The Beauty Of Gouldian Finches
The Gouldian finches, or chloebia gouldiae, which is its technical name, are one of the most beautifully colorful birds on Earth some would argue. It can most commonly be found in Australia. But sadly, these finches are endangered. It is estimated by some experts that there are less than two thousand five hundred left. The Australian government is concerned enough about this wonderfully beautiful bird that is has put a stop to the exportation of them. Somewhere around the 1960s they banned it all together.
The Gouldian finches are quite small at only five inches or five and a half inches long. As with most birds in the nature the male is much more colorful than the female. The male also has a much larger center tail feather. It is assumed widely that the fantastic coloring and sometimes added characteristics of the male occurs so that they can easily attract females during mating time. Whether this is true or not it seems to be the norm for birds in their natural environment.
Gouldian finches are not a bird that is bred easily in captivity. They are touted as being much more difficult to care for than other finch species. So really knowing these birds as a breeder and caretaker is something that is mandatory if the are going to survive as a species in captivity. There are three natural-colorings that are common for these birds. There is the red-headed bird, black-headed bird and the yellow-headed bird. These are the most common colorings that are noted but there are variations that occur. Some have even been see with blue and yellow bodies.
The social habits of the Gouldian finches are much like other finches. They are wonderful to listen to with their beautiful soft chirp. They do not like to be handled though or even petted. This makes these not a perfect match for a bird owner that wishes for a bird that likes to be handled or petted. Though human-shy, these birds do better with social contact from another of their kind when kept in captivity. Unfortunately, the same as the males inheriting the coloring, it is the males that are the singers.
Gouldian finches do well in either cages or aviaries that are overly large. It is recommended by experts that they have a minimum of a twenty inch flying space. The cage material can be either metal or wooden either will work well. But the bars should not be spaced more than one-half an inch apart. Experts that have studied them have noticed that they really appreciate boxed housing that is enclosed on all sides but the front. But experts would caution people not to put them into a brass cages due to health issues. Changing their houses can cause stress to these birds and stress can be lethal. Their optimal temperature requirements are seventy degrees with humidity of at least fifty percent for the best living environment.
