Animal-World > Birds > Types of Finches > Society Finch

Society Finch

Bengalese Finch - Japanese Movchen

Family: Estrildidae Fawn Pied Society FinchFawn-Pied Society FinchLonchura domesticaPhoto © Roy Beckham eFinch.com
Latest Reader Comment - See More
I have a pair of finches, don't know exactly what kind. She laid 2 eggs, and they ended up on the floor of the cage, I'am hoping they exccidently fell when they... (more)  Yolanda Varela

   The word "society" suits these little birds to a tee, as they are very social and like to get into everybody's business! Society Finches make great pets for the beginner. They are one of the easiest birds to care for, very hardy, inexpensive, and are prolific breeders.

   Society Finches are one of the most charming and interesting of all the small Mannikins! They are believed to have been developed in Asia over three hundred years ago by Chinese and Japanese breeders. It is assumed they are a domestic form of the White-backed Munia (Lonchura striata) though their absolute ancestry is uncertain.

For more information about the care of Finches see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Finch


  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Actiniform
  • Class: Elasmobranchii
  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Estrildidae
  • Genus: Lonchura
  • Species: domestica
Society Finch

Report Broken Video
A Society Finch Singing

Ninja singing . The other bengalese, Sushi is seen inside the cage, having some millet.

Scientific name: Lonchura domestica Learn more about the Society "Family", the Estrildidae Finches here: Finch Families

Description:   Society Finches reach a size of 4 1/4" to 4 3/4" (11-12 cm). They have three basic color varieties: chocolate and white, fawn and white, and pure white. Tri-coloreds, crested forms (developed in the 1930's), and solid colors are also seen. No two Society Finches are alike!

Distribution:    Society Finches are totally domestic and large numbers are bred in captivity.

Care and Feeding:    Fresh food and water must be provided daily. A good finch seed mix will provide their everyday preference for millets and canary seed and is readily available at a pet store. In a separate cup supply green foods regularly, such as chickweed and spinach. Other supplements include egg foods, apple and pear. Finch treats of seed with honey, fruits and vegetables are fun for your bird too, as well as nutritious!
   Grit with charcoal is essential to aid in digestion and it contains valuable minerals and trace elements. Grit should be provided in a special cup or sprinkled over the bottom of the cage floor. Provide a cuttlebone because the calcium it provides will give your bird a firm beak, strong eggshells when breeding, and will prevent egg binding. The lime in the cuttlebone also aids in digestion.
   Offer your finch a bath occasionally by providing a bath dish that is 1" deep with a 1/2" of water, or a clip on bath house.
   Their nails may occasionally need to be trimmed, but be careful never to clip into the vein as the bird can quickly bleed to death. Bird nail trimmers and styptic powder to stop the bleeding are available at pet shops.

Housing:    Society Finches do well indoors in a cage. Place the cage where it is well ventilated though free from drafts, and against a wall at eye level. It should have good light but be away from doors and windows where direct exposure to sunlight can make it overly warm.
   Provide two or three good softwood perches about 3/8" to 3/4" in diameter. Tree branches of a similar size also make good perches and will help to wear the claws down naturally. Provide separate dishes for food, water, treats, and grit. Place paper on the cage bottom that can be sprinkled with grit, or use a grit paper.
   Society Finches also do very well an in aviaries or bird rooms. The screening should be 3/8" square mesh. Dishes for food, water, grit and bathing water must be included along with perches and nests. Plants that are not poisonous, such as fruit trees, privet, forsythia, and honeysuckle bushes will make the space more enjoyable for the finches.

Maintenance:    Although finches require very little time, a clean environment as well as fresh food and water daily is a must to prevent disease and illness. The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Every two to three days change the paper on the bottom of the cage and sprinkle it with about 1/8" of fresh grit. Weekly wash and dry the entire cage, including the perches.

