Zebra finches or canaries?

[Altho83]

Help me decide which to get!

I love how both look, are there differences I need to be considering?

 

[Shezbug]

 

[Glamourfaust]

It is my understanding that they can share a cage. You could get both.

I only have canaries, a male and a female. They both sing but were terribly quiet while they were moulting last year. I think, as far as care goes, finches and canaries are very similar. I don't know if it is just our female, or female canaries, or female birds in general, but she is VERY focused on building a nest and laying eggs. She spends most of her days all year at this task.

I really enjoy our canaries. My vote is for canaries but only because that's all I've had.

 

[finchly]

They’re very different. Zebras are full of energy and they zoom back and forth and meep meep. They breed like crazy, you have to be careful. This man literally cried when I went to. His house. He had too many, he had taken a flight cage and added a small cage here and another one there... a huge castle of little tied-on cages... and still he was overrun with them.

Canaries are more calm. They don’t spend the day zooming, although they do stay busy. If you have a male he will sing. The females chirp, not the constant meep meep of the zebras. Canaries are easier to tame, and they like toys a little more than finches do.

@Glamourfaust is right, the care is the same.

I vote for canaries, only because zebras drove me nuts. They’re too high-energy for me. (But I’m old) I’ve tried twice and both times I moved them along to other homes. I prefer canaries, and Gouldian finches.

 

[Monaco]

Why are they so hard to find? Is it just my location?

 

[finchly]

Why are they so hard to find? Is it just my location?

Qi don’t know! Where are you located?

 

[Monaco]

I'm in central Oklahoma. There aren't even many fish stores here. Petsmart and petco are the only places I've encountered birds at all. There's a lovely wild bird store with special regional specific foods, though.

 

[finchly]

I'm in central Oklahoma. There aren't even many fish stores here. Petsmart and petco are the only places I've encountered birds at all. There's a lovely wild bird store with special regional specific foods, though.

Gotcha. And if your stores are like mine there’s no consistency in the quality of birds.
I think you have to find private breeders. Maybe check with the NFSS. I just went to their webpage and it’s a big mess, but the Facebook group is active. If you’re on FB it’s National Finch and Softbill Society Classifides.

 

[TMS9539]

I got my canaries from a local breeder, but she ships all over the country. I'm sure if you google it you will find breeders that can help you.

 

[jh81]

Have them both i had them both

 

[Dona]

I've had both as well. My zebras were very prolific. They had 3 boys, then 5 boys, all healthy and happy, but of course it meant more cages. They are super fun to watch, yes busy and beepy.

I've had 2 male border canaries. One for 17 years who is in the background of every family movie we took. He was a sweet and very vocal boy. His song improved with age, adding more and more. Years later I got another border and oh my gosh, he was as friendly as a cockatiel. He jumped on his swing when we asked, he called us for greens when we ate a salad, wanted our attention all the time. It was amazing. Sadly he died of multiple strokes at age 2. It was heartbreaking.

With that all said, I like them both, but I'd give the edge to a canary, especially if you get one like my Bop.

 

[Monaco]

I've had both as well. My zebras were very prolific. They had 3 boys, then 5 boys, all healthy and happy, but of course it meant more cages. They are super fun to watch, yes busy and beepy.

I've had 2 male border canaries. One for 17 years who is in the background of every family movie we took. He was a sweet and very vocal boy. His song improved with age, adding more and more. Years later I got another border and oh my gosh, he was as friendly as a cockatiel. He jumped on his swing when we asked, he called us for greens when we ate a salad, wanted our attention all the time. It was amazing. Sadly he died of multiple strokes at age 2. It was heartbreaking.

With that all said, I like them both, but I'd give the edge to a canary, especially if you get one like my Bop.

That's an incredible age!

 

[Dona]

That's an incredible age!

I know! My sweet old man. At the end his eyes were cloudy but he got around just fine and still sang a little.

 

[Monaco]

I didn't intend to commandeer the thread. There happens to be a gorgeous canary at petsmart who was dancing around almost begging to come home with me today.

 

[Kate&Bean]

I was just looking for a post like this!! I’m having the same conflict! I was initially leaning more towards a pair of male Zebra finches. They are super adorable, I love their little noises and how they interact with each other, and they seem to be good for first time bird parents. Then I started reading all these wonderful things about canaries and they seem to have wonderful personalities, whereas I thought the Zebras were more friendly. I also had initially had read that canaries were super shy and delicate and I was worried that one would fall over dead at the mere sight of my pug Bean.

When you say they are energetic - this is going to sound so dumb of me I apologize - do you just mean hopping around and chatting and creating a lot of activity? Or they need to get out and fly more? Need more toys and things going on in their life? All of the above? I know for a dog what that means but between a canary and a zebra finch it seems like the difference would be less noticeable.

