FINCHES FOR DUMMIES

Description

Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Introducing Finches Chapter 1 Finches: More Than Just Pretty, Chatty Birds Where Finches Come From The Life of a Wild Finch The Many Species of Finches Size differences Temperament differences The finch lifespan Anatomy of a Finch Chapter 2 Are Finches Your Perfect Companions? Knowing What to Expect from Finches Activity Noise Enjoyment Mess Knowing What Your Finches Expect from You A good home Routine Deciding Whether a Finch Is Right for You Will finches fit into your family? Do you have any smokers in the house? Is your home also home to children? Do you have other pets? How Many Finches Are Right for You? Chapter 3 Selecting Species of Companion Finches Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options Canary Cordon-bleu finch European goldfinch Gouldian finch Java finch Owl finch Society finch Spice finch Whydah Zebra finch Chapter 4 Finding and Selecting Finches Choosing Finches: Exploring Your Options The age of your new finches Gender Previously homed finches Finding a Finch Pet shops and bird shops Swap meets and flea markets The classifieds Breeders and experts Bird shows Searching for a Healthy Finch Eyes Nose and nares Feathers Feet Vent Attitude Housing Finches Together Part 2 Caring for Your Finches Chapter 5 Home Tweet Home: Preparing for Your Finches and Bringing Them Home Your Finches’ New Home Size matters: Cages, flight cages, aviaries, and habitats Considering cage materials Keeping cage safety in mind Deciding where to put your bird’s cage Accessorizing Your Finches’ Abode Perches to stand on Cups and bowls Cage covers Mineral blocks and cuttlebones Toys Baths Lighting Heating Keeping Mess Away Cage bloomers and seed guards Cleaning supplies HEPA filters Setting up the Cage Finch-Proofing Your Home Traveling Safely from Store to Home Chapter 6 Caring for Your Finches Water: Extremely Essential Knowing What Your Finch Should (and Shouldn’t) Eat Seeds and pellets Veggies and fruit Snacks Live insects Table foods Cooked foods Fun Finch Food Recipes Finch flapjacks Finch fiber fusion Finch fries What not to feed your finch Nutritional supplements: When food is not enough Helping Your Finches Get the Exercise They Need Getting a Good Night’s Sleep: Putting Your Finch to Bed Grooming Your Finch Toenail clipping Bathing your bird Giving your molting birds some TLC Can’t We All Just Get Along? Living with Other Pets Cleaning Your Finches’ Housing Chapter 7 Come Here Often? Getting to Know Your Finches Understanding Finch Behavior What did you say?: Normal finch vocalization You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours: Preening and allopreening Stretching: Birdy yoga Hungry anyone? Finch vomiting and regurgitation Resting on one leg Scratching Sleeping and roosting behavior Romeo, oh Romeo: When your finch goes a-courting Finch Communication Handling Your Finch Safely Taming Your Finch Part 3 Training and Breeding Your Finches Chapter 8 Keeping Your Finches Healthy and Handling Emergencies The Veterinarian: Your New BFF (Bird Friend Forever) Regular examinations Emergencies What a Healthy Finch Looks Like Eyes Ears Beak Feet Feathers Respiratory system Skeletal system Digestive system Signs of Sick Finches Common Finch Ailments Emergencies: Knowing When to Get Help Immediately Poisoning Animal bites Overheating Oil on the feathers Frostbite Unconsciousness Egg binding Foot injuries Eye injuries Seizures Injury to the beak Fractures What to Do if Your Bird Is Lost Assembling a First-Aid Kit What to Do If Your Bird Dies Chapter 9 Breeding Your Finches Breeding Your Finches Making sure you have a male and a female Starting with healthy birds Knowing when to breed Getting the right equipment Figuring out where to put the nest Knowing what the parents need to eat Prompting your finches to breed Understanding the incubation period Feeding and weaning chicks Knowing What to Do When Something Goes Wrong Egg binding Infertile eggs Inexperienced parent birds Tossing the chicks Failure to thrive Finding foster parents for your babies Handfeeding baby finches Finding good homes for your baby finches Discouraging Breeding Part 4 The Part of Tens Chapter 10 Ten Great Finch Websites Chapter 11 Ten Fun DIY Toys for Finches Index EULA