Peepers - love the name! We are looking to add a bird to our family and are seriously considering a java sparrow/finch. Problem is, I can't find too much info about them. I also saw them on Love of Pets, and there's a breeder near me in Calgary who regularly posts in one of our Calgary pages about her birds, but that's about it. I have three youngish children who are really excited about their first bird experience. I grew up with a larger cockatoo and lovebird. I love birds, but am looking to play it pretty safe with this first bird adventure for my family -- nothing too dusty (our cockatoo was a dust ball), too loud (again we could hear the cockatoo down the street), too nippy (my lovebird was very tame, but still nipped a lot and their beaks are sharp), or too messy (e.g. throwing seed and chop for fun, projectile poops, etc.). I'm also hoping for a bird that will happily perch on more than one family member. Would love to hear about your experience as a Java finch owner.
Hi Allison! UrbanSylvanus answered a lot of your questions (thank you!), but I'll jump in here as well.
The moulting doesn't bother me, and I have sinus issues. I guess it depends on each person. No one in my family had issues when our bird was moulting, and she isn't dusty at all.
Peepers loves throwing her seeds and veggies around (don't all birds? lol), which can be a bit messy, but no big deal. Yes, she poops a lot but the poops are tiny and if I lightly touch the poop with a tissue, it comes right off any fabric.
She goes to everyone in the family (except people she doesn't see regularly).
I'm not sure how the males are, but Peepers, can have a bit of a "temper" (I don't know if it's because she's an adolescent right now), and does what I call her "angry garbles" as a warning before she bites. Her bites don't hurt much, as she has a tiny beak. It might hurt little fingers, though. How old are your children? My youngest is 9. I wouldn't recommend javas for very young children, as finches are small and fragile and sometimes children don't know their own strength.
All that being said, Peepers is a great little bird full of personality in a small package. Her cage is next to my teenaged son's desk in the living room, and whenever he gets up and leaves, she chirps a lot in protest. She also chirps excitedly when she hears the bedroom doors opening and closing upstairs, because she knows someone is coming. She does the same when we've been out and return home. So cute! We are still waiting for her flight feathers to come in (they were clipped when he got her), so hopefully she can spend a lot more time outside the cage. We handle her as much as possible to keep her tame.
I considered linnies too, but their massive, watery poops were a deal breaker (especially for my husband, lol). UrbanSylvanus has linnies, and hopefully will answer your questions soon.
Any other questions, just ask!