Toys and Entertainment for Finches

Several letters arrived in the last few months asking about toys for finches, so it is time for a column on this topic. Although finches do not need toys, they do need a cage and cage furnishings that keep them active and entertained. Healthy activity -- both physical and mental -- improves the birds' well-being and contributes to lengthening their lives.

Generally, finches do not play with toys, certainly not the way parrots do. For instance, if finches receive bells, balls, mirrors, or colorful wooden or plastic animals, they usually pay little attention to them. In fact, the typical toys some finches do use, such as swings and ladders, are not actually used for play. Swings and ladders, for example, are used by finches only as perches, not as toys.

Instead of parrot-type toys, offer items that occupy, stimulate or entertain finches. Start with a roomy enclosure containing a variety of interesting furnishings finches can use or investigate daily. Naturally, active, energetic and inquisitive birds, finches take great pleasure in simple things -- a fresh bath, a clump of seed heads, a special treat, or a favored perch that is secure and comfy. When housed in a stimulating environment, captive finches remain active and interested in their world and do not become bored and lethargic. In short, without being playful, finches can enjoy life fully and enthusiastically.

Since finches get most of their exercise by flying, provide a cage this is large enough to encourage flight. Look for a cage at least 30 inches long, which will provide an adequate flight path for small birds. (Larger enclosures are even better.) Avoid cluttering the cage, or the birds will be unable to take advantage of the flight space.

Provide varied perches. In addition to standard perches (dowels or fresh tree branches), add utility perches (short perches attached at the end). Finches enjoy these short perches, which are private and secure and hold only one or two birds. Also try a tree branch slanted at an angle so the birds do not always land in the same position. To get to their destination, some birds even prefer hopping along perches that run at a diagonal in the cage. Or, tie a bundle of reeds together as a alternative perch -- anything that offers a little variety. Then, place plant cover (which provides captive finches with a needed sense of security) near some perches, creating ideal roosting spots. For birds (like zebra finches) that do not roost on perches, add sleeping nests.

Swings are also used for perching by some finches, such as zebras, silver-bills and orange-cheeked waxbills. There are many commercial swings, but my birds prefer those made from wooden dowels (about 8 inches long) suspended by two wires that hook on the cage or aviary roof. Even more popular with my birds, try swings cut from tree branches. Small, branched tree limbs can be suspended from the roof of an aviary and allowed to swing freely form one end, creating mini bird trees. Or, small swings can be made for cages by selecting a forked branch and cutting off an L-shaped portion, placing one end through the cage front and one through the cage roof. Clip clothespins on the ends outside the cage, allowing the L-shaped swing to move freely.

Most small birds love to bathe, so fresh bath water daily really is a necessity. A bath occupies finches and allows them to join with neighbors to bathe and preen plumage. A plastic plant saucer can be used, or you can buy a commercial bath for small birds. If sun hits part of their cage during the day, many birds also enjoy sun bathing, including my blue-capped waxbills and Peter's twinspots.

Small birds also respond to entertaining treats. Try nutritious foods that require some work to consume, so birds are kept busy and active while they eat. Favorites include millet sprays (dry or soaked), seedling heads (crabgrass or tender plantain, for example), pots of growing grasses (including seed from your birdseed mixture) and live food, such as mealworms, plant stems covered with aphids, and white worms served in a saucer of dirt, which requires digging to find the worms.

Munchy greens, veggies or fruits are also ideal for birds that accept them. Try spinach, kale, romaine lettuce or broccoli heads, for instance. I also highly recommend trying fresh green beans, which are a clear favorite with all my green singers and Java rice birds. Select a fresh green bean, snap the ends off to real the succulent insides, and secure the bean to the perch for easy pecking. (I tape the bean to the perch using masking tape, but anything that holds beans securely for pecking will work.)

For birds to remain active and alert, they need more than objects or foods to occupy them -- they need mental stimulation, too. Finches do best when they are around other birds or when they are exposed to some activity each day. For example, some finches enjoy being near a window, so they can watch the wild birds outside.

Finches also need companionship of their own kind, which provides mental stimulation and encourages social activities, such as mutual preening, bathing, flying and hopping around the cage with mates or companions. Get a mate for a single finch, and he will be happier and more active. When the pair is ready, allow the birds to breed, which will keep them busy and fulfilled for several weeks. In other words, let your birds lead a life that is as natural as possible, which automatically encourages them to stay busy and keep fit.