The Gouldian Finch is a beautiful bird with gorgeous plumage. This bird can be seen in various attractive colors and is named based on the color of its head and sometimes based on the color of the body. Some of these are yellow-headed, red-headed, and black-headed.
Scientific Name and Size of Gouldian Finch:
Erythrura Gouldiae is the scientific name of the Gouldian finch. This bird is about 125-140 mm long, weighing about 12 grams. It is a native bird of the grasslands in Australia. Their population reduced due to high exporting, leaving behind just 2500 mature species of this bird. But the good thing is that they are bred in large numbers now. They live for about 8 years when taken care of.
Temperament:
Gouldian finches are quite social. They interact with other finches but don’t like human handling. Handling them can result in panicking and even death. They need to be trained to be perched on your finger. Their intelligence helps in training them but at the same time, it is difficult because of their reluctance to be held by humans.
Blue Gouldian Finch and its Breeding:
It appeared initially in the 1940s and then breeding them began in the 1970s. In aviculture, this is one of the most attractive color mutations of this species. The blue Gouldian finch was bred in controlled environments with the help of medication and inbreeding to increase its number quickly. This resulted in weak variants compared to the normal Gouldians. The blue Gouldian gene pool weekend when two visibly bluebirds are paired, so they are often bred by pairing a bluebird with a split to bluebird. The split to bluebird is produced by pairing a normal bird that doesn’t have a blue gene with a bluebird.
Yellow Gouldian Finch:
They are well known for their bright color. The initial part of the dry season is their breeding time when the food is available easily. When captive, they breed in their nest which is usually in the form of wicker baskets.
BREEDING:
When Gouldian finches mate with another finch of different head colors, it results in fatal outcomes when there is a greater chance of female chicks dying compared to males. Mating with the wrong head color finch results in fewer eggs and more male finches.
Care Instructions:
The blue variant is weaker compared to the normal Gouldians and hence special care is required when you are keeping them as pets. Make sure that the finch is kept in a spacious area, with enough food and water. Avoid overcrowding as this will make them stressed. Follow a strict regime for controlling worms and diseases by visiting a veterinarian regularly. The cage needs regular cleaning, and the plates also need to be washed thoroughly.
Exercise:
Gouldian finches are active birds that need enough space for flying. Never clip off their wings as flying is an exercise for it. Keep it in very large cages as it will ensure enough flying area. Keep some toys and perches with which it can socialize as it doesn’t like human interaction. You can even keep a shallow bath dish with fresh water. Make sure to change it thrice a week.
Diet of Gouldian Finch:
Feed this bird with fresh food like birdie bread, some tiny fruits, supplements, fresh veggies like kale, broccoli, corn, carrot, and others. You can also feed it with egg, or other protein items. It is better to avoid pellet food and go for fresh and natural food.
Facts:
- Finches were first named by a British ornithologist John Gould who came off with the name after his wife Elizabeth.
- When the male Gouldian Finch dances during courtship, it is quite interesting to watch.
- Finches breed during the falls and winter.
- As per UK researchers, the personality of this species varies based on their head color.
- The finches with redheads are more aggressive and those with blackheads have good risk-bearing potential.
- These birds are not noisy but the males only sing.
Conclusion:
The Gouldian finches are delicate birds and need extreme care to survive. So make sure to get them regularly checked up with the vet and follow all care instructions to keep them healthy and stress-free when you bring them to keep a pet.
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