These specialty birds are all captive bred by caring aviculturists.
| Common Name |
Zebra Finch |
| Latin Name |
Taeniopygia Guttata |
| Average Lifespan |
12 Years |
| Average Length |
3.5 inches |
| Average Weight |
12 Grams |
| Song Type |
Soft Twittering |
Noise Level & Vocalization
The male zebra finch is an enthusiastic singer (females generally do not sing). Their calls consist of a lot of “peeping” and “beeping” sounds. They sound like tiny little car horns. While they will vocalize all day if they are happy, they are not loud; however, their calls can be quite persistent. If you are able to keep them outside, or by a window where they can hear birds, they will often respond to the wild birds' calls.
Diet
Seed, fruit and veggies
They eagerly take egg food, greens and soaked seed. Zebra finches are adapted to survive and raise their young on lower protein levels than many other finches and can actually raise their young on seed alone. This is not advisable however since the young will be of substandard quality. Grit and calcium in the form of crushed egg and oyster shells and cuttlebone should always be available to them. Zebra finches will usually decimate a cuttlebone and although crushed hen's eggs have a higher calcium level, picking at the cuttlebone seems to keep the beak in shape and relieve some frustration that they might otherwise take out on another bird's feathers.
Care
Because they are generally kept in pairs, zebra finches will not need you to keep them company — play the radio while you are out, and talk to them when you are in — other than that they will be fine on their own.
Housing
Ideal housing for zebra finches is a large flight cage, or an aviary for housing finches — they will appreciate the space.
Breeding Information
| Age of Maturity |
1 Year |
| Breeding Aviculture |
Common |
| Average Clutch Size |
4 - 6 Eggs |
| Nest Box |
|
| Breeding Life |
|
The Zebra finch is a highly adaptable species that will breed under the most adverse conditions. It is the perfect avicultural specimen. It can take extremes in temperature, is highly resistant to disease and parasites, can survive on minimal food and water of atrocious quality, requires minimal space and gets along well with other of its kind and other species, and will attempt to breed in any of those conditions.
There was a report of wild specimens that were captured and placed in a holding cage attempting to breed while that cage was still in the back of the vehicle. Now that's a ready breeder! In the wild, the rains trigger the breeding season. Wild males will begin courting as soon as 48 hours after the first rains. With the domesticated Zebras, they are nearly always ready to breed. For some, it is more difficult to get them to stop breeding than to start and the only way I have found to stop them is to remove the nest box. This won't stop the hens from laying eggs, but it does remove a formal nest that they will defend, lay and incubate eggs in.
Wild Status
Stable - Least Concern
