Finch Bird
Some Sweet News About The Sweet Little Finch Bird
We keep them, breed them, and love them as pets, and the raising of the finch bird has become a popular hobby for many Americans. They are hardy and adorable, ranging in coloration as far as the imagination can stretch, and they make doting, faithful mates and parents to one another. We love their songs and their silly little antics, the eyes of the finch bird are so gentle, yet wise. They are comical and graceful at once, and are in the wild as they are in captivity a true gift to the world that they lend themselves to. They weather over the winters with a brave and strong will, and flit through the summer days without a care in the world, so it would seem. So what is it about the finch bird that has us all hooked? Why, his pure sweetness, of course.
The finch bird is not one that you will see, neither in captivity nor in the wild, ganging up and picking on other birds. He waits patiently for his turn at the feeder, and is respectful of those around him. He is quick enough to get his feeding done in a timely and orderly fashion, leaving very little fuss or muss anywhere he goes. The finch bird mainly feeds on grains and seeds, but needs a variety of other foods to meet his dietary needs. These supplements may include fine gravel, insects, fruits, grasses, and leaves. We mustn’t forget the amount of energy the finch bird expends flittering about for all hours of the day. He needs a great number of nutrients and minerals which seed alone cannot provide.
The finch bird in a cage is every bit as much in need of supplemental feeding sources as his wild brethren are. Everything to do with his health and well being comes from not only the affection and vocal stimulation that you offer him, but from what is given him for ingestion. In the wild, over 60% of a bird’s life is spent forages, hunting, scavenging, and feeding. His cage life should not be too far off from this same schedule, and there are creative methods that you can use to give your caged finch bird the feeling of being wild and free.
Natural woods and materials can be introduced to the cage of your finch bird, including such things as the leaves of berry bushes and sweet grass clippings. Tiny mealworms or something of this sort can be hidden beneath these cool new digs, and the earlier you can introduce your captive bird to these items the better. They can be timid, and having not been taught properly how to forage for food in the wild, they may not ever accept this activity into their daily routines.