Can Finches Live Alone? 5 Things to Consider
Finches are popular pet birds that make great companions due to their social interactions and pleasant sounds. The dazzling coloration of these birds makes them quite attractive for bird lovers. Most importantly, these birds are perhaps the easiest pet birds to keep, thanks to their small size and ease of maintenance.
Can a Finch Bird Live Alone?
No, finches should not live alone. Finches are highly social birds and don’t do well in solitude. In the wild, finches thrive well in large flocks or smaller groups. Similarly, captive finches do well while living in pairs, but it is best to keep three or more pairs of finches in the same cage.
Problems with Keeping Only One Finch Bird
Here are some of the side effects of keeping only one finch bird:
– Loneliness
A single finch bird is susceptible to loneliness since finches are social birds by nature. It needs another finch to interact with because finches cannot interact with humans. Loneliness can lead to depression among finches.
Some tell signs that your bird could be suffering from loneliness include feather-picking and loss of appetite. Reduced vocal activity is another sign of a lonely finch. Finches produce loud, chipping sounds while living in pairs or flocks. Such sounds are a result of the interactions that take place among these birds.
Reduced vocal activity means that your bird could be lonely since there isn’t another bird to keep it company.
– Stress
Besides suffering from loneliness, long-term loneliness in a finch bird can lead to stress. It can be harder for you to tell whether your finch is stressed or unhappy. Your bird is likely to hide its stressful emotions until the signs become so severe that they start manifesting through behavioral changes or physical changes. Fortunately, some symptoms can help you tell when your finch bird is lonely.
Self-biting, for instance, is an apparent sign of stress in your bird. Your bird may start biting itself, not as a sign of aggression but as a manifestation of its stressful emotions. Decreased vocalization is also another sign of stress in a finch bird that is living alone. Your bird may vocalize less or stop singing due to stress. Sudden loss of appetite is also an indication of a stressed finch.
– Behavior
Behavior changes are also evident in lone finches. These birds are naturally active, and they will fly around happily. However, a solitary finch will fly less and will remain inactive most of the time. The bird will develop antisocial behavior, even though finches are social birds.
Your bird could also exhibit undesirable behaviors such as aggression towards you and other people. Aggression can also manifest itself in the form of feather plucking. Some lonely finches could vocalize excessively during odd hours, such as during the night. Lone finches may also sing loudly and exhibit harmful behaviors such as self-biting.
– Short Lifespan
Usually, pet finches can live up to 5 years, however, the lifespan of a solitary finch will be reduced significantly. If you want to extend the life expectancy of your finches, keep them in pairs or in a larger flock.
Do Finches Need to Be in Pairs?
Yes, finches need to be in pairs to thrive well. The social attribute of finches doesn’t allow them to thrive well in solitude. Finches enjoy the company of other finches. These birds are sociable while living either in pairs or flocks. Ultimately, you can’t keep a flock of finches in your home. Nonetheless, you can keep a couple of finches housed together.
Before keeping these birds in pairs, talk to a breeder to find out which pair of finch birds get along with each other. There are different subspecies of finches. Most subspecies of these birds don’t seem to get along with other subspecies. Some subspecies might be aggressive towards other subspecies.
Hence, you should know the finches that get along with different subspecies, especially when in captivity. The start Finch, for instance, could be very aggressive towards other subspecies.
Nevertheless, these finches will be happier if housed together with fellow star finches. Subspecies such as Zebra finches can accommodate other fiches even in captivity. Ideally, keeping finches in pairs is the surest way to ensure your birds remain happier and healthy.
What to Do If One of Your Finches Dies?
It isn’t uncommon for bird pet owners to check the cage and find one of their finches dead. Finches also die like other birds due to factors such as illnesses. Nonetheless, the death of one of your finches could rob the other finches of a worthy companion.
Hence, you should get a replacement for the remaining bird lest it suffers from the effects of living in solitude. You can purchase another finch from a pet store. Nonetheless, there is the risk of bringing home a sick finch even if you buy it from a reputable pet store. Therefore, have the bird checked by a vet for any illnesses before taking it home. Checkups help ensure that the new bird doesn’t infect the other bird.
Moreover, consider the sex of the other bird. If the remaining finch is a female, for instance, consider getting her a male companion. Finches of the opposite sex are likely to get along with each other. Same-sex finches can be aggressive towards each other.
Furthermore, consider the age of the other bird that was left in the cage alone. For instance, consider getting a replacement within the same age bracket if the bird is a year old.
Most importantly, consider the subspecies of the new bird. Ensure the new bird belongs to the same subspecies as the remaining bird, else the two birds may not interact well with each other.
Can Finches Live with Other Birds?
Yes, most finches are nonaggressive by nature. They can live with other birds in the same cage. However, some finch subspecies like the star subspecies can be aggressive to other finch subspecies.
Avoid keeping your finch bird pet with other finch subspecies to be on the safer hand. Such a precaution measure will lower the chances of your bird getting injuries from aggressive bird species.
Wrap Up
Finches are exciting bird pets, especially when living in pairs. Consider getting a companion for your lone finch and protect it from the negative impacts that finches experience while living alone.