Finch Rating Scale

After a bit of trial and error, and a lot of reading, I discovered that not all finch types can live together peacefully, and that not all finches thrive and breed in cages (typically defined as less then 50 cubic feet).  For my own future reference I decided to put together a rough rating scale for each of the popular exotic finches, so I would know which was best for the environment that I had available.  My main flight cage measures 36 cubic feet and, while it offers a decent amount of thick vegetation, and numerous perches and nests at various heights, the space is still limited.  So any addition has to be thought out.  So what I came up with was this.

The most important thing was how finches get along with other finches.  That includes how aggressive they tend to get while breeding, because whether you try or not, their is a very good chance that finches will find a way to breed.  On a scale of 1 to 5, if they never cause any problem, they get a 5, and if they are complete jerks to other birds, they get a 1.  Admittedly a bit subjective of a scale, but I tried to be as cautious as I could about where I rated them along this scale.

The other factor that I had to consider was how well a particular finch would do in the limited amount of space that I have, particularly, how well they thrive and breed, the ultimate evidence that they are doing well in a specific environment.  Once again, from 1 to 5, if they freely breed and can get enough exercise in a cage setting they get a 5.  If evidence suggests that they absolutely need the vast spaces of an aviary, they get a 1.  I then decided that any score less than 8 would not be the type of finch that I should pursue.  Arbitrary? Maybe, but it has since been very helpful and would have helped me avoid some mistakes if I had used early on in my aviculture experience.

Most of the information that I used was from the fantastic book by Russel Kingston, A Complete Manual for the Keeping and Breeding of Finches, published in 1994 (ISBN: 0958561206).  An absolute goldmine of information from one of the masters of aviculture, though I will say, a bit hard to find and quite expensive (mine was 100$ used) if you do find it.

Finch Rating Scale: Compatibility/Cage OK

  10 (5/5): Perfect compatibility with other finches and breeds/thrives well in a cage
                     Society Finch

                     Cordon Bleu

                     Painted Firetail Finch

                     Avadavat (Red [strawberry finch] and Green)

                     Red billed Firefinch

   
 9 (5/4): May find it hard to breed or obtain enough exercise to avoid obesity in a cage; prefer Aviary
                     Silverbill

                   
                     St Helena waxbill

                   
                     Spice Finch

                   
                     Star Finch

              

                      Black Rumped waxbill

   9 (4/5): May have minimal aggressive tendencies especially during times of breeding
                     Gouldian Finch

                     Masked Grassfinch

  8 (5/3): Moderate problems in a cage setting, prefers an aviary

                  Parrot Finch (Red faced and Blue faced)

  8 (4/4): Minimal problems with more dominant birds and minimal problems in a cage setting
                     Orange breasted waxbill

   Below this score I choose not to obtain for my personal collection (anymore).

   7 (5/2): Likely problems with breeding, health or obesity in a cage setting
                       Aurora Finch

                       Owl Finch

                       Plumhead Finch

                  Munia (black, white or tri-color headed, Pictorella, and White belly)

   7 (4/3): Moderate problems with cage setting with minimal aggressiveness during times of breeding
                               Longtail Grassfinch

                               Black throated Grassfinch

   7 (2/5): May have severe problems with other finches in a mixed collection
                       Zebra Finch

                       Redhead Finch

                       Java Finch

 6 (3/3): May be moderately aggressive towards smaller species and does better in an aviary     

                     Diamond Firetail Finch

 6 (1/5): Potential for severe injury/death to other finches in a mixed collection
                       Munia (Chestnut and yellow)

                       Cut throat Finch

 5: Potential for severe injury/death to other finches and do not do well in a caged setting
                      Crimson Finch

                      Dybowski Twinspot Finch

                      Melba Finch

                      Red browed Finch

                      Rufous Mannikin