The tame goldfinch Konstantin is simply handsome!

Authors: Ivan and Ekaterina Pronin Published: 04/07/2012

Goldfinch. Age 7 months.

Thanks to its characteristic color, the goldfinch cannot be confused with any other songbird. A bright red muzzle and lemon-yellow stripes on the wings, white dots on the black wings and tail - such a variegated color can be called literally exotic.

Goldfinches quickly settle into a home and cage and can become quite tame if you have the patience to tame it.

Goldfinches have a terribly quarrelsome character and can fight over one feeder, even if there are two or three feeders. Therefore, housing two goldfinches in one cage is not the best solution.

Description of the species

All goldfinches are usually classified as members of the finch family of birds. In size, it is slightly smaller than a sparrow, about twelve centimeters in length including the tail. The Russian name of the bird itself characterizes its color. The goldfinch stands out from our other birds with its “finch-like” plumage.

There are practically no differences in color between females and males.

Goldfinches are quite mobile and will not sit in one place even at home. Like most small birds, they love to jump from branch to branch and live in flocks in the wild. Hybrids between goldfinches and canaries are considered one of the best, both in color and in the beauty of their singing.

How the goldfinch sings

The singing of this bird, coupled with its bright color, determined its popularity among numerous owners. Experienced owners, together with biologists, claim that the goldfinch is able to produce more than 20 variants of melodies, in terms of euphony, not inferior to the repertoire of canaries. It all depends on the pet’s mood: a well-groomed bird will delight the ear with high-speed chirping with elements of whistling. Such improvisations can last for hours, especially in the spring.

Important! The goldfinch willingly copies motifs heard from other birds. But when keeping several varieties in one house at once, interest in their neighbors may after a while give way to bad mood and apathy - for this species it is important to be the center of attention.

It is also possible to switch to more monotonous and rough trills if the bird is left alone for a long time and does not receive the necessary attention from its owners. Singing has traditionally remained the activity of males, although some females are superior to them in this regard. But during molting, sexual differences fade into the background - during this period, goldfinches are simply silent, taking a “creative break.”

New house

Keeping goldfinches in a cage or aviary is the right decision! But we must not forget that in a cage that is too large, the bird will feel uncomfortable. You don’t need to buy a huge cage so that the bird feels like it’s “in the wild.” This won't happen.

Also, she will rush around the cage, flutter incessantly, and will take a very long time to get used to you. Therefore, it is best if you buy a cage designed specifically for your bird. Cages for goldfinches usually do not exceed fifty centimeters in length, have one or two levels and are rectangular in shape. For the convenience of the owners, almost all cages are equipped with a retractable tray for changing bedding. Inside the goldfinches' cage you can place twigs and twigs, different types of fruit trees, and a couple of toys. The main thing is not to clutter up the little singer’s house.

Breeding baby goldfinches

Goldfinches in captivity, like many representatives of birds, can reproduce throughout the year when properly maintained. The male and female get along well together, they just need to let them build a nest and then the female, after mating, will lay eggs in it.

At one time, a female goldfinch will be able to lay 4-6 eggs with a very interesting pattern; they are blue with purple speckles. The expectant mother incubates the eggs for about two weeks. The chicks grow very quickly and become independent sixteen days after hatching.

Possibility of breeding in captivity

It is quite possible to get offspring at home. In nature, goldfinches breed towards the end of spring, while in captivity this process is not tied to the time of year and can be year-round. Its onset is “provoked” by placing lichen, pieces of bark or meadow grass, and even the fur of other pets in the cage. All these materials are placed little by little, and the active female immediately begins to build a nest.

