Gouldian and Zebra ???

[birdnerds]

Hi there

I am a new Finch owner , I aquired a beautiful little female Zebra after my partner who was walking back inside our unit thought a Cicada had flown past followed by a wreched Austalian Mina , she threw herself behind our TV unit , my partner shooed the Mina out and saw this dear little thing battered and bruised she has a broken leg and all her feathers have since grown back , but we have a little gouldian now (a boy) living with her and this morning he did this hilarous little "zulu" dance on his perch and he is now feeding her .... could this be a mating ritual and if so CAN they produce finchlets ??? it would be a very cute little thing I am sure but am wondering is it possible ?

thanks so much

[Jayburd]

Welcome to the forum.
I would be highly surprised if they managed to produce chicks, infertile eggs perhaps. It would also be undesireable to produce hybrids (useless to aviculture). No harm in letting him sing and dance though.
Perhaps get them appropriate partners? Both are fairly inexpensive.
Also when you say feeding, actual beak to beak? Weird!
(on another note, I don't know much about it buy I'd be surprised at a wild zebra in Sydney. Could it be an escaped pet from nearby?)

[E Orix]

I hope I get this right!!!!!
Over the years I have been asked many many times why birds don't interbreed all the time and this is the simplest way
I have worked out to answer them.
Relate birds to animals.
If you put a horse in a paddock with some cows will they breed,they may try but no success
Your birds while all having feathers are loosely divided in to groups as per animals
If you put a Grenadier Weaver with some GreenFinches the results would be similar to a Cow/Horse.
If you put a Dorset Sheep with Merino sheep they would breed successfully the same as if
you put a Grenadier Weaver with Orange Bishop Weavers,they may not cross as freely as the sheep but they can and will cross
Silver Nuns to Black headed will breed freely together.
Donkey to a Horse will produce a mule,Canary to a Golfinch will produce what we also call a Mule a little different though
So if you relate the bird families to animal families it will at least give you some idea.
i know there are rare hybrids turning up in the bird world but there are also rare animal hybrids as well.
It's a simple way but it seems to get the message across.
If someone else has a better version I am open to suggestions