Sparrows & Finches

Nestling sparrows & finches

• Keep nestlings warm at 32-35°C by using a lamp or heat pad.
• Use a bra bag or plastic berry container as a nest.
• Weigh regularly.
• Fed no more than 5% of a chick's body weight every 20-30 minutes during daylight hours.
• The chick's crop should be empty between feeds.
• Monitor faeces, urates and abdomen. If the abdomen is too firm water down the food more.

Fledgling sparrows & finches

• Fed every 45 minutes for 12-14 hours per day.
• As soon as chicks are perching and moving around their cage offer solid food as well.

Weaning sparrows & finches

• Start weaning when fledglings are starting to self-feed.
• Their weight will continue to increase overtime. There may be little decreases overnight, but then the weight will increase during the day.
• Feedings should be slowly decreased over a period of days.
• Use a larger cage, cockatiel sized.
• When self-feeding use an aviary (or similar large enclosure) to build-up flight muscles.

Food in the wild

Sparrows

Sparrow nestlings mainly eat invertebrates and adults mainly feed on grain, flowers and fruit. Adults also scavenge what humans give them.

Finches

Finches mainly feed on seeds and some invertebrates. Chaffinches eat more invertebrates than greenfinches and goldfinches.