Zebra finches are beautiful little birds, the maintenance and care of which do not present huge difficulties, but they have their own characteristics. Below is a description of the appearance, requirements for care, feeding and maintenance, as well as a photo of these charming pets.

The zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are the most numerous weaver finches in their original homeland of Australia, and one of the most common species of this bird kept in the home.

Zebra finches are not only widespread in Australia, they have also been found in Indonesia and East Timor, as well as introduced and successfully established in Puerto Rico, Portugal, Brazil and the southern regions of the United States.

In nature, zebra finches live in a variety of areas - from meadows to forests, near human habitation and in wastelands, but always near open water. The breeding season falls on the period after the end of heavy rains, so breeding is not tied to a specific time of the year. The photo below shows zebra finches near the water in their habitat.

Zebra finches in natural conditions

Birds are picky and able to nest anywhere - in hollows of trees, among dense shrubs, in rabbit holes or even abandoned nests of other birds.

The lifespan of the zebra finches wild nature is about five years, but in captivity they live up to seven years, there are cases of an even longer period of life for these pets - up to the advanced age of twelve.

Distinguishing adult birds by sex in the wild is fairly easy. Males have orange cheeks and a bright red bill, females have gray cheeks and an orange bill. In captivity, the bird has been subjected to many years of selection after various mutations and hybrid crosses, which is why the plumage is the most diverse, so it is rather difficult to understand this issue based only on appearance.

A characteristic feature of a male of any variety of zebra finches is sonorous singing. The melodious song of this bird species comes only from the male. In the photo - on the left is a female zebra finches, on the right - a male.

Male and female zebra finches

Zebra finches - features of feeding and keeping

Most finches feed on grain, and zebra finches are no exception in this regard, which greatly facilitates feeding and keeping at home. The small, strong beaks are ideal for shelling seeds, and one of my favorite grains is millet.

Active birds flutter around the cage and light millet shells scatter in all directions, which can greatly complicate care, so it is advisable to purchase a cage with a high tray or a protective panel at the bottom.

In captivity, the main food of this bird is a high-quality special mixture that contains different kinds millet, canary seed, and oilseed nougat or oats. In the photo, zebra finches are fed from automatic feeders with a grain mixture.

Feeding zebra finches

Vegetables, fruits and greens are loved by zebra finches, and in small quantities they contribute the necessary vitamins, trace elements and fiber to the diet. At different birds individual preferences, but most pets readily eat cabbage and spinach, baby corn and peas. They will also peck at apples, grated carrots, grapes, and peeled oranges.

During the breeding season, as a source of protein, a finely chopped boiled egg is introduced into the diet of zebra finches, which is not forgotten to be removed 20-30 minutes after giving.

Zebra finches - keeping and feeding

Minerals are an essential nutrient for keeping birds in captivity, as they stabilize digestion and are involved in the formation of bones and egg shells during the breeding season. Experienced breeders take the shells of boiled eggs, bake them in the oven for half an hour, and then add them to the grain mixture in ground form, enriching them with minerals, primarily calcium.

Zebra finches are unpretentious in content, and a pair of these birds does not need a huge aviary, as, for example, for noble parrots. A typical bird cage 0.9-1 m high, 0.35-0.4 m wide and 0.35-0.4 m high will suffice. The cage is regularly cleaned, removing millet and oat husks, feathers and droppings. Such care is carried out at least once a week, otherwise dust and debris will soon scatter throughout the room.

In the photo - a spacious cage for zebra finches

The optimum temperature for keeping is in the range of 18-22 ° C, lowering and raising is uncomfortable for pets and will negatively affect their health. Mandatory for the prevention of rickets and the normal development of plumage is regular irradiation with UV lamps, and in warm weather, the cage is taken out into the yard or onto a balcony, set in a sparse shade of trees or otherwise shaded from direct sunlight.

Zebra finches are enthusiastic bathers and, in addition to a drinking bowl with water, as an element of hygienic care, a bathing suit is needed. Frequent bathing is a necessary part of keeping a zebra finch, water procedures will help maintain the cleanliness and beauty of plumage, relieve skin irritation, and, moreover, the birds really like to bathe themselves. Sometimes they wallow in the water with such enthusiasm that after that they can hardly fly.

