Zebra finches are originally from the arid areas of Central Australia, they can still be found in large flocks there. They can also be found in Indonesia and East Timor.
Many people love zebra finches because they are easy to breed. In fact, it’s difficult to stop them! All they need is a basket nest and some nesting fiber. At 8 to 10 months of age zebra finches will start to breed prolifically.
Most zebra finches will not want to be handled. They are not really “trainable” as a parrot type bird is. Occasionally you can find hand-raised finches, or you may have to hand-raise a baby yourself. In those cases you will have a finch that is bonded to people, and will happily perch on your shoulder or hand and be perfectly comfortable.
The male zebra finch is an enthusiastic singer (females generally do not sing). Their calls consist of a lot of “peeping” and “beeping” sounds. They sound like tiny little car horns. While they will vocalize all day if they are happy, they are not loud; however, their calls can be quite persistent.
Zebra finches are susceptible to scaly face (a condition caused by a mite that presents as white, scaly areas around the beak/eyes, as well as the legs), which warrants a call to the vet. Zebra finches are prone to air-sac mite infection, especially when overly stressed.
Zebra finches are frequently available in large pet stores, avian-retail stores as well as from bird breeders. They come a in a few color mutations.