Increasingly, exotic animals are chosen as pets: lemurs, salamanders, crocodiles, leopard geckos, snails, iguanas, chameleons, squirrels, mongooses and jerboas. After it is twisted, the male is released into the cage. Noticing that the mating games produced a result in the form of a clutch of several eggs, he is sent back. Otherwise, everything goes on as usual - the female calmly incubates the clutch for two weeks. The hatched chicks are kept with her for the first 16-20 days of life, after which they can be safely moved to a separate cage. Important! Sitting over the future offspring, the female becomes a little nervous. Be careful - she may painfully pinch the owner's finger, mistaking it as a threat. Sometimes chance interferes with this natural scenario. For example, a bird that grew up “with everything ready” may refuse to hatch chicks. In such cases, owners interested in increasing their livestock take the eggs and transfer them to an incubator or simply under a powerful lamp. After getting to know the bright and melodious goldfinches, you learned how to keep them at home. We hope that such neighbors will give only joy and positivity, and all diseases will be spared. More light notes every day!

Veterinarian advice

• In order for the bird not to get sick and to please you for several years, you need to follow certain rules for keeping the bird.
• The cage should be in a place accessible to sunlight, but it is important to avoid drafts.
• Do not place the cage in close proximity to the battery.
• The baby's nutrition should be complete; at least twice a day, you need to give him a small portion of food.
• And especially in winter conditions, when metabolic disorders occur, we must not forget about feed additives with vital components.
• The bird must always have access to fresh water; it is best to use special sippy cups that are attached to the cage.
• The cage needs to be kept clean, but there is no need to use aggressive cleaning agents for cleaning, as their fumes will have a very bad effect on health.
• It is necessary to take care of the cleanliness of not only the cage, but also the pet itself. There are special bathing suits on sale that are filled with water.

• If the owner detects any violations: refusal to eat, loss of plumage, depressed state, etc., you should immediately contact a specialist - a veterinarian (ornithologist).
• Now, in many veterinary clinics there are ornithologist specialists who will help you with treatment and tell you the rules for keeping birds.

Cell and its location

The goldfinch cage is a standard design, suitable for almost all songbirds of a similar size. The goldfinch is an active bird and loves to gnaw on grain or seeds on a perch, so a high tray is required to prevent husks and other debris from flying out of the cage. The cage should not be overloaded with perches, swings and toys - the bird will find a toy for itself. Three perches are enough: two at the bottom at almost the same height and one on the second tier, preferably some kind of Y-shaped spear attached to the back wall of the cage. The perches must be placed so that the birds do not touch the side walls of the cage with their tail in any position. The perches should be of such a diameter that the bird’s foot covers no more than 2/3 of the circumference, that is, so that the bird’s foot does not close on the perch.

We also do not recommend hanging a mirror. The goldfinch is a narcissist, he can look in the mirror all day long, fight or be friends with him, but in this case it will not be easy for you to get his attention.

It is better to place the feeder at the bottom of the cage, equidistant from the perches, so that poop and other “joys” do not fall there. We have a hanging drinker, installed inside the cage, and attached to the perches.

The back and side walls, as well as the ceiling of the cage, should be made closed, made of bakelite plywood. The open part of the cage is only the front. For rods, you can use either high-carbon steel wire or bamboo (for barbecue) sticks, of which there are a dime a dozen in stores.

• The main dimensions L x W x H are within the range of 550 x 350 x 400 mm;
• tray height – 150 mm;
• rod pitch – 15 mm.

A clear example of a cell.

When kept at home, the bird does not receive one very important thing - ultraviolet radiation. Window glass absorbs the near UV component of sunlight. To compensate for the lack of ultraviolet radiation, it is necessary to use special lamps.

The photo above shows the Arcadia Birds Lamp FB18.

In summer, it is enough to place the cage with the bird near an open window. Ultraviolet light also passes through clouds in sufficient quantities. In any case, sunbathing is a necessary procedure for birds, regardless of whether there is a UV lamp or not.

When using such a lamp, you need a certain lamp, with an electronic ballast (electronic ballast), and not with a classic choke.

