Gouldian Finches Beginners

Introduction

I remember the very first time I saw a Gouldian Finch. It was at a tabletop bird sale, and I was instantly amazed by its sheer beauty. The way the colours blended into one another, displaying almost every colour of the rainbow, was breathtaking. The clarity of their markings was stunning, and the song of the males sounded unlike any bird I had ever heard before. From that moment, I knew I wanted to keep Gouldian Finches as pets.

Without knowing anything about them, I bought my first pair and took them home. I was excited to introduce them to my aviary, curious to see how the other birds would react, and eager to sit back and admire them. For the first few days everything seemed perfect—no fighting, no visible signs of illness, and no cause for concern.

About a week later, one morning I went to the cage and noticed one of the birds sitting on the floor with its head tucked in. I was able to pick it up without any resistance. On closer inspection, it was underweight and had a dirty vent. Later that day, the bird died, and I never truly knew why. That was the moment I realised I was a beginner.

I had rushed into keeping Gouldian Finches without learning about their specific needs, and I paid the price for that mistake. I should have educated myself before buying them, but I was eager and afraid I might never get the chance to own such a beautiful bird again. Buying that first pair without preparation was a big mistake.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. Many of us learn the hard way. At the time, there were very few websites, no helpful applications like the ones available today, and only a handful of books about Gouldian Finches. Over the years, I have educated myself to a high level—enough to write guides and develop tools to help others avoid the same mistakes.

Whether you have never kept a bird before or are just starting out with Gouldian Finches, everyone has to begin somewhere. What better place to start than right at the beginning? I often wish I could go back in time and start again with the knowledge I have now, because I would have lost far fewer birds than I did.

Are Gouldian Finches Suitable for Beginners?

Gouldian Finches are probably not the best birds to start with as a beginner. They are not particularly hard to keep, but they do require more attention than many other bird species. Some people say that experience only comes with time, but I believe you can take advantage of other people’s experience by researching first, learning from others, and paying attention to the details.

Why put yourself through unnecessary heartache and expense by losing birds simply because you did not learn about them beforehand? My aim is to save you money, save Gouldian Finches from preventable deaths, and spare you that heartbreak by strongly encouraging you to learn as much as possible about the Gouldian Finch before bringing any home. Join groups, clubs, and forums where you can receive support, and never be afraid to ask questions.

Preparing Before Bringing Gouldians Home

Let us assume you have already researched Gouldian Finches and have learned their basic needs. You feel confident that you understand their breeding cycle, eating habits, environmental requirements, and vulnerabilities. At this stage, you may feel ready to bring your first Gouldian Finches home.

Once you make that decision, you must decide where they will be kept and what type of cage or aviary you will use. You will need appropriate perches, drinkers, feeders, baths, cuttlebone, sterilised eggshells, crushed oyster shell, carbon granules, suitable floor bedding, fake or real foliage, all required supplements, correct lighting if they are kept indoors, good-quality dust-free seed, and registration with a local avian veterinarian.

There are many other items you will need along the way, but the above are generally the basics required to get started correctly.

Breeding Gouldians for Profit

If your intention is to breed Gouldian Finches as a source of income, forget it. They cost far more to care for and raise than you will ever make back. Supplements alone can be extremely expensive, and preventive medicines can quickly add up.

When calculating the true cost of keeping Gouldian Finches, you must consider electricity for heating and lighting, replacement bulbs and fittings, cages or aviaries, drinkers, feeders, baths, floor substrates, nesting materials and boxes, supplements such as multivitamins, liquid calcium, amino acids, and carbon granules, cuttlebone, veterinary bills, medications, seed, daily fresh vegetables, and much more.

There is simply too much to list in full, but by the time birds are sold, most breeders only recover a fraction of the cost, and often it is a significant loss.

Ethical Concerns and Cost-Cutting

If anyone claims to make a consistent profit from selling Gouldian Finches, I would strongly advise avoiding them. In many cases, birds sold cheaply have been deprived of essential nutrition or care. The only way to make money from this hobby is either by receiving supplies for free or by denying birds what they need to remain healthy.

Cheap brands are cheap for a reason. Many are watered down, ineffective, or provide very little benefit. There are excellent brands available, but they come at a high cost, which is where most breeders lose money over time. Skipping medicines, supplements, or other essentials is never worth it. The birds will ultimately suffer, and buyers will not purchase birds that appear unhealthy.

Choosing Breeders and Avoiding Inbreeding

Once you decide to keep Gouldian Finches, you should seek out reliable breeders who can be trusted to sell healthy, quality birds and who offer some form of guarantee. Join additional groups, meet new people, and learn about breeders in your area.

You may need to travel long distances to acquire quality birds, but doing so greatly reduces the risk of buying related stock and helps introduce new bloodlines. Over the years, I have sold so many birds that I must now be careful not to accidentally buy back the same bloodlines.

Keeping only a small breeding group often leads to inbreeding or line-breeding, which should be avoided for genetic health reasons.

Colour Mutations and Beginner Advice

There are many colour variations of Gouldian Finches today, with new mutations appearing regularly. Personally, I tend to avoid blue-back Gouldians for several reasons.

Blue-back Gouldian Finches often have a much shorter lifespan and are known to suffer from genetic issues and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. As a relatively new mutation, they were heavily interbred when numbers were low, which is believed to have caused many of these problems.

With time, stronger blue-back lines may develop, but as a beginner, I strongly advise avoiding them. Green-back and yellow-back Gouldian Finches are