The goldfinch is a small bird, with beautiful plumage and a very cheerful song, arguments that make it much appreciated as a pet among fans around the world. In some areas, even singing contests are organized around this beautiful bird.
The goldfinch care are not complicated but there are some points to take into account and on which we will focus this article of our site: food, cage and hygiene.
Basic aspects so that our pet does not get sick, enjoy good he alth and brighten our day with its wonderful songs. Read on and discover everything you need to do to make your goldfinch the prettiest and happiest.
The Goldfinch Cage
The goldfinch is a bird that needs to exercise its wings, so get yourself a large cage rather wide, because the larger it is the cage that we can offer you, much better. In this way, you can make small flights that will help you strengthen your wings and stay active. If you have space you can even think about having a small aviadera.
In the market you will see that there are small cages for goldfinches in competition, do not use these because they generate stress, muscular atrophy and little wear of the nails in the birds.
The cage should be located in a place where there are no drafts or sudden changes in temperature at the same time that it should be a place that is well ventilated. All this will help us keep our pet away from diseases.
Likewise, it is important to install some perches or sticks in the cage where the animal can grab and jump from one to another to move as it pleases.
The most common thing is to buy these innkeepers together with the cage and these are usually made of plastic, which although they fulfill their function, they are not the most suitable for our goldfinch. Whenever possible it is better to buy natural branches as they help to wear down the nails and exercise the legs as well as offering them a more comfortable grip. Also note that the branches must have an adequate diameter so that our bird can hold on comfortably.
When choosing the location of the innkeepers, you must take into account that they leave enough free space so that the goldfinch can carry out its flights and pay special attention not to place them on top of the feeders and drinkers to prevent droppings from falling into them.
You must also add
- drinker
- cuttlefish bone
- swing
Hygiene
Hygiene is a very important aspect in the care of any bird and the goldfinch is no exception. The base, bars, perches and accessories such as feeders and drinkers must be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week to prevent the proliferation of parasites. These can weaken your goldfinch, cause stress or transmit infectious or parasitic diseases that can even cause death.
The water must be replaced daily, especially in summer. In the market you can find "ball" drinkers that maintain the quality of the water for several days. We will also blow on the food to remove empty seeds and refill the feeder.
In addition, and to avoid the appearance of parasites (especially in summer) you should offer your goldfinch the option of taking a bath of water with a few drops of apple cider vinegar. You will find bathtub-type containers in any establishment.
Feeding
The goldfinch is a granivorous bird since the shape of its beak is specially adapted to be able to extract the seeds that are the basis of its diet.
The seeds that the goldfinch eats are:
- birdseed
- rape
- white lettuce
- black lettuce
- sesame
- flax
- poppy
- oatmeal
- decorticated oatmeal
- small hemp
- knob
- Negrillo
Luckily, high-quality mixes adapted for the goldfinch are already commonly found in the shops, although many hobbyists prefer to develop their own particular mix, it will be up to you which product to choose.
The goldfinch also eats different kinds of vegetables and fruit from which it receives vitamins and vitality. So you can also regularly supply him with lettuce, tomato, apple, pear, etc… In general, the more varied and better quality his diet, the better. In this way we will avoid food poisoning or a deficiency of some nutrients that can affect their singing, shedding or their development.
In some specific times of the life stage of the goldfinch, such as breeding, the change of plumage or the growth of the young, the goldfinch also feeds of insectsTo do this, it will suffice to go to an exotic store and get insectivorous paste (very complete) or we can opt for small live insects such as worms.
Enrichment
In addition to everything we have mentioned, it will be essential to provide our goldfinch with enrichment so that it does not feel apathetic and unmotivated. Many people decide to offer a cage mate or spend time interacting with the bird (if it is imprinted), but if this is not our case we have another option: music
Offering relaxing music, songs from other goldfinches (especially if it is a beginner who is learning) and even a change of scenery in which you can appreciate the sun's rays are some of the options offered by our place. It is very important because a happy goldfinch lives longer and in better conditions
The goldfinch, a protected bird
The goldfinch is a bird famous for the quality of its song, which is why many people decide to hunt it illegally and later sell it. Even worse are the thefts of entire nests, which usually die after a short time.
Silvestrists have very clear rules that they must apply and comply with, if you notice that this is not the case, you should report it to SEPRONA or to the rural agents in your country:
- Have a wildlife license
- An inexperienced sylvestrist can never hunt birds, he must be accompanied by another experienced sylvestrist member
- Female birds cannot be captured, they must always be released
- You can never catch a nest of chicks
As a consequence of silvestrism, people without information or will (only with an economic intention) harm ecosystems around the world and reduce the number of birds in the wild, leading to extinction.
If you are a true bird lover you should never carry out this type of practice, we must act and respect the birds.
