The average number off eggs in one laying may be from four to six over a period of a few days. During the period of nest construction, the pair will spend the nights in the nest together. Since finches breed after large amounts of rainfall, the breeding season is not specific, but once they breed, nest building will begin about a week before laying starts. ( Symanski, 2000)īreeding flocks contain approximately 50 finches, whereas non-breeding flocks are about twice the size. Both male and female finches engage in extra-pair mating. DNA fingerprinting is a method used to determine the biological mother and father of an offspring. ( "Zebra Finch", 2006 Vriends, 1997)Īlthough zebra finches are monogamous and maintain a pair bond for life, DNA fingerprinting shows that infidelity often occurs within the species.
They can be found in many different places ranging from trees, bushes, and animal burrows, to cavities and ledges of commercial buildings. Nests are usually built of grasses and lined with feathers or even wool. ( "Zebra Finch", 2006 Vriends, 1997)Īn increase in the gathering of materials and resources to build nests can indicate the time of mating. Along with song, males also perform a courtship dance as part of the mating ritual. They also produce a hissing noise when protecting their territory and mates. Females do not sing, but males have a truly original song, incorporating sounds of their relatives and their surroundings into their tunes. The songs of the finches play an important role in the mating process. Zebra finches are monogamous and pair bond for life. They can mate at any time of the year following substantial amounts of rainfall. The breeding season for zebra finches is variable. Range length 10 to 11 cm 3.94 to 4.33 in.( "Zebra Finch - Taeniopygia guttata castanotis", 2005 Vriends, 1997) Dimorphic coloration appears by the time these finches are 90 days old. The eyes of wild finches are also red.īefore reaching maturity, young finches often look like females but with a black beak. Males tend to have a red colored beak, whereas the beaks of females are orange in color. Beaks of zebra finches also vary according to sex. The females are less distinctive, having only gray coloration on the entire body. They also have a spotted chestnut coloration to their sides. Males are more distinctly marked, with gray heads and backs, striped white and black tails, striped throats, and patches of orange on the cheeks.
They are said to be dimorphic because male and female birds differ in coloration. Zebra finches are relatively small, with a length of only 10 to 11 cm and a mass of about 12 grams.
Zebra finches are also widely domesticated and are frequently kept in captivity by humans. They have, however, adapted to many human disturbances, including water holes and land that has been cleared of vegetation for commercial purposes. Zebra finches live exclusively in savanna and subtropical dry habitats, specifically in broad expanses of non-vegetated terrain or areas with scattered shrubs and small trees. ( "Taeniopygia guttata", 2006 Fischer, 1997 "Taeniopygia guttata", 2006 Slater, et al., 1993) They have become naturalized in parts of Indonesia and occur in captivity as domesticated animals throughout much of the world. Zebra finches are native to Australia and inhabit most regions of the continent.
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