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Hi there! my mother n law is curious about owl finches and breeding. Can anyone tell me if they are hardy birds, hardy breeders, what do they require for breeding.. etc.
She already breeds Gouldians and Society's and is thinking about the owl finches.
I would greatly appreciate any information that anyone wishes to share!
Thanks a bunch!

The following site has a lot of info. Just check out all the links.
http://finchworld.com/Birds/Finch/owl/bicheno.htm

As far as hardy, I'd place them in the catagory of Goulds. Some are good breeders, some not..............and they like privacy, at least mine did. She'll discover it's hard to find a true pair since they're difficult to sex. Also, tell her to try and get unrelated pairs.

Thank you very much for your help. I will have her look into the site. Do you know anything about goulds? As I said she has a pair. They were from seperate places, one is 2 yrs old and the other will be 1 yr in dec. They are bonded now and she was hoping to have them breed... anything that you can tell me about them? As of yet they haven't tried.
Thanks a bunch!

Here's another site about Goulds that she should enjoy. http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/featur ... ebowel.mgi
Check the links on the side bar for more info and the bars on the lower left regarding Breeding, etc. It's much more info than I could ever give here.

Personally, I'd wait until next spring to even give them a nest box. The male may come into condition earlier than the hen and she's not old enough to be breeding. I never set my birds up for breeding before a year old and often waited 1 1/2 years. The site will explain what to look for to know when they're in breeding condition.........beak coloration is a big clue with both cock and hen.

I'm assuming these birds are indoors?

Enjoy!!

We looove our owls -- such acrobatic fliers, they're just a joy to watch! Ours have been showing some interest in breeding but I think presence of other finches in the aviary (particular zebras, bless their nosy li'l butts) is a deterrent. But given the interest they showed this year, our fingers are crossed for next year!

I think owls are a GREAT addition to any aviary -- sweet, sociable little guys who are just so much fun to watch!

Cheers,
Pat