The Lady Gouldian Finch is an extraordinary looking bird with a variety of bright colors.
In fact, it is one of the most unique looking birds on the planet.
Appearance
This bird is well known for its striking overall appearance. It has a red face, purple chest, yellow stomach, and green back. There is also a little bit of blue behind its head and under its feathers.
These birds can grow up to 0.42 ounces and 5 inches long from head to tail. They are fairly small birds, which makes keeping them pretty easy.
Lady Gouldian Finch Lifespan
A Lady Gouldian finch has an average lifespan of 4 to 6 years, but they have been known to live up to 10 years.
The Lady Gouldian Finchs Personality
It is important to keep in mind that these birds do not particularly like being held. It is best for you to admire them from a distance. They have beautiful multi-colored feathers that you can appreciate each day.
These birds are very fragile and don’t do very well under stress. This is why it is so important for you to create a relaxing environment for your bird. They chirp very softly but don’t make a ton of noise, so they are okay for people who live in an apartment. Keep in mind that only the males sing.
While these finches are known for being very intelligent, they aren’t very trainable. It is possible to do some basic training, but you will have to be very patient. This is definitely not something that you should enter into casually.
You won’t need to spend a lot of time with these birds each day, but some interaction is required. You’ll need to be around your bird at least some of the time, but out-of-the-cage interaction is not recommended.
Natural Habitat
This particular finch is found in tropical sub-coastal regions, including Western Australia. They are also located in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Lady Gouldian Finch Care Guide
1. Lady Gouldian Finch Diet
You will need to feed your Lady Gouldian plenty of different seeds on a daily basis. There are, however, a number of other foods that these birds need to stay healthy as a whole.
You should also give your finch baked chicken egg shells that have been crushed up. This will help prevent a calcium deficiency, which can be a real problem with these birds. Cuttlebone is also very useful for this purpose.
Keep in mind that the nutritional needs of your bird will change depending on which stage of life it is in. Provide your bird with insoluble grit to make digesting the seeds easier.
If your bird is not exposed to sunlight on a daily basis, you should give them a vitamin D supplement. An iodine supplement while they are still young can help to really bring out the color in their feathers.
Baby finches need to be given egg food as well as millet spray to ensure healthy and normal development into adulthood.
2. Environment
These finches need to have a good amount of space to live in or they will go stir crazy. Even one of these birds needs at least 24 inches of flying area in their enclosure.
The cage can be made of either metal or wood, it doesn’t really matter. It is not a good idea to get a brass cage, as this material can be toxic if your bird chews on the bars. You’ll want the bars of the cage to be ½ inches apart from each other.
Make sure that you do not put the cage in any drafty or cold areas of your home. This will minimize the chances of your bird getting sick. Their cage should be in an area that receives natural light but is not too bright. If this is not possible for whatever reason, you should provide your bird with artificial light.
If your bird’s cage is not big enough to let it fly freely, you will need to get a larger one immediately. Keeping your bird cooped up in a cage that is too small can cause it a lot of stress, which is definitely not good.
3. Common Health Problems
One of the biggest concerns with these finches is stress. If your bird becomes too stressed, it can become seriously ill.
These birds can also develop problems with mites that create the appearance of white, scaly areas near the beak. It is very important that you take your bird to see the vet if you notice this at all.
4. Grooming
Nail and beak overgrowth can be a problem with these finches, so you’ll need to stay on top of that. An experienced bird groomer can trim their nails and beak when necessary. You can keep this from becoming an issue by giving your bird enough things to chew on. It is also important that they have a rough perch to keep their nails short.
Lady Gouldian Finch Price
The minimum price for a Lady Gouldian Finch is $100, but other mutations can cost far more.
Conclusion
- The Lady Gouldian Finch is a highly intelligent bird, but it is not very trainable.
- These birds do not like being touched or handled, so it is best to admire them from a distance.
- It is very important that you give your bird a spacious cage that is big enough to where it can fly around without any issues.
- You can feed your finch a seed-based diet, as well as baked chicken egg shells that have been crushed beforehand.
- Give your finch plenty of toys and things to keep itself occupied so stress does not become a problem.
- These birds can become victim to certain mites, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for scaly white patches near their beak.
- If you notice your finch’s beak or nails growing too long, it is important that you get them trimmed immediately. You can go to your vet or an experienced bird groomer to have this done.
