Common Name |
Green Singing Finch |
Latin Name |
Serinus mozambicus |
Average Lifespan |
10 Years |
Average Length |
5 Inches |
Average Weight |
8 - 17 Grams |
Song Type |
Whistle |
Noise Level & Vocalization
Its song is a warbled zee-zeree-chereeo.
Physical Features
Grey head with two bright yellow streaks: one above the eyes ("eyebrow streak") and one below the eyes. Bright yellow plumage covers the entire underside of the bird, extending from the chin down to the undertail. The rump is also yellow. The top of the neck, back, and wings are a greenish grey with yellow margins to the otherwise blackish wing and tail feathers. Juveniles have a pale yellow face and breast with dull greenish-yellow rump and spots/streaks on the sides of the breast.
Hens are duller overall and some races have a line of grey feathers extending across the lower throat, resembling a grey necklace. Only the (adult) cock sings, though hey may not sing year-round.
Juveniles are difficult to sex until they obtain adult plumage at about 9 months of age. Both juvenile cocks and hens may practice singing until they reach full maturity, at which point only the cock sings.
Aviary Compatibility
Active, may become territorial when breeding.
Diet
Seed mix should be fed as a daily diet. Live food can also be given.
Green Singing Finches can become obese if fed too rich a diet year-round and/or not provided with adequate exercise. Feeding an austerity diet when not breeding and offering a larger enclosure with perches spaced far apart will help reduce this risk.
Care
Green Singing finches can suffer from intestinal parasites (including coccidia), overgrown nails, egg-binding (if not fed an adequate diet or provided with natural sunlight; more commonly seen in first-year and old hens), infected bug bites (typically on nonfeathered skin), and a propensity to contort and injure their wings during handling (so be especially cautious to secure the birds' wings to the sides of the body during handling as this will prevent the birds from twisting their wings). This species may be infrequently affected by scaly leg mites and air sac mites. Note that older birds and those with damaged feathers may develop atypical white or yellow markings which are not due to being pied nor having a genetic mutation.
Housing
This species has the potential to be housed in a communal aviary, however, Green Singing Finches may show aggression toward other species with similar plumage to their own (i.e. yellow coloration) such as Saffron Finches and Cuban Melodious Finches, and thus should not be housed with these species. Additionally, because males can be aggressive toward one another, only one pair of green singers should be housed per enclosure.
Breeding Information
Age of Maturity |
1 Year |
Breeding Aviculture |
Common |
Average Clutch Size |
2 - 4 Eggs |
Nest Box |
Open Cup Nest |
Breeding Life |
3 Years |
This species builds a cup-shaped nest and should be provided canary nest baskets/pans (at least 2 at varying heights in the enclosure). Some pairs will construct the nest within clumps of dried brush affixed to the aviary wall or suspended from the top of the cage. Provide coconut fiber, dry/soft grasses, rootlets, kapok, and soft feathers for nesting material.
Wild Status
Decreasing - Least Concern