Cuban Finch care guide
Tiaris canora
Natural Distribution and Habitat
As the name suggests these finches are native to Cuba they are also found in Jamaica.
Diet for Cuban Finches
Seed– Provide a good quality finch mix especially if you desire to breed Cuban finches be wary of some supermarket mixes as they contain alot of filler seed. If you are not sure of the seed you are using ask your local bird specialist.
Sprouted seed– Loved by cuban finches be sure to clean thoroughly with aviclens to remove any bacteria befor feeding to your finches.
Millet sprays– A fresh seed still on the stem, out of the varieties we stock we recommend french white millet sprays for your cubans
Greens– Seeding grasses, cucumber,silver beet, broccoli, flowering heads of milk thistle and Endive
Fruit– Paw paw, apple and figs
Vitamin supplement– Important for the vitality of finches add via the water supply only as it is wasnted placing in the seed.
Live food– such as fly pupae, gentles, and meal worms served up with a few pinches of wombaroo insectivore mix.
Egg and biscuit formular– An important protein supplement which can be fed in conjunction with the above live food mix.
Grit– Always have available the right fine grit mix which is a mix of charcoal, crushed cuttle bone, shell, Baked egg shell and limestone.
Breeding Cuban Finches
Cuban cock birds are notoriously aggressive so it is advisable if breeding make sure there is only one pair per enclosure. Cuban finches breed during the warmer months of summer and surrounding months. A medium sized flight cage is Recommended for breeding these birds to breed. Provide each pair with wicker nests and nest boxes with coconut fibers, swamp grass and feathers to build with ( all of which is available at birdsville.) Breeding pairs should be given plenty of protien in the form of egg and bisquit, meal worms and fly pupae alongside there normal seed mix and greens such as seeding grasses, bok choy, spinnach and endives.
Only the hen will incubate the eggs while the cock will protect the nest this is why they are not recomended for a mixed species aviary. The hen will lay 3 to 4 eggs, incubation is about 12 days. Young fledge at 14 days and wean at 5 weeks. Remove young from the as soon as they are fully weaned as the father will probably start to attack them.
Sexing Cuban Finches
Easy to sex the male is much brighter in colour.