Equally important is the correct regulation of daylight hours, since many processes in the bird’s body depend on this. The main thing is that the daylight hours are as close to natural as possible. That is, if you leave for work at 7:00 in the winter and come at 18:00, then you will not be able to turn on and then turn off the lamp at the right time. To solve this problem, you can and should use a digital timer, for example, BND-50/SG3, or EWD-EG03, or any other.

Now about cage placement

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Put it on a shelf or hang the cage on the wall – it’s your choice, there’s nothing to say. But the place must be chosen so as to provide natural lighting even when using special lamps.

The absence of drafts is very important! Draft is one of the main enemies of birds.

The height of the cage should be chosen so that the top perch is at eye level, which will ensure easy access to the cage and peace of mind for the bird.

It is worth remembering that even with the best cage, a bird was born to fly.

General characteristics and appearance

This representative of the finch family is a relative of the familiar sparrow. Ornithologists know that this name unites a large number of lines, among which greenfinches and redpolls, linnets and even siskins stand out. But the most common species remains the common goldfinch (aka black-headed). It is even smaller in size than a sparrow: an adult grows to 10, maximum 12 cm “from beak to tail,” and this with a weight of only 17-20 g.

What kind of bird is the goldfinch, where does it live?

The goldfinch is a bird belonging to the finch family. Outwardly, it somewhat resembles a sparrow, but in adult individuals the color is brighter and more spectacular. At the same time, the goldfinch is slightly smaller in size than a sparrow. An adult bird can reach a size of up to 10 centimeters, less often up to 12 centimeters. The bird's weight is only 17-20 grams. Despite their fragile physique, goldfinches seduce with their appearance. The front of their head is bright red, the cheeks are white, and the back of the head is black. Thanks to this shift in contrasts, the bird has a frankly dandyish appearance, which is apparently why it bears such a name. In nature, this species of bird lives in deciduous forests and gardens mainly in Europe and Western Siberia. Goldfinches are also found in the forests of Asia and North Africa. The bird prefers to live in open areas, so it can rarely be found in dense forests. In terms of their lifestyle, goldfinches are considered sedentary birds, and they are capable of migrating over fairly long distances. Goldfinches break into pairs in April, and already at the beginning of summer they form their nests on the crowns of trees. Goldfinches eggs are colored transparent green with bright red spots in the blunt edge area. The female goldfinch incubates the eggs for two weeks and then fattens her offspring for the same amount of time. The chicks begin to leave the nest already at 15-20 days. In nature, goldfinches feed on seeds of grasses, trees and shrubs. They love to eat the seeds of burdock, thistle and horse sorrel. Goldfinches also eat protein foods. They prefer mainly small worms with larvae. When there are some problems with nutrition, birds can easily switch to eating leaves and stems of vegetation.

More details about keeping goldfinches at home will be discussed in this video.

Habitat and diet in the wild

Wild individuals inhabit deciduous groves and gardens of Europe and Western Siberia, Western Asia and North Africa. At the same time, the bird prefers relatively open areas - you are unlikely to see it in a deep forest (unlike a sparse planting or even a city park). They are considered a sedentary species, although they are capable of migrating over long distances. They often leave their nests to search for food together (flocks of goldfinches are frequent guests of summer cottages and fields).

In April they split into pairs, and by the beginning of summer, nests built from various roots connected by cobwebs are visible on the tree crowns. Around this time, transparent green eggs with red spots on the blunt edge appear in the nests. On average, each clutch consists of 3-5 eggs.

Bird walking

It is vitally important for the bird to be allowed to fly, and the point here is not even that it is boring when locked up, but mostly in nutrition.

Since goldfinches eat a lot of fat, they are susceptible to obesity, and this problem can be avoided using two comprehensive methods: give more greens, vegetables and fruits, and be sure to walk the bird. The goldfinch in the photographs in this article is not locked up at all, but comes to spend the night in the cage on its own, voluntarily, except in cases of hooliganism.

In an apartment, goldfinches, unlike robins, prefer to fly and sit higher: on tables, cabinets, and chandeliers. This is explained by the fact that in nature they prefer to live higher in the tree. If you have a large mirror in the room where the goldfinch lives, then most likely he will hang around it. And the garbage will be where the goldfinch will spin.