Zebra finches are smart birds and know very well where their home is. Once released from the cage, they will enjoy flying, exploring the room, getting physical exercise and satisfying their natural curiosity. Plenty of walking, pets will soon return to the cage on their own.

In the photo - zebra finches on a walk around the house

Zebra finches - singing pets

Zebra finches - consider themselves good vocalists and therefore the room where they live is rarely quiet. The males of this species sing quite melodiously, and although they can hardly be compared with the singing canaries, they compensate for the lack of voice data with incredible enthusiasm. Each individual will have a slightly different song, although sons will learn from their fathers and imitate the pattern.

Research conducted in Japan has shown that males sing for their females, and it is worth seeing this touching scene once to completely agree with scientists. Females make a number of sounds typical of finches, similar to chirping.

Zebra finches - breeding features

If you put a pair of zebra finches in a cage, it is unlikely that they will not breed. Birds breed easily in captivity and can start breeding as early as two months of age in a home environment, although it is best to wait up to at least six months, and preferably up to a year.

In the photo - finches made a nest from improvised materials

In captivity, a light nest box or a special wicker nest is suitable for breeding zebra finches. In addition, you need to provide materials for building a nest, otherwise the birds will use everything they can find, including stealing feathers from unsuspecting roommates in the aviary.

It is best to provide suitable nesting materials, such as coconut fiber or jute, which are placed directly into the cage. As soon as the pets have chosen a place for the future nest, they will settle down there for the night.

Zebra finches will become desperate to defend the nest and chase other birds they think are too close. But the defense is mostly noisy screaming and rarely comes to real fights.

The number of eggs laid usually ranges from two to seven and both birds incubate them for 14-16 days, which is an absolutely fascinating sight. As soon as the chicks hatch, they look defenseless, covered in sparse down, tiny and blind, opening their eyes after about a week.

In the photo below - the nest and chicks of the zebra finches

The chicks remain in the nest for up to three weeks, at which time they will be fully feathered, but their beaks, bright red or orange in adults, will be black. A change in beak color after full plumage is a sign of maturity.

Some chicks that have just left the nest can fly decently, while others tend to stay on the floor. Their parents will feed them for another 2-3 weeks, and a sign that the younger generation is becoming increasingly self-reliant is an increase in noise.

The older the young zebra finches, the less their parents feed them and the louder they get, so keeping an entire family of finches at home can be quite a hectic endeavor.

Yet zebra finches are amazing little birds, active and funny. Maintaining and caring for them does not present huge difficulties and does not require large expenditures. Birds willingly make contact with people, although they are unlikely to become as tame as parrots.

But if you want to see small beautiful birds in your home, whose habits are endlessly interesting to observe and which are a wonderful example of the wild southern nature, then the zebra finches are a wonderful choice.

Zebra finches with their offspring

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What kind of birds are finches? The colorful, bright colors mislead people into thinking they are parrots. Not at all. These birds are of the family of finches. Such sparrows-mods. People have learned to keep them in captivity, and they delight them with their songs - trills.

Canary or not?

Canaries are birds brought to Europe by sailors from the Canary Islands for many hundreds of years. These birds are of the same genus as finches. But canaries are distinguished by:

• beak Shape,
• colors,
• voice trills.

But there are common features in birds. They love the company of people and are incredibly energetic. Birds are easily tamed and can fly to the call of the owner. They live well in flocks.

Keeping birds in the house is not difficult. For a comfortable stay, finches will need a spacious square cage. Try not to get a dome-shaped cage. The dome can disorient the birds. The larger the cage, the better for the finches. Moreover, it is better to choose a cage wide and long. These birds are active and cheerful. They like to fly a lot and play pranks in their cage.

Zebra finches. The bird got its name from the alternating black-gray-white transverse stripes on the front of the neck and breast. But such a striped zebra plumage on the chest and tail feathers is observed only in males. White spots on chestnut feathers, on the sides of the body of male zebra finches, are very elegant.