Social Behaviors:    Society Finches are very, very social and should be kept in groups (except when breeding a single pair). They are most friendly, have an ideal temperament, and are never aggressive toward other birds.

Handling/Training:    Finches are simply enjoyed for their antics and play rather than training. When you need to handle your finch to examine it or clip it's nails, place your palm on it's back and wrap your fingers around the bird with your thumb and forefinger on either side of it's head.

Activities:   Society Finches are active and very friendly. They are so social and such busy bodies that they can often get in the way of, and disrupt the breeding habits of other more private birds! Keep an eye on your energetic friends in an aviary!

Breeding/Reproduction:    Society Finches are one of the most reliable breeders! They can be bred as individual pairs housed separately or as groups in aviaries. When breeding in groups, you must make sure you have more than three pairs to prevent a pecking order. One drawback to aviary breeding is over eagerness. They will often all crowd into one nest to lay and incubate their eggs. They get in each others way and make it impossible for any one hen to incubate the eggs. They are such dedicated breeders, they will even incubate and rear the young of many other birds.
 &nbsp The sexes are very similar, but the male will display mating behavior by singing a little song to the female. Females are generally quiet unless visually separated from their mate. In this case, the male will call to the female with a single syllable, while the hen's answer will be three or four syllables.
   They like a closed or partially open nest. The size of a nest box should be about 5" or 6" (13 -16 cm). Nesting materials such as grasses and hay will be appreciated, and they will line the nest with feathers and soft materials.
   The female will lay a clutch of 4 to 6 eggs. The female will do most of the sitting on the eggs and they will hatch in 12 to 13 days. Both parents will feed the hatchlings. At this time provide lots of greens, seed and egg food.

Potential Problems:    Society Finches are very hardy birds and almost all illnesses can be traced to improper diet, dirty cages, and drafts. A balanced diet and plenty of exercise will prevent most illnesses. The white coloration of Society Finches can often be albino, with pink eyes, and prone to eye problems. Eye problems of this sort can be prevented by supplying lots of green foods high in carotene. Know your birds and watch for real drastic changes as indications of illness.
   Some signs of illness to be aware of are droppings that are not black and white, feathers that are ruffled, lack of appetite, wheezing, and acting feeble and run down.
   Some of the common illnesses and injuries your finch could contract are broken wings or legs, cuts and open wounds, overgrown beaks and nails, ingrown feathers, feather picking, confinement cramps in the legs from a cage that is too small, weight loss, heat stroke, shock, concussion, egg binding, diarrhea, mites, colds, baldness, scaly legs, sore eyes, tumors, constipation, and diarrhea.
   First you can try and isolate the bird in a hospital cage where you cover all but the front of the cage and add a light bulb or heating pad to keep the interior of the cage at a constant temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove all perches and put food and water dishes on the floor. If you don't see improvements within a few hours, take the bird to an avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Availability:    Society Finches are readily available in the pet industry in the three basic colorations. With a little more determination, you should be able to find the tri-colors, crested and solid colors as well. Because they are bred so easily in captivity, they are very inexpensive little birds.

Author: Clarice Brough, CAS
Lastest Animal Stories on Society Finch


Yolanda Varela - 2017-10-27
I have a pair of finches, don't know exactly what kind. She laid 2 eggs, and they ended up on the floor of the cage, I'am hoping they exccidently fell when they were both in the nest sleeping. What do you suggest I do? maybe buy another nest that is deeper? Please advice. Thank You