It is naive to think that it is enough to lay down a newspaper and shake off the garbage from it. In this case, the newspaper will become the main source of garbage. Our goldfinch’s favorite pastime is gnawing, tearing and littering; he devotes all his time to this activity during the “walk.”

Is it worth keeping at home?

Having confirmed the artistic inclinations of this species, many immediately get excited about the idea of ​​having this feathered miracle in their apartment. But before that, it is advisable to soberly weigh the pros and cons of such cohabitation.

pros

Let's start with the advantages. These include:

• bright appearance;
• beautiful trills that can be listened to almost all year round;
• natural intelligence and innate curiosity;
• the bird's sociable disposition;
• fast learner;
• unpretentiousness in nutrition and maintenance.

Here you can add such a factor as the small size of the bird, which will be a powerful argument when it lives in a small room.

Minuses

There are also disadvantages that should also be kept in mind:

• a specimen caught in a nearby field is unlikely to give concerts and be willing to make contact - it is best to purchase an individual at a pet store;
• Individuals of different sexes do not get along very well when kept together - this is fraught with permanent stress. In such conditions, one can forget about singing and offspring;
• chicks, already separated from their parents and living in the same cage, often become competitors (mainly for food), which can lead to fights and injuries.

What food does he prefer?

Goldfinches should be fed with ordinary grain mixtures. They are very popular with grain-eating birds. It is preferable that oil seeds predominate in such a mixture. The bird loves flax, burdock and rapeseed seeds.

In addition to grains, it is recommended to include various types of nuts (pine nuts) and pine tree seeds in the diet.

These birds like oatmeal, canary seed and even millet. You should know that seeds from a variety of weeds are very useful for these birds. Therefore, if possible, it is worth including dandelion, thistle or chicory seeds in your diet.

For balanced nutrition of birds, it is necessary to add greens to the feed. Moreover, these can even be small coniferous branches. Domesticated birds love all kinds of porridge, used for insect-eating species. If possible, you can offer the bird mealworms or ant eggs.

Poultry needs two meals a day. But you should pay attention to its plumage. If the color of the plumage changes (fades), it means that the bird’s nutrition does not correspond to the norm.

The basic diet must include:

• wood ash, activated carbon;
• coarse sand, clay;
• eggshells (raw) and chalk.

Conditions for keeping at home

If you are interested in how to properly care for a goldfinch living at home, you can see that there is no particular difficulty here. Although there are still some nuances.

Choosing and arranging a home

It all starts with selecting a cage or enclosure. The minimum size of bird housing is 50x30 cm (although it is better to take a cage with a reserve). Another mandatory requirement is the presence of at least two levels, because an active pet needs more space. Pay attention to the tray at the base - it should be smooth, without cracks or burrs that can injure the bird.

How many goldfinches are best kept in one cage?

Ideally, each bird has a separate cage. Cohabitation of two active individuals (especially a male and a female) almost always leads to domestic conflicts. The initiative usually belongs to the “female” half of the population - the female tries to monopolize everything, from food to free space. Against this background, her partner risks falling into apathy, which is immediately evident from his stubborn silence and shaggy appearance.

What to feed the goldfinch at home

Breeding any animals, including goldfinches, in standard home conditions is unthinkable without a properly composed menu.

• ready grain mixture. It is made from equal parts of millet and burdock, rapeseed and dandelion. You can add sunflower and hemp with plantain to them. But achenes of coniferous trees (pines and spruce) are already for gourmets: not all birds accept such ingredients;
• live food in the form of ant pupae and mealworms. They are given in the amount of 4-5 pieces per day. Although worms are also considered a delicacy not for everyone (while pupae are loved by everyone);
• wet “chatter” and cereals for insectivores. They are fed 2-3 times a week;
• a special delicacy - a salad of finely chopped and hard-boiled eggs, grated boiled carrots and pieces of crackers. This mixture is very useful for adults.