Males are brighter than females.

The "hat" on the head of the zebra finches is gray, the sides of the head are a bright chestnut shade, closer to orange. From dark beads - eyes, black stripes go down, from which a white speck extends to the beak. The "portrait" is completed by a bright orange beak. The striped breast ends with a black spot. It contrasts with the white belly of the bird. Female zebra finches are more modestly colored. There is no zebra coloring of the feathers on the breast, the beaks of females of any species are lighter than the color of the beaks of males.

This bird is widespread in China and Japan.. She got her name for her gastronomic passion for rice. In their natural habitat, these birds are a real disaster for farmers. Their sudden raids on rice plantations destroy almost the entire crop. The lifestyle and habits gave the birds another name: the Java sparrow.

Just like sparrows, these birds are incredibly sociable and energetic. And also, they have a cocky character. Not all representatives of this breed love the company of their own kind. It happens that the birds quarrel and cause injury to each other.

The color of rice finches living in the wild is brighter than that of ornamental individuals. Gray body, feathers on the abdomen are lighter than the main color; white cheeks, a black cap on his head and a black necklace around his neck. Looks like a wild kind of rice finches like an ordinary city sparrow, only in other colors.

But people fell in love with the gentle trills of rice finches and they began to keep them in captivity. Decorative "rice" birds have found new colors and names.

• White drawing.
• Motley, or marble drawing.
• Silver, or blue drawing.
• Cream painting.
• Fawn, or isabella drawing.

White drawing is the result of selection by Chinese scientists. These birds are not albino - they have dark irises with a red border. The beaks of the birds are red. Offspring of white drawing sometimes it is born with a color, like that of wild tribesmen.

Sometimes, fledglings have a saddle-shaped spot on their backs. This spot disappears after the first molt and the bird acquires snow-white plumage. Breeders of this variety of finches are convinced that white-colored birds are much easier to breed in captivity. This can be explained by the fact that white finches, before all other varieties, were born in captivity, under the supervision and care of a person.

Motley or marble drawing. It turns out when crossing white drawing and its relatives of natural coloring. As a result, the bird has a marble plumage color. It may be pure gray feathers, or interspersed with black or dark brown. Gray marble has black eyes. Brown or fawn has red-brown eyes.

Silver, or blue drawing. The color of the head is dark grey. Cheeks are white. The plumage of the wings and tail is lighter than the color of the feathers on the head, but darker than the color of the breast and abdomen, which are painted with beige undertones. The feathers under the tail are either white or pale cream.

Cream painting. The color of the feathers on the head of a pure beige colour. The spots on the cheeks are white. Eye color is reddish brown. The color of the back, wings and tail is beige. The breast is a lighter shade than the color of the feathers on the back. Tail feathers light beige.

Fawn, or isabella drawing. The color of the head is pale brown. Cheeks are pure white. The eyes are reddish brown. The coloration of the whole body is warm brown, lighter than the color of the head. The belly is a rich beige shade. The tail is dark brown, the color of the feathers under the tail is beige.

Japanese finches

Japanese finches are a variety of rice, in the color of which not only snow-white shades are acceptable. Japanese finches are: crested; fawn; red-colored; variegated brown; snow white.

From the description of the varieties, almost everything about their colors is clear. Females, unlike other species of finches, are practically no different from males. Their color is the same, only males, during the period of mating courtship, become darker than females. Males also differ in the manner of sound production. Their singing is reminiscent of the creaking of unoiled cart wheels. So it's hard to call it singing. Females are distinguished by amazing maternal quality. They take excellent care of their offspring.

Amadina Lady Gould. It got its name in honor of the memory of the wife of the British zoologist, artist naturalist John Gould. John's wife accompanied him on his travels in Australia., as a result of which this bird was caught and brought to Europe. Shortly after the journey, Lady Gould passed away. And her name was immortalized in the name of the breed of birds.

