Addition to OB and Stars

[flap]

We are getting one pair of OB and one pair of stars as soon as we finish setting up the aviary. We also want to get another pair for our little boy so we have one each (notionally anyway). What is a colourful species that is placid and easygoing to go with the other two?
Also can canaries and finches co-exist? someone is looking at rehoming two canaries (one pretty old I beleive) and we were thinking that we could take them once the aviary is up, but not sure how they would go with the finches. We weren't actually planning on getting anything other than finches, and still may not...
Thanks.

[Pete Sara]

african fires , painted firetails maybe, they both are easily sexed. double bars i guess, could try cordon blues but they come with a price tag over her its best to start with the cheapies. painteds come in both a red and a yellow form. plumheads are good but not to flash on the colour department but i love them, try to stay with the easily sexed but you could try redface parrot finches they easily breed, try to stay away from zebs as they can take over a bit , i have kept canaries with finches before but i prefer to keep them seperate...pete

[mickw]

Thats good advice flab......I prefer natives, painteds would be a good choice.....inexpensive, easily sexed, easy to keep/breed, have colour.........most others are either a bit expensive or maybe require a little more experience......and you want colour.......probably stay clear of Gouldians for now (ultimate colour).....they can be heart-breakers.

I know you want finches but have you considered small parrots?....namely the Neophema ......Bourkes would be the pick....about the size of a budgie....easy to sex/keep/breed.....cheap, placid & mix well with finches......great colours........keeping parrots, particularly the Neophema genus would add a nice dimension to your bird-keeping adventure ;)......stick with the easy ones though (Bourke's Parrot, Turquoise Parrot, Scarlet-Chested Parrot)

Or......another pair of stars???..........Yellow-heads if you want something a bit different & dont mind mutants

[Jayburd]

Be careful with bourkes (which are from the genus Neosephotus by the way), as they tend to fly around at night, causing panic, and often abandoning of eggs/chicks/nests. I don't know why they do it, maybe it's because that's when it is coolest in their natural habitat.

[flap]

When we first started looking we were considering double bars, our concern with them is the difficulty sexing them. We also were going to get painteds (in fact that was the variety that caught my eye in someone else's aviary), but now that i have seen some of the others, I am not as drawn to them... though they are certainly easier to sex than DB. Might show the little guy both and see which ones he likes best. He is only 4! .... just showed him, he likes the DB (they look like owls which makes them interesting to him). read mixed reports re sexing though, I know ppl use the bars as a guide but from what i have read that is not reliable, it is more the size of the head etc...

[finchbreeder]

I have both canaries and Double bars in the same avairy as Orange Breasteds . No problems so far but this is a new thing (the Double bars) for me. Though the canaries have been with the finches for years. For Double bar sexing someone has started a thread, so have put details on there.
LML

[mickw]

Be careful with bourkes (which are from the genus Neosephotus by the way), as they tend to fly around at night, causing panic, and often abandoning of eggs/chicks/nests. I don't know why they do it, maybe it's because that's when it is coolest in their natural habitat.

Thanks kiddo, I knew that, Gould gave then Euphema originally and like all things taxonomic, the debate reigns.......old Joe Foreshaw preferred Neophema and most people understand what we're talking about if we keep it simple.......I doubt many would follow this debate, let alone the reasons behind Neophema V Neopsephotus for poor old Bourkes' Parrot

I stand by my suggestion flab.....take it or leave it.........there are a heap more things going on in aviaries around the world far more disturbing to finches than a pair of Bourkes' Parrots.....like overcrowding , interference by inexperienced and impatient owners, hastily set up aviaries that arent vermin-proof....... even quail

[Pete Sara]

i have kept bourkes parrots for years and dont have any trouble with them at all at night my scarlets go off more than they do and that is not very often....suppose it would be hard being kind in your genus ....pete p.s i have had more deaths resulting from king quail flying up in disturbance than the humble bourkes parrot......

[flap]

Thanks for the replies.Just found out that the canaries have found a home so we will stick to finches. Working on getting aviary ready as we speak though have done something to my back which is slowing us down...

[finchbreeder]

Hope the back comes good soon. And good luck with whatever you decide.
LML