a good idea to obtain all females or better yet all males (for the colour and song). Although finches are small birds, they are very active birds and do not do well in small cages. There must be room for them to fly.

How can I tell the male finch from the female finch?
When they are adult birds, it is easy to tell the males from the females just by looking at them with many of the finch species. This does not work for some species though and the only way to tell is by watching and listening to see which ones sing or as a last resort, which ones lay eggs.

Can I keep different finch species together?
You can mix your species as long as you keep similar sized and temperment finches together.

What should I feed my finches?
Most finches love seeds – both dry and sprouted and millet sprays. You can find small pellets or crumbled pellets that many finches will also enjoy. You should offer small (shredded or chopped) pieces of various fruits and vegetables. Crushed eggshells can be given – crush them almost to a powder and some finches rely on small insects on a regular basis, especially during breeding. Chopped hard boiled eggs can be a regular treat as well

How long do finches live?
This will depend on the species, but as a general rule, they can live from 5 to 12 years of age.

Do finches like to play with toys?
Finches do like to play, but their toys are much simplier than parrot toys. Finches love a variety of swings or swinging branches, a mirror with a small bell (make sure it is safe with no little spots to get a toe stuck).