The color of Gould's finches is very bright. It combines contrasting colors. Plumage caps on the head of different colors. Moreover, the color of the feathers on the head affects the character of the birds. In the classical form, Gould's finches are black-headed. Red-headed birds are more aggressive towards relatives. Their cap color has a warning meaning. The covering feathers of the wings and back are a rich green color. The plumage of the tail is bright blue. Undertail is white.

Abdomen yellow color . The breast is always purple (in females it is lighter). Under the head is a black necklace, which turns into a "beard" under the beak. The color of the feathers between the head, back and breast is a delicate azure hue. These birds do not have white spots on the cheeks and the color of their beak is light, and not red, as in other species.

parrot finches

The plumage of this bird species is of various colors. This bird has 12 varieties: multi-colored parrot, short-tailed, bamboo, black-faced, Papuan, Fijian, long-tailed, red-headed, royal, tricolor, blue-green, Manila parrot. Habitat wild birds- wet jungle, meadows and bamboo thickets. Most rare species- Manila, Fijian and Royal.

Diamond Amadina. The color of the head is gray with a black stripe of "glasses" at the eyes. Under the beak to the breast - a white speck. Feathers on the back and wings are rich brown. The breast is black, with a transition to a light gray belly. On the sides of the bird plumage in gray-black spots. The rump is bright red, the tail is black. Under the tail, the color of the feathers is the same as on the abdomen - gray. Maternal instinct in females is practically absent, which is a difficulty for keeping and breeding chicks in captivity.

The sharp-tailed finches are painted in a pleasant cream shade. The head is of a contrasting pale gray color, with light spots on the cheeks and black stripes near the eyes. There is a black spot on the chest. The belly is lighter than the creamy back. Beak and legs are orange. The bird got its name for the shape of the black tail, which resembles the tail of a swallow - it is forked. This bird is also called grass.

Scaly-chested finches brown. The breast and abdomen are covered with black and white even stripes resembling fish scales. The head is brown, with a bright brown spot at the beak. Beak and legs are black.

The red-headed finches are very similar to the common brown sparrow. Males have a red head. G ore in brown and white spots. But these spots are not the same as those of zebra finches. Females with a brown head and breast patches are lighter in color. The covering feathers on the wings and tail sometimes alternate between dark and light shades of brown. Habitat - South and South - West Africa.

Amadins are unpretentious birds. The main condition for maintenance is the absence of drafts and a warm room. The cage must be spacious. Inventory for birds can be the simplest: perches, feeders, drinkers. Amadins love to fly and climb the bars of the cage. Birds love to swim, so sometimes put a container with warm water in the cage for the birds to take water procedures. Birds like to live in the company, in flocks or in pairs.

How long do finches live, depends on living conditions in nature and captivity. In their natural habitat, the age of birds reaches five years. In captivity, some individuals can live up to 13 years. The oldest representative of these birds lived to be 15 years old. A long life expectancy of birds can be achieved with proper and careful care for them.

Amadins are beautiful songbirds that have been used as decorative pets for centuries. This article will consider a detailed description of the appearance of Japanese finches, as well as the features of the care and maintenance of these birds at home.

Short description

Amadin belongs to the family of finches weavers, whose representatives are common in almost all corners of the planet. Japanese finches were bred by crossing a bronze manakin with Chinese look Amadin, so the Japanese variety does not occur in the wild.

How they look and how they sing

Finches are small birds.

Features of their appearance are as follows:

• length - from 10 to 15 cm;
• have a thick, arched beak, translucent, as if made of wax;
• The plumage of Japanese finches does not differ in a variety of colors and shades; it can be called quite modest. The plumage is predominantly brown and beige;
• Japanese finches, unlike other species, are more slender and graceful, their body is slightly elongated, but proportionately folded, the birds have a long neck, a long, powerful fan-shaped tail;
• birds are crested or curly, having several curls or whirlwinds on certain parts of the body, often on the head, neck or nape. Individuals are mobile, active, constantly jumping, making them very interesting to watch.

Despite the fact that finches are considered songbirds, their singing abilities are not very developed. They, of course, give out a melodic trill, but the sounds that are reproduced are not singing, rather, it looks like a whistle, chirping or hissing.

