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Nikki Moustaki. Finches For Dummies
Finches For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Finches For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Introducing Finches
Finches: More Than Just Pretty, Chatty Birds
Where Finches Come From
The Life of a Wild Finch
The Many Species of Finches
Size differences
I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS SHINING THROUGH …
Temperament differences
The finch lifespan
Anatomy of a Finch
Are Finches Your Perfect Companions?
Knowing What to Expect from Finches
Activity
Noise
Enjoyment
TAMING A FINCH: NOT FOR THE IMPATIENT
Mess
Knowing What Your Finches Expect from You
A good home
Routine
VACATIONING WITHOUT YOUR FINCHES
Deciding Whether a Finch Is Right for You
Will finches fit into your family?
HOUSEGUESTS
Do you have any smokers in the house?
Is your home also home to children?
Do you have other pets?
How Many Finches Are Right for You?
Selecting Species of Companion Finches
Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options
Canary
Cordon-bleu finch
European goldfinch
Gouldian finch
Java finch
Owl finch
Society finch
Spice finch
Whydah
Zebra finch
Finding and Selecting Finches
Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options
The age of your new finches
Gender
Previously homed finches
BREEDING FINCHES
Finding a Finch
Pet shops and bird shops
Swap meets and flea markets
The classifieds
Breeders and experts
Bird shows
Searching for a Healthy Finch
Eyes
Nose and nares
Feathers
Feet
Vent
Attitude
HEALTH GUARANTEES
Housing Finches Together
Caring for Your Finches
Home Tweet Home: Preparing for Your Finches and Bringing Them Home
Your Finches’ New Home
Size matters: Cages, flight cages, aviaries, and habitats
Considering cage materials
Keeping cage safety in mind
Deciding where to put your bird’s cage
QUARANTINE: WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW
Accessorizing Your Finches’ Abode
Perches to stand on
Wooden perches
Plastic perches
Rope perches
Concrete and rough perches
Cups and bowls
Cage covers
Mineral blocks and cuttlebones
Toys
MITES AND MOTHS AND BIRDS, OH MY!
Baths
Lighting
Heating
Keeping Mess Away
Cage bloomers and seed guards
Cleaning supplies
HEPA filters
Setting up the Cage
Finch-Proofing Your Home
Traveling Safely from Store to Home
Caring for Your Finches
Water: Extremely Essential
Knowing What Your Finch Should (and Shouldn’t) Eat
Seeds and pellets
Veggies and fruit
Snacks
FINCH TREAT STICK RECIPE
Live insects
Table foods
Cooked foods
Fun Finch Food Recipes
Finch flapjacks
Finch fiber fusion
Finch fries
What not to feed your finch
Nutritional supplements: When food is not enough
Helping Your Finches Get the Exercise They Need
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep: Putting Your Finch to Bed
Grooming Your Finch
WING CLIPPING: A DEFINITE NO-NO
Toenail clipping
NEVER GROOM YOUR FINCH’S BEAK
Bathing your bird
Giving your molting birds some TLC
Can’t We All Just Get Along? Living with Other Pets
Cleaning Your Finches’ Housing
Come Here Often? Getting to Know Your Finches
Understanding Finch Behavior
What did you say?: Normal finch vocalization
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours: Preening and allopreening
Stretching: Birdy yoga
Hungry anyone? Finch vomiting and regurgitation
Resting on one leg
Scratching
Sleeping and roosting behavior
Romeo, oh Romeo: When your finch goes a-courting
Finch Communication
Handling Your Finch Safely
Taming Your Finch
Training and Breeding Your Finches
Keeping Your Finches Healthy and Handling Emergencies
The Veterinarian: Your New BFF (Bird Friend Forever)
Regular examinations
Emergencies
What a Healthy Finch Looks Like
Eyes
Ears
Beak
Feet
Feathers
Respiratory system
Skeletal system
Digestive system
Signs of Sick Finches
Common Finch Ailments
Emergencies: Knowing When to Get Help Immediately
Poisoning
Animal bites
Overheating
Oil on the feathers
Frostbite
Unconsciousness
Egg binding
Foot injuries
Eye injuries
Seizures
Injury to the beak
Fractures
What to Do if Your Bird Is Lost
Assembling a First-Aid Kit
What to Do If Your Bird Dies
Breeding Your Finches
Breeding Your Finches
Making sure you have a male and a female
Starting with healthy birds
Knowing when to breed
Getting the right equipment
Figuring out where to put the nest
Knowing what the parents need to eat
Prompting your finches to breed
Understanding the incubation period
Feeding and weaning chicks
Knowing What to Do When Something Goes Wrong
Egg binding
Infertile eggs
Inexperienced parent birds
Tossing the chicks
HELPING YOUR FINCH SURVIVE THE LOSS OF A MATE
Failure to thrive
Finding foster parents for your babies
Handfeeding baby finches
Finding good homes for your baby finches
Discouraging Breeding
The Part of Tens
Ten Great Finch Websites
Ten Fun DIY Toys for Finches
Index. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z
About the Author
Dedication
Author’s Acknowledgments
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
Отрывок из книги
Finches are charming companions, adding a little bit of life to an empty corner of any home. Whether you plan on having just a pair, or would like a whole aviary full, finches offer a glimpse into the natural world, and give owners hours of watching and listening pleasure. They are easy to care for, relatively quiet, and some are prettier than a rainbow. What more could you ask for in a birdy friend?
Finches For Dummies is a book I wrote for people interested in finches. Maybe you just bought finches or a canary and need the essential scoop on getting set up as well as general care information. Or, you may already have finches and you need a refresher on the best way to take care of your companions or want to understand them better. Perhaps you’re ready for a new feathered friend but aren’t sure if finches are right for you and your family. If any of the above describes you, keep on readin’.
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Though no one expects you to become an ornithologist (someone who studies birds), in order to provide a good home for your companion finches, it can be helpful to understand where your bird is classified in the scheme of things. Here are the four different groups of finches:
One of the longest domesticated and most popular varieties of finch is the well-known canary (see Figure 1-1). Canaries come in a variety of colors, from bright yellow, like the famous Tweety Bird, to brown, gray, orange, white, and variegated (having either regular or uneven dark markings). Canaries are delicate birds, originally from the Canary Islands, and have been a popular companion in Europe since the 16th century, perhaps even earlier.
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