Some things to consider before you buy a bird and/or set up housing:
- Birds can be very long-lived - the average finch lives 10 to 12 years, sometimes - with the best of care - longer! My oldest canary was
almost 16, and my African Grey, 46 (which is young). You should seriously consider your commitment before purchasing a bird or
any pet for that matter!
- Birds can be messy - who am I trying to kid? Birds ARE messy! During the molt, it can often look like it's snowing in the general vicinity
of your bird's cage! During breeding season, nesting hairs get tossed all over the cage and inevitably fall to the floor and get stuck on
furniture like cat or dog hair. Seed hulls from their food dishes are fluffed from the cage as the birds flit around or flutter down to the seed
dish. There's no escaping it.
- Birds are dusty - bird feathers create a LOT of dust. Birds preen almost constantly during the day and toss off bits of feather and dead
skin in the process. If you, your children, or anyone else in your household has dust allergies, birds might not be the best choice as
household companions!
- Birds can be noisy - Boy oh boy can they be noisy! Goulds aren't nearly as noisy as some other birds (we won't mention any names
here!), but they can still disrupt your Saturday sleep-ins! You see, birds wake early in the morning and begin to sing after they stretch
and get their bearings. This is called "the aviary period". They also sing at dusk. Listen to the wild birds outside your home. If you pay
close attention, you'll notice what sounds like hundreds of birds singing early in the morning just before the sun comes up, then again at
dusk those same birds say good night to each other with song. When deciding on a location for them, think about whether they will
interrupt your sleep or your daily life. If you don't mind noise, then the location won't really matter! When people come to my house to
visit, they are always impressed by the amount of noise and always ask me how I can stand it. I tell them I have a mute button and don't
even notice it anymore! Now that my birds have their own room the noise is less obvious, but when the birds are feeling especially fine,
we can still hear them quite clearly!
- Birds require daily attention - do you have the time and are you willing to give your birds the daily care they need? While finches don't
require the one-on-one attention of a parrot, they still need you to observe them daily, clean their cage, replace their food and water, and
pay attention! If you are a very busy person and rarely home, birds are probably not the right companion for you!
- Birds can be smelly - during breeding season, hen birds will sit for hours and all night without leaving the nest. When they finally do
leave the nest to eat, drink, and relieve themselves, that which went in so many hours ago has to come out...and peeee-oooopy! Whew!
Hubby and the dog can't touch this one! That brooding hen has them both beat! A brooding hen's droppings can be as much as 4 times
the size of a regular dropping. And because it's been cooped up inside that little bird for so long, it smells pretty bad! Sifting the bedding
or changing the cage papers daily can help minimize this smell, but until the chicks are nearly out of the nest, the smell will be there. It's
definitely something to consider! It should also be noted that if cages are changed daily there will be little smell from non-breeding birds!
- Bird food can be smelly - When I sell my birds, I often give the client a zipper bag full of the mix my birds are accustomed to. I have
had clients return their birds to me, along with all of the seed, stating they just couldn't take the smell. If you have a very sensitive nose,
chances are you might find the smells associated with birds offensive. In the case of my client, you must understand that my mix contains
shrimp and tropical fish food to give the birds a high protein supplement without breaking the bank! I also add spirulina and pulverized
cuttlebone, both of which are from the ocean! A lot of fish smell going on there! If you use my mix, it will smell just a bit like fish - don't
panic! I call it the smell of success!
- Finches, under normal circumstances, do not like to be handled - unlike a parrot, parakeet or the occasional canary, finches are
not birds to be handled or finger trained. If you are looking for a bird that can be trained to interact with you, finches are probably not
your best option!
- Is there an Avian Vet nearby? If you are serious about keeping your birds happy and healthy, be sure there is a good Avian Vet in
your area and keep the number in a handy spot! Birds don't show illness until it is nearly too late to save them. You want to be able to
get them to the vet at the first signs of illness!
- Do you have a backup plan - is there someone you trust to care for your birds if you are away from home for an extended period of
time? It is often impractical to take your birds with you, so be sure you have a caretaker who is capable of handling care and emergency
situations while you are away!
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