Did you know? Males of some species of finches change the color of their plumage during the mating season to a brighter one. This feature is explained very simply: a bright color is necessary in order to attract the attention of the enemy and take him away from the nest, if necessary.

How to distinguish a male from a female

If in other species of finches it is possible due to differences in plumage color, then in Japanese finches it is more difficult. The color of the plumage of males and females is identical, so the task of determining sex in some cases may become impossible.

The most important difference between a female and a male is their singing. Males are considered more singing, they make melodious pleasant sounds, while females sometimes get to whistle, but more often their sounds resemble a hiss.

Usually, male Japanese finches are slightly larger than females, but you should not rely on size alone, since this rule often does not apply. Some experienced breeders advise observing the behavior of birds to determine the sex of Japanese finches. Males usually make sounds with a protruding chest and a raised beak, while the feathers on the belly rise slightly.

Singing Japanese finches: video

Japanese finches are not picky birds, so keeping them as pets should not be a problem. In order to create the most comfortable conditions for individuals, it is necessary to consider in more detail the features of the arrangement of the cage and the rules of feeding. exotic birds.

The choice and arrangement of the cell

The size of the cage that you need to purchase for finches depends on the number of birds.

Important! round cage badly affects the condition of the birds, in it the finches can lose their orientation in the process of fluttering and be severely injured.

Keeping the cage clean

In order for the finches to be healthy and active, it is imperative to maintain cleanliness in the cage, only in this case the birds will be able to give birth.

What to feed amadin

The basis of the poultry diet is a grain mixture consisting of 6 components, the main of which is millet.

Purchased mixtures per 1 kg of millet contain:

• canary seed - 300 g;
• oatmeal - 150 g;
• flax seeds - 50 g;
• seeds of rapeseed, lettuce, mogar, chumiza, hemp - 100 g each;
• meadow grass seeds (dandelion, clover, timothy, plantain) - 250 g.

The grain mixture is given to the finches once a day at the rate of 1 tsp. on an individual. Be sure to add fresh herbs in the form of dill, parsley, various vegetables, fruits, berries to the bird's diet. Also, once a week, the bird is given a little cottage cheese and a hard-boiled egg.
During breeding periods, finches are given live food, consisting of mealworms, bloodworms, and gammarus. In winter, to saturate the body with vitamins, birds are offered germinated millet, barley, wheat, and oats. Also, they must be added to the diet of mineral supplements in the form of chalk, shell rock, river sand, eggshells.

Breeding at home

For breeding, it is necessary to choose healthy birds that do not have any physical defects, individuals must be adults, but not old. The optimal age for breeding is 10–12 months.

Did you know? Amadin males do not tolerate neighborhood with each other, they will definitely fight for the female they like, often such placement ends in the death of one of the males. Females, on the contrary, treat their neighbors very well, even if there is only one male in the cage - you will not notice any struggle from the females.

Reproduction can be stimulated by increasing animal feed in the diet of finches, placing a nesting house in a cage. After placing a pair of birds in a specially equipped cage, do not expect a quick result, the birds will get used to the new home within two weeks, and only after that can mating occur.
Breeding Japanese finches at home is quite simple, the birds choose the right time for mating on their own, therefore, in order not to guess when it is better to put the male to the female, they are initially kept together. In order to avoid any problems during breeding, individuals are kept in pairs in separate cells.

It is also necessary to place twigs, perches and hay in the cage so that the birds can build a nest for the hen on their own. The female is able to lay about 5 eggs; the eggs of the individual hatch alternately for 14 days. The chicks hatch within 2-3 days.

Japanese finches hatch blind and naked, but grow quickly enough, a week after hatching, the eyes open, and after another 7 days, the first feathers appear on the wings.

Important! Parents feed the babies for the first month of their life, and when the chicks already begin to feed on their own, they can be transplanted into a separate cage.