Feeding frequency: at least 2 times a day, in equal, medium-sized portions. The “supplement” is allowed as an exception, and only for sick or weakened birds (it cannot be given regularly).

Is it worth keeping a goldfinch at home?

For those who are puzzled by the question of whether it is worth keeping a goldfinch at home, there is good news. Goldfinches are quite picky birds that are ideal for keeping at home. The first advantage of goldfinches is that such a pet really provides a great mood to its owners. The bird sings beautifully throughout the year, so owners are guaranteed to wake up to beautiful singing in the morning. In addition, goldfinches are very smart and friendly birds. They can quickly be trained, are easy to train and literally from the first days get used to their owners. So, after appearing in the house, in a matter of minutes they turn into the favorites of not only the owners, but also all the guests of the house. Another advantage of keeping goldfinches is that they can be mated with canaries. The hybrids obtained from crossing a male goldfinch and a female canary are so beautiful that it is impossible to find a more beautiful pet for the home. However, there are some disadvantages to keeping goldfinches. Wild goldfinches, even if they were purchased at a pet store, will remain wild under any manipulation. Difficulties may arise with such birds. Wild goldfinches rarely sing, are practically impossible to re-educate, and on top of that, they may not recognize their owners. And if two birds of different sexes live in the house, then they will generally have to be separated into different cages. The male and female do not get along with each other at all and because of this they may stop singing altogether.

What is special about keeping a goldfinch in the house?

The main nuance in keeping goldfinches at home is that the birds should only live alone in a prepared aviary or cage. Goldfinches adapt well to new conditions, but at the same time they need to be made comfortable. A cage measuring at least 50 centimeters in length is suitable for keeping goldfinches. It should have two levels, swings and perches. The cage with the bird should be installed in the brightest place, but so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Also, you should not place the cage in drafty areas. You will have to clean the cage every day, whether you want it or not. Every day it is necessary to change the water for bathing and drinking. Once a week it is better to carry out a general cleaning of the cage, clean all the perches and the tray. The goldfinch can sometimes be released to fly in the apartment. It is useful for birds to periodically stretch their wings.

What to feed the goldfinch at home?

When keeping poultry at home in order to maintain the health of the pet, it is very important to take care of proper nutrition. At home, birds should be fed a grain mixture. It should include burdock, oatmeal or rapeseed. You can add millet, canary seed and pine to your diet. Goldfinches also love to eat dandelions and hemp, plantain and sunflower. All these types of food must be mixed in equal proportions. The frequency of feeding birds is no more than 3-5 times a day. As for worms, everything is individual. Not all pets love this kind of food, so in this matter you will have to focus only on the character and gastronomic preferences of your particular bird. Sometimes you can feed your pet porridge. They should be given at least twice a week. You should also not neglect feeding your pet vegetables. Goldfinches love carrots. To prepare a tasty treat for poultry, you need to boil the carrots and grate them. Then mix the carrots with breadcrumbs and finely chopped egg. In addition to the fact that this mixture turns out to be very tasty for your pet, it will also enrich his body with the necessary substances and microelements.

More details about keeping and feeding the goldfinch at home will be discussed in this video. Leave your comments and express your suggestions for the article.

The goldfinch is an unpretentious bird, well adapted to life in a cage, but this does not mean that it can be fed with anything. One of the main requirements for feeding is variety. Proper nutrition provides the goldfinch with the necessary level of health. A healthy and active bird pleases its owner with its spectacular plumage and rich singing. Receiving a varied diet in captivity, a tamed bird will sing at home almost all year round (except for the molting period) and live for more than 10 years, whereas in nature even a five-year-old goldfinch is a rare occurrence.

Keeping goldfinches is not difficult. This lively, strong, hardy bird will survive even a beginner.

