Melody Maker

CHRIS GREEN recommends the green singing finch, a tuneful relative of the wild canary that’s welcome in an aviary set-up, and offers advice on feeding, housing and breeding.

FINCHES

THE green singing finch (Crithagra mozambicus) is widespread across most of Africa south of the Sahara desert. Like many species of foreign seedeater, these finches are scarcer in aviculture than they once were when wild-caught birds were imported into the country in vast numbers. Thankfully these days are now gone and birds seen today in UK collections are captive-bred.

Their establishment in aviculture has been helped by the fact that sexes can be readily told apart. The cock has a clear throat, whereas the hens have a necklace of spots around the throat. The only time when there can be confusion is with juvenile birds, which all sport a necklace when they leave the nest. Cock birds will, of course, moult these out when adult.