  • Azaan Ali - 2021-12-27
    First find out the type of finch and get the nest box accordingly. Each finch may use a different type of nest shape.
Reply
michelle - 2020-04-19
i was very inexperienced n listened to my young grandchildren in helping me pick out some finches not knowing i shouldnt mix different varieties and ended up w a female zebra finch i believe a male white and black society finch and an old spice finch my friend didnt want. i bought a larger flight cage so theyd be happier. and despite later finding out u shouldnt mix different species the zebra finch and white n black society finch mated but the cage i bought was faulty and i woke up n the female zebra finch squeezed out of an opening in the back n i found her dead i believe my kitty got her in the middle of the night along w my old spice finch and only the white n black society finch was in the cage and continued sitting on the eggs until today then abandoned the nest. so i was devistated and sent my daughter in law and grandchildren to the pet store and told her buy the last 4 society finches in hopes id get at least 1 or 2 females and didnt want to make the same mistake mixing different varieties of finch but when she got back the 4 new ones all looked the same i believe theyre chocolate pied and the are much smaller than the white n black bird i thought was a society finch. now im confused and wondering if the white n black one thats much bigger isnt a society finch at all. can anybody answer this for me

  • Azaan Ali - 2021-12-27
    Can you describe it maybe its a Black-and-white mannikin
Reply
Jane Knapp - 2019-05-22
My social & zebra finches keep having more and more babies. Last count I easily had 16. I’ve been told the only way to prevent having too many is to remove their nesting baskets. This seems very inhumane. I would love to find a good home for some of them but my aviary will not hold many more birds comfortably. They are such a happy family!
Anyone know anything to help? Thank you.

  • W. Garner - 2019-06-01
    What neck of the woods are you in, im interested in your finches?
  • Anonymous - 2021-12-27
    It might seem bad to remove the nest and I also thought it was bad but if they lay too many eggs the female can die from lack of calcium and other things and the male can die form getting over worked and lack of rest.
Reply
mandy - 2011-10-12
Our bengalese lay one tiny egg a few weeks ago and today we can't see the egg. Can anyone please explain what has happened?

  • Kari Kenidi - 2012-07-20
    Hi Mandy, Maybe she ate it....? I can't think of anything else but would love to know if u find out. Good luck, Kari
  • chris carey - 2012-10-20
    Some times they will break itor throw it out. Or even pick it it to pieces, I have 20 finches in avery.I see a lot of weird things.I had one female.dye and it mate died in about 2hours. The other pasted, I guess some get really attached. Or maybe it was bad they broke it up.
  • Lori Harvey - 2019-11-15
    I think they are it. They may need more protein, calcium and minerals in their diet.
Reply
mandy - 2011-10-12
Our bengalese lay one tiny egg a few weeks ago and today we can't see the egg. Can anyone please explain what has happened?

  • Kari Kenidi - 2012-07-20
    Hi Mandy, Maybe she ate it....? I can't think of anything else but would love to know if u find out. Good luck, Kari
  • chris carey - 2012-10-20
    Some times they will break itor throw it out. Or even pick it it to pieces, I have 20 finches in avery.I see a lot of weird things.I had one female.dye and it mate died in about 2hours. The other pasted, I guess some get really attached. Or maybe it was bad they broke it up.
  • Lori Harvey - 2019-11-15
    I think they are it. They may need more protein, calcium and minerals in their diet.
Reply
Debbie - 2019-04-05
Hi I'm just starting out haven't even got a cage yet I ordered a big cage for indoors planning on breeding Society finches. But can't find a local breeder in my area I don't want to older one that has to be shipped out to me. Can anyone out there help with finding a breeder or fiches for sale in yakima or surrounding areas? Thank you! Deb

Reply
Victoria Perry - 2017-08-05
I live in Chesterfield, Michigan 48047 I have been breeding Society Finches to get rare Chocolate, and solid Tan. Now, too many. I need to find a pet shop that will buy them. I want to sell like 10. not sexed. Lady Goulians for sale. Sell 8 mixed sexes for 450.00. Anyone know where I can list these birds. Goulians I have more Males 5, only 3 Females. I do not ship. 586 206-8054 Health Beautiful Birds6

  • Wendy - 2019-03-15
    Hi, I have a society finches born with red eyes, is that normal?
Reply
Robert Greene - 2016-06-03
I am looking for a male society for breeding please contact me

Reply