The sex of birds is determined by the “mask” on the head:

• In males, a red spot protrudes beyond the eyes, and the “whiskers” are black.
• In females, the red color reaches only to the middle of the eyes, the “whiskers” are grayish or brown.

Goldfinches are kept alone. An ordinary cage and easily accessible food are suitable for their maintenance. Optimal cell sizes:

• length - 50 cm;
• width - 30 cm;
• height - 34 cm.

In a cage that is too small, the goldfinch will move little and become fat. In a more spacious structure, it is inconvenient to care for the bird; it will feel uncomfortable, stop singing, begin to run wild and will stay only at the top, as if independently trying to reduce the size of its overly spacious home.

There is a criterion - the minimum cage size for any bird is one at which it must help itself with its wings when jumping between two perches. That is, the bird should not jump, but flutter. This allows her to keep her pectoral muscles toned.

Goldfinch cage

Caring for goldfinches involves feeding, daily cleaning of the cage, washing the feeder and drinking bowl. Once a week the cage is washed with soap. The bird needs ultraviolet light, so the cage is exposed to sunlight or under a UV lamp twice a week for two hours.

Rules for feeding the goldfinch:

• always a sufficient amount of feed;
• plenty of water to drink – your pet won’t live even a day without water;
• grain feed in combination with succulent foods;
• the constant presence of sand and a mineral mixture in the cell, which is due to the peculiarities of goldfinches’ digestion.

Birds are highly organized animals; they have highly developed individual tastes, so it is normal if the goldfinch does not take all the food. There is no cause for concern if the bird, for example, does not eat carrots or salt, which are recommended in many reference books.

You need to be careful with the amount of food. It is worth adhering to the recommended standards. If you simply make sure the feeder is always full of grain, the birds will get fat and die.

Approximate amount of grain per bird (in teaspoons):

How to determine gender and how long they live at home

When thinking about the prospect of breeding, the future owner will certainly ask how and by what characteristics to distinguish a male goldfinch, and what to look for in order to choose a female from a pair. Ornithologists suggest that upon careful examination it is quite simple. You just need to know a few signs:

1. Males are always larger, they have a larger beak, and the clarity and purity of color is always better (females look less bright and even dull).
2. The “cap” on the goldfinch’s head is distinguished by graying, clearly visible against the red-black background of the plumage.
3. The red fragment on her head itself slightly does not reach the line of her eyes.
4. On the crown of the female there is a gray or black element in the form of a cross.

Predisposition to disease

Goldfinches also sometimes get sick, and the owner should be aware of all birth sores of this species. The first thing that comes to mind is various types of injuries that a curious bird can receive due to the carelessness of its owners or due to restlessness. Bruises and dislocations, fractures and sprains require consultation with a veterinarian. The damaged limb is fixed, a restorative diet is prescribed, and during recovery the bird is not allowed to fly (such loads are temporarily prohibited).

Violations of containment rules can result in one of a number of dangerous illnesses:

1. The appearance of parasites in the form of fluff eaters. The feathers look cut, with dashes 1-2 mm long visible on them. This is the pathogen, which is expelled using special sprays and disinfection of the cell.
2. Knemidocoptosis. Simply put, this is an attack by a small tick that has chosen the upper layer of the dermis in the area of ​​the beak or paws. The itching is relieved with petroleum jelly or aversectin ointment. The problem is often caused by poor feed.
3. Coccidiosis , to which birds under the age of 1 year are especially susceptible. The cause is parasites that have settled on the intestinal walls or in the kidneys. This reduces immunity, and the pet clearly feels thirsty, refusing food. If treatment is started in a timely manner, antibiotics and vitamins are prescribed.
4. Pododermatitis . Blisters and wounds that appear on the legs begin to itch and force the pet to scratch them. This is how the disease starts (and with unsanitary conditions, even infections). They get out of the situation using soda lotions and baths, zoo ointments and antiseptics.
5. Various neoplasms and tumors. They differ in their location, nature and dynamics, so the first thing you need to do is show the bird to a veterinarian.