New zebra finch

[Kales]

Hello,
I'm new to finches, but after researching decided to go with Zebra finches. I have to say they are pretty cute and settling in nicely in quarantine.
Here is a pic of one of them as we went with two. I know he/she doesn't have the cheek patches, but I was told they were a female...it has the brown specs, black line on chest and bright feet. Not to mention they are just singing away.
Is it a boy?

 

[cupoftea]

Wow he's lovely! The bird in the picture looks like a male to me, judging by the brown spotted sides and black bar above his breast. How does the other bird look like?

 

[Kales]

Here is the other fella

 

[cupoftea]

That second one is definitely a male. Orange cheeks, black bar above breast and black stripes on throat, along with the brown spotted sides. You have 2 males.

 

[Kales]

Thanks so much for your help

 

[cupoftea]

My pleasure! I love finches, they are a joy to watch.

 

[wyrinth]

What cuties. Don't know too much about zebras, but I do know there are a bunch of mutations that he'd rid of the orange cheeks. I like their little beeping noises that they make, I've never heard one sing though.

 

[sunnysmom]

They're very cute!

 

[mythic55]

Two males. Beak is pretty bright for a female... and there are flanks. So you would be looking at a male prolly a combination of things: florida fancy, split for pied/blackcheek.

Those birds are both very young, and the second looks as if it may have a vitamin A deficiency. Try giving some hardboiled egg with some shredded carrot, spinach, red pepper and kale finely chopped.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congratulations! Very pretty finches!

 

[Kales]

Two males. Beak is pretty bright for a female... and there are flanks. So you would be looking at a male prolly a combination of things: florida fancy, split for pied/blackcheek.

Those birds are both very young, and the second looks as if it may have a vitamin A deficiency. Try giving some hardboiled egg with some shredded carrot, spinach, red pepper and kale finely chopped.

Thank you so much for your help. I have been feeding hardboiled eggs with carrots and spinach since I got them. These pics and post were about an hour after I got them. What makes you worried about vitamin definacy so I can keep any eye on them to ensure its better?
Thanks everyone!

 

[mythic55]

I was looking specifically at the beak, the nails and around the nares. With a bird that is young (toe nails) and that is not moutling (nares) the beak should not have any flakes or light coloration, etc. Only a few of my birds (out of 30 or so) have any white crackes/flakes (moulting)- yet they all came with them. It is true that beaks grow/flake but with finches it is much less pronounced.

 

[jh81]

Female zebra finches miss all the splendor males have, you will reckognize a female as soon as you spot one

I used to have tropical birds for years when i was in my teens, i had so much fun with them! Zebra finches are amongst the easiest tropical birds, you can breed them easily if you have a large enough cage, they breed literally everywhere!! If at all possible, get a decent sized cage and have a few of them, they are flock birds in Australia you can find them in HUUUGE flocks and the sounds they make are very soothing after a stressfull day

 

[jh81]

A couple

 

[mythic55]

Female zebra finches miss all the splendor males have, you will reckognize a female as soon as you spot one

I used to have tropical birds for years when i was in my teens, i had so much fun with them! Zebra finches are amongst the easiest tropical birds, you can breed them easily if you have a large enough cage, they breed literally everywhere!! If at all possible, get a decent sized cage and have a few of them, they are flock birds in Australia you can find them in HUUUGE flocks and the sounds they make are very soothing after a stressfull day

Agree, but beg to differ... (zebras are not actually considered 'tropical birds' by most enthusiasts other than bird watchers- they are able to withstand freezing temps and estrildid are most commonly found in hot and humid grasslands there are many variations where you could say they are more beautiful (like a female penguin), or have the same markings (black cheek for example- cheek patches are present on both males and females commonly). It can get quite confusing, but its fun to get into

 

[Debbie]

Congrats on your new finches...I just got two boys myself as I did not want to do the breeding thing and end up with a lot of finches...It is my first time with finches also..as right now I also have my parrots.
They do like to swing and I have a little bell toy in the cage that one of them was playing with tonight...I named mine Oscar and Oliver...You will have to let me know if your boys do ok in the nest together...I was advised not to put a nest in the cage with the boys...maybe because they would fight over it? So far they seem to get along really good so I have been tempted to go ahead and put one in for them, but have not so far...if anyone has any advice???