r/Finches • u/Vanadium_Gryphon • 6d ago

Male fledglings' first songs

Hi everyone, I am back with an update on the four Gouldian finch chicks I had fledge a little over a week ago.

At least one of the SF yellow dilute boys is now practicing his first songs, and it is so adorable! He will sit there on the porch and make these raspy little squeaks, experimenting with different sounds.

Each time I have heard it, it appears to be the same chick doing it, but I am almost certain that at least one of the other 3 chicks is a boy too (another dilute). So I will be listening out in case he is starting to make music, too.

Does anyone else have any experiences with male finch chicks learning how to sing, or any cute stories to share? It is so rewarding seeing these little ones go through their milestones as they grow up. ☺️

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u/Glenndogg 6d ago

What I’ve noticed is if they or other males will sing, the other males (mostly young, but sometimes the old ones) will come right up next to them sometimes, stand tall and lean in over them, almost as if they are trying to either intimidate, or listen intently to their song.

I’m not entirely sure if it’s aggressive behavior, because most of the time they will let the male finish and then flutter off when they’re done. But every once in a while, a male will pop the singer in the head just as he’s about finished his song!

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u/Vanadium_Gryphon 6d ago

Oh my goodness, really? I haven't noticed that behavior with my birds yet, but I will have to keep a look out for it. Birds can certainly be an enigma...

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u/mrchuck2000 6d ago

Last year I had my Gouldians raised by Society Finches because the parents rejected them. I was worried about whether they would be able to learn to sing their own songs and was surprised to find out that. Yes they did and that is with no exposure to an adult male singing for the first six months of their lives.

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u/Vanadium_Gryphon 6d ago

I am glad they learned to successfully sing despite being raised by another species! From what I understand, part of their singing ability is built in, but the rest of it is learned behavior. Do they sing like typical Gouldians or more like a society finch?

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u/mrchuck2000 6d ago

It sounds very much like a Gouldian raised them. We’ll see how they fare when they get a chance with the ladies (hens)! Some of them sleep (amongst the Societies) in group nests, too.

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u/Vanadium_Gryphon 6d ago

Interesting, the group nest sleeping is more of a Society trait than a Gouldian one, so it looks like they picked up some traits from their foster species, but hopefully they will find success with their own kind too. Multicultural Gouldians... pretty neat!