Most birds have the intelligence to understand and appropriately reciprocate our commands. At the same time, as we indulge in training our pet birds, depending on various factors, some birds will be easy to train, while some will fare better in comparison to others.
So, how do finches fare, and is it even possible to train pet finches?
Finches are highly sociable. In the wild or captivity, they live in flocks or pairs and display a strong bond. They are active, playful, and remain pretty engaged. However, training finches can be an uphill task, as they do not seek any human attention or try to bond with their owners.
Alright! Now that you know, training finches can be challenging.
However, it is not impossible; with proper technique, pet owners can develop a bond with their pet finches and lay the much-needed foundation required before beginning the training.
Let us now try to explore how you can start training your pet finches.
How To Train Your Finches?
Before you start training, it is crucial to develop a connection with your pet finch. Please do not rush; instead, give your pet bird the necessary time to bond with you. Once you sow the seed of friendship, things will start to move in the right direction.
Let us understand how you can step by step develop the required bond with your pet finch.
Start with indirect exchanges:
Begin gradually by making soft calls and sounds that are friendly. Repeat this whenever you are within their eyesight. If they are accepting of your calls or sounds, they will accept your company.
Don’t make swift movements:
Your rapid movement or action can scare your pet finch. It would be best if you didn’t create any negative impact on your pet bird. Be careful with your body’s action or movement as you want to look friendly.
Placement of your finch cage:
Always keep your finch cage at a position that allows you to make direct eye contact with your pet finch.
If you plan to keep the finch cage on the floor, make sure you squat to lower your position to have direct eye contact while interacting. It will add the necessary comfort required for having friendly exchanges.
Spend time with your finch:
It’s essential to take out time to understand your pet finch’s behavior. The more time you spend with your pet bird, the stronger the bond between the two of you will be. Once you gain your pet finch’s confidence, it will comfortably carry its daily activities in your presence.
Use a gentle and comforting tone:
Speak in a calm and friendly tone while interacting with your pet finch. The idea is to get an appropriate reaction from your pet bird. Once it is familiar with your tone, it will start responding positively to your calls with their chirps, tweets, and peeps.
Wow! Now you know how to comfort your pet finch and develop a friendly bond. Let us further explore whether training your pet finches will be a cakewalk or an arduous task.
Related Further Reading:
- How Long Do Finches Live? + How Long Do Zebra Finches Live?
- What Do Finches Eat? + Do Finches Eat Fruits & Veggies?
- Do Finches Chirp At Night? Or (Are They Silent At Night)
Are Finches Easy To Train?
Some birds can be easily trained in comparison to others types. Most parrots make an ideal pet to begin training as they are intelligent and more likely to bond with their owners. It thus makes it easier to start interaction and teach them new skills.
Finches are not very keen to bond with humans. They rely on us for their requirement of food and shelter.
However, it is not impossible to train finches, but it can be a long struggle. As pet owners, start developing a bond with them, making them comfortable and encouraging them to respond to your voice calls.
Oops! Training your finches can be a long-drawn struggle, but if you enjoy the process of bonding with your pet bird, it’s worth putting in that time and effort.
Let us now also understand if you can finger-train your pet finches.
Can You Finger Train Your Finches?
Once you clear the first hurdle of successfully building a bond, you will notice that your pet bird will be comfortable in your presence.
At this point, you can move to the next stage and train your pet bird, so it allows handling.
Let us now understand step by step how to finger-train your pet finch.
Focus on training a single bird at a time:
As you know, finches are friendly and are primarily kept in pairs.
You may begin with a single finch at a time, as handling all the finches at once can be challenging. So, you can begin by isolating a single pet bird into a different cage.
Put your hand inside the finch cage:
Once your bird is comfortable with your presence, start to move your hand around the cage and finally inside it to understand your pet finch’s reaction.
It will move away initially, but if you are repeating it every day, your pet finch will try to scrutinize it by moving closer.
Pamper your pet finch:
As you have become friends now and there is a certain degree of comfort. Start pampering your pet finch to come closer to your hand by offering fruit as a reward.
Keep doing it regularly till your pet bird moves closer to your hand every time you place it inside the cage.
Shift your birdcage to a safe room:
It will is safer to move your finch cage to a secured room if you intend to remove your pet finch out of the cage.
Be mindful to remove other pets and also close the windows. You may turn on the lights if the room is dark.
Train your finch to perch:
It may sound simple but will need patience, as your pet finch may take time to understand your commands or instructions.
However, try to keep it simple by holding your finger in front of your bird’s feet or perch inside the cage.
Use a reward by offering a piece of fruit to push your pet finch to step onto your finger. Keep doing it a few times daily till your pet bird start following your instructions.
Take your pet finch out from the cage:
If your pet finch starts perching on your finger, you may take out the bird from the cage.
Be patient even if it leaves your finger and starts flying around the room.
Don’t force your pet bird to move inside the cage.
Instead, you may keep fruits, seeds, or insects in the feeder to lure your pet finch back into the cage.
Alright! It is an uphill task to train your pet finch to perch on your finger, but it is pretty rewarding.
Related Questions
How Long Does It Take To Train Finches?
The time to train finches may vary depending on your technique and how fast you can bond with them.
Besides, the idea is not to rush but to remain calm and accommodating. Once the bond is developed, you may push your pet to some extent.
Remember to pamper and treat them for encouragement. If things work out well, you may take few weeks to train your pet finch to perch on your finger.
How To Train Wild Zebra Finches?
Zebra finches are delicate, so be gentle to them. You may begin by bonding with your zebra finches so they start responding to you. Once they are comfortable, you may move them to a secured room.
Please encourage them to come out of the finch cage and slowly train them to perch on your finger.
Reward them for following your commands, and in case they are hesitant, go easy and give them the required time.
Please don’t force them to get inside the cage but try to entice them to move inside by keeping their favorite food in their finch feeders.
Hi, There and Welcome to BirdsNews.com, is here to help you learn and care about pet birds. and this blog is a journal of everything I’ve learned.