I’ve read so much about care and personality for both but I see conflicting information. I am feeling more and more like maybe a canary might be right for our home. I might have to venture to a big pet store and just stare at them like a weirdo until I get a better sense of who they are lol

 

[finchly]

@Kate&Bean OK here's my experience with them. To me Zebras are a little bit hyperactive -- they would love to get out and fly, if you have the means to let them do that. But even so that wouldn't calm them in the cage, they keep zooming around doing 'busy' things all day long. I rarely see them nap! I once watched a pair try to get a great big piece of straw, much longer than them and certainly longer than their nest. They spent the whole day trying to fit it into the nest. They'd finally drop it, and immediately start over. And darned if they didnt' finally succeed! An 18" long straw in their 4" nest.

Canaries don't necessarily do the constant motion. They're content to sit on their perch (or one of my strange ones, on the floor). They don't make sounds as often either. To me they are just as interesting -- just a little quieter.

I would provide toys for both. A 'toy' could be that piece of straw I mentioned, or paper shreds, or other shreddy things. They also like swings and tiny-sized toys to play on.

I hope this helps but it may not. LOL Canaries are a better fit for my family than zebras. I also have Gouldians -- they are perfect for us. They're quieter like the canaries.

 

[Kate&Bean]

@finchly What a trip !!! I still have some time so I’ll keep thinking and researching. I love the little videos of the Zebras playing around and taking baths. Maybe someone near me has either that I can visit and ask questions too.

I would definitely have them in a room where they can get out and get some exercise. My house has an open floor plan so I’m leaning more towards the bedroom with a covering for them so I don’t disturb them at night. The waking early doesn’t bother me and my bedroom is a brighter room that gets morning sun. Otherwise they would be upstairs (my bedroom is downstairs) kind of off to themselves and on carpet. Another option is my dining room is a little quieter, but I’d have to hang a sheet or something over the entry to the living room to bird proof it for exercise. Since it’s an open floor plan do you think kitchen fumes would still be an issue there as well? I’m on deployment now and don’t have many good pictures of the space. (But obviously enough time to overthink this all)

Two of the things I do worry about for a pair is if The company is enough for them and what Is do if they fought.
Anywho, that’s just me thinking out loud. I do appreciate all the help and insight !!

 

[Monaco]

I want to butt in here just for an observation...

I decided on a canary, and I'm smitten! He's so inquisitive and so adventurous. He's out of quarantine and he gets to have an open door to fly around the house. He is drawn to the perches and stands spread out for Monaco (eclectus) and I'm still surprised what he chooses to do while he's out on an adventure. He's not super busy, but he does check things out and then rest in between. It's so charming! It's going to take an enormous cage to not break my heart....because he obviously needs a lot of space for enrichment when he has to be in it. I've had the fans on, so he's a little depressed to be in his cage the last few days. He prefers fat and flat perches which is hard to figure out with half inch spacing. Anyway, it's been very fun! You're going to have a blast whichever you choose.

 

[finchly]

@Monaco I have fans on all the time, even in the bird room. They don't fly into them. Obviously somewhere, somebody's do because everyone repeats the caution; it's just not my experience.

Two of the things I do worry about for a pair is if The company is enough for them and what Is do if they fought.

The company is enough. If you want to have a flock, and you choose zebras, the magic number is 6. between 2 and 6 you get constant squabbles. 6+ they suddenly behave like they're supposed to.

If they fight, you can 1. enlarge their living quarters 2. rearrange the cage 3. provide barriers (lots of fake plants looping around works wonders) 4. Separate them for a time.

You do occasionally run across a pair that fights but normally they get along.

Canaries, I've never had canaries fight except when I have 2 males, like an adult and his sons, and when the sons turn 6 weeks they decide to pick on dad. Canaries are mellow and accepting IMO.You can keep any number of canary hens together with no problem.

Hope this helps. Or perhaps enables.

 

[Monaco]

@Monaco I have fans on all the time, even in the bird room. They don't fly into them. Obviously somewhere, somebody's do because everyone repeats the caution; it's just not my experience.


The company is enough. If you want to have a flock, and you choose zebras, the magic number is 6. between 2 and 6 you get constant squabbles. 6+ they suddenly behave like they're supposed to.

If they fight, you can 1. enlarge their living quarters 2. rearrange the cage 3. provide barriers (lots of fake plants looping around works wonders) 4. Separate them for a time.

You do occasionally run across a pair that fights but normally they get along.

Canaries, I've never had canaries fight except when I have 2 males, like an adult and his sons, and when the sons turn 6 weeks they decide to pick on dad. Canaries are mellow and accepting IMO.You can keep any number of canary hens together with no problem.

Hope this helps. Or perhaps enables.

That's why it's called AA, right?

I'm so scared of the fan situation! A few more degrees, and I will have to switch to the ac.