Aviary Breeding of Zebra Finches

Zebra finches are beautiful, small birds that can be kept as pets. They are native to Central Australia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, but have also been introduced into Puerto Rico, Portugal, Brazil and the United States. Breeding zebra finches is not difficult, and you can breed the finches successfully by knowing the basics of how to care and treat these special animals.

  1. Cages or Aviaries

    • Keep zebra finches in cages or aviaries either indoors or outdoors. They are considered a hardy bird, so they should do fine as long as you don't put them in a place they can get rained on. Do not change their environments too often. If you choose a cage, make it as large as possible and no smaller than 40-by-20-by-15-inches for winter months or for breeding. Add a bathing pool to the cage as well as a nestbox, or wicker nest, for when the birds breed. Dried grass or hay work well for nesting material.

    Feeding

    • A small bird seed mixture comprised of millet and canary seeds works well as food for zebra finches. The birds should always have access to food. In addition to the seed mixture, you can add fresh greens and a calcium source such as sea shells or fish bones to the cage. For young hatchlings, nesting food should be used, which can be found in pet stores.

    Facilitating Breeding

    • When it comes to aviary breeding of zebra finches, the birds essentially do all the work themselves. Put a male and female bird in the same cage, and you should see them build a nest and lay eggs within a few days. Don't scare the birds so they don't accidentally crush or knock over the eggs. The eggs should hatch about two weeks later.

    After Birth

    • The parents nest the babies for about two to two and half weeks. You may want to remove the nest after all the chicks leave and are feeding on their own. Leaving the nest so the parents breed again is alright, if the finches haven't already had multiple babies, but limit the same parents to two clutches per year. You can remove the chicks from the parenting cage when they are six weeks old.