Finches are tiny birds, most being no larger than four inches long beak to tail. The great mistake many people make when choosing finch cages is to choose a cage that is just too small. A tiny bird, in the case of finches, does not translate into tiny cages. Finches, no matter how long they have been bred in captivity, have all the instincts of wild birds. They crave room to fly, to exercise, to explore their habitat. Failure to provide them with the room to move about is a sure fire way to shorten the life of your finches.
I recommend that before you go to the pet shop to purchase your finches, you purchase and set up their cage. Your birds will become disoriented as you transport them from the pet shop to your home, generally in a small cardboard box. Having a home ready for them goes a long way to minimize their adjustment to their new habitat.
Providing appropriate housing for your finches is neither complicated nor expensive. It is actually quite easy so long as you follow a few simple guidelines.
1. Choose a finches cage that is large enough to allow your birds room to fly about the enclosure. These 'wild' birds need to fly in order to remain happy and healthy. In order to see your finches exhibiting natural behavior, their enclosure must provide enough room to move about freely. For two to three finches the minimum length for a cage is 30 inches. The cage may be longer than it is tall but the taller the better.
2. Know the natural environment of the variety of finch you bring home and make their cage conform as closely as possible to that natural setting. If your finches live on dry savannas then providing some grass in the cage is a nice touch.
3. Consider an indoor or outdoor (depending on conditions) aviary to house your finches. The large aviary will allow for open flight for the birds and the ability for you to construct a habitat that closely resembles the finch's natural setting. If you cannot build an aviary either because of budget issues or climate then a large flight cage that can be moved outdoors in the warmer months is good. If you are caging your finches your best choice of birds are Zebra finches or Gouldian finches as they will breed successfully in flight cages.
If you keep these guidelines in mind when deciding how to house your finches your birds will be happy and healthy and so will you.
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