By the twentieth day of life, the body of the chicks is already almost completely covered with feathers. The chicks of the Japanese finches begin to leave the nest at the age of 3 weeks. The feeding of the chicks is carried out by both parents, for this they eat on their own, and then regurgitate food from the goiter to the babies.
Thus, keeping Japanese finches at home is not difficult, the main thing is to follow the basic recommendations for the care and feeding of exotic birds so that they are active, healthy and give good offspring.

Contributed to the desire of lovers to have birds-nannies, conscientiously feeding both their own and other people's chicks. For several centuries, there was an artificial selection of Japanese finches according to "parental instinct". And indeed, these little birds turned out to be excellent "foster parents" who conscientiously hatch eggs and feed abandoned chicks of other species of finches.

Many species of finches and finches nest in cages or aviaries., but for a number of reasons, things usually do not go further than laying eggs. Then they lay these eggs under a pair of Japanese finches, who often raise other people's chicks along with their own. True, this is possible when one or three eggs are laid. If the abandoned clutch is larger in number, then the eggs of the Japanese finches must be removed from the nest, placing a full clutch of a rarer species under them.

Most finches and finches have four to six chicks in their litter, and Japanese finches usually feed that many. There are cases when a pair of Japanese finches fed eight to ten chicks in one brood, but this is an exception to the rule, since providing all the chicks with a sufficient amount of food is very hard work for these birds. Usually in large broods, not all chicks are well developed. The weakest perish at one of the stages of transition to independent life, and if they survive, they later endure molting hard or give offspring that are defective in many ways.

It is known that This bird has been kept in a cage for over 400 years.. It first came to Europe from Japan (hence its name). However, it is assumed that it was bred in China and several closely related species served as the initial forms, for example, the bronze pointed-tailed finches and the silver-billed finches. But there is no specific data on this, just as there is no absolutely similar species of wild birds living today.

At present, at competitive exhibitions held by bird lovers' clubs in our country, there is a standard for the Japanese finches, developed on the basis of the standard adopted for international exhibitions. It defines the size of the birds, takes into account the existing colors and their distribution on the body of the bird, i.e. "drawing". Monochromatic or symmetrically colored birds are preferred, as these colorations are the most difficult to breed and maintain. Birds are evaluated according to a specially developed 100-point scale, which takes into account all possible shortcomings for which penalty points are awarded. The bird with the fewest penalty points is the winner in its show group or show class. Its owner is awarded a special diploma or diploma. Similar competitions are held for all groups of birds kept by amateurs at home.

The females of these birds do not sing, they only emit a "call" characteristic of the species. And an adult male at the moment of singing also “dances”: lifting the feathers on his head and fluffing them on his belly, he jumps in one place and turns first in one direction, then in the other, and at the same time chirps softly.

Sometimes in the song of the Japanese finches you can hear knees borrowed from other bird species. As a rule, finches from one collection have a similar type of song, somewhat different from the song of birds of another fancier.

Japanese finches are fed with millet of all varieties, oatmeal and canary seed. These are the main grain feed. In addition to them, you can give sprouted grains of oats, wheat, greens and seeds of weeds of various degrees of maturity, such as dandelion, plantain, shepherd's purse, etc. Sometimes, especially in the autumn-winter period, they need to be given finely chopped cabbage or grated carrots, slices of apple, fresh cucumber or lettuce. In spring and summer, one or two leaves of dandelion or a little grass of the mosquito grass, which grows in abundance in moist shady places, even in the city, is quite enough for them per day. The daily norm of grain feed per bird is a teaspoon.

Separate dishes with mineral top dressing should always be in the cage- large river sand, pounded eggshell or crushed old lime plaster. Once or twice a month, top dressing is changed or a new portion is added.

The Japanese finches are a bird of the subfamily of finches. Along with the canary, this species has a very long history of domestication. The Japanese finches have been kept in cages for over 400 years. The Chinese were the first to breed it, from where it came to Japan, and then in the second half of the 19th century in Western Europe, where it received the name of the Japanese finches. The ancestral form of the Japanese finches, the bronze finches, still lives in Southeast Asia and neighboring islands.
It has a modest plumage without a characteristic color and pattern. The upper part of the body is brown, the rest is gray or white. There are also monochrome birds - yellow or white. Sometimes they have a crest on their heads. The upper half of the beak is bluish-black, the lower half is slightly lighter. The plumage of the male and female is the same. They are distinguished by their song, which is similar to hissing or whispering.
Once in Europe, this unpretentious bird became famous among amateurs as a nurse for hard-to-breed weavers in captivity. She lays eggs in the clutch, which she calmly incubates with her own. Japanese finches are very accommodating, they are kept by several individuals in one cage, seated in pairs only during the nesting period.
The females of these birds do not sing, they only emit a "call" characteristic of the species. And an adult male at the moment of singing also “dances”: lifting the feathers on his head and fluffing them on his belly, he jumps in one place and turns first in one direction, then in the other, and at the same time chirps softly.
Sometimes in the song of the Japanese finches you can hear knees borrowed from other bird species. As a rule, finches from one collection have a similar type of song, somewhat different from the song of birds of another fancier.
Japanese finches are fed with millet of all varieties, oatmeal and canary seed. These are the main grain feed.
In addition to them, you can give sprouted grains of oats, wheat, greens and seeds of weeds of various degrees of maturity, such as dandelion, plantain, shepherd's purse, etc. Sometimes, especially in the autumn-winter period, they need to be given finely chopped cabbage or grated carrots, slices of apple, fresh cucumber or lettuce. In spring and summer time, one or two dandelion leaves or a little grass of the mosquito grass, which grows in abundance in moist shady places, even in the city, is quite enough for them a day. The daily norm of grain feed per bird is a teaspoon.
Separate dishes with mineral top dressing - coarse river sand, crushed eggshells or crushed old lime plaster should always be in the cage. Once or twice a month, the top dressing is changed or a new portion is added.
Reproduction of Japanese finches is best done in the spring and summer, when a long (up to 15 hours) daylight hours are established and there is plenty of vitamin green food. Under these conditions, there are almost no unsuccessful clutches, of course, if both birds are physically fit.
In general, these birds can breed at any time of the year, but for this it is necessary to artificially lengthen daylight hours with the help of electric lighting up to 12-14 hours and germinate grain to introduce vitamins into the diet of birds. At the same time, it must be taken into account that the offspring obtained in the autumn-winter time is often weakened.

Japanese finches mostly nest in semi-closed artificial nests, so they hang a house made of thin boards or plywood in the shape of a cube (face size 12 cm) in a cage. The front wall of the house is half or 1/3 closed. Sometimes, instead of such a house, a coconut shell is used, for which its upper part is carefully cut off and a round or oval hole 3-4 cm in diameter is made on the side. The upper part serves as a lid, which makes it easier to clean and control nesting.
Some hay is placed inside the artificial nest, giving it the shape of a nest. A small amount of hay is also placed on the floor of the cage, as some birds are quite active in building the nest themselves. For the majority, the construction instinct is lost or poorly developed.
Eggs of white Japanese finches, like most closed-nesting birds, are laid by the female one at a time. Since the appearance of the first egg, the birds spend most of their time in the nest, incubating the clutch alternately, and at night they are in the nest together.
Chicks hatch on the 14th - 15th day of incubation, usually all chicks hatch in 1 - 2 days, although several days pass from the moment the first egg is laid to the laying of the last one. Apparently, incubation begins with the second or third egg, and the first one is simply warmed up by the birds, and not really incubated.
As soon as the chicks hatch, the parents will need the so-called soft food. It's usually brewed. egg, grated and sprinkled with breadcrumbs in a ratio of 1:1. A week after the chicks hatch, grated carrots are added to this food and the proportion of crackers is increased so that the mixture does not stick to the hands and becomes crumbly. One or two tablets of calcium gluconate or calcium glycerophosphate are added to the mixture, after grinding them into powder.
The rate of soft food depends on the age of the chicks and their number. Greens in the diet of birds include no earlier than a week old chicks.
With normal feeding, the chicks leave the nest at the age of 23-27 days, but the parents feed them for another 10-15 days, after which the young become independent and should be separated from their parents, who, as a rule, start the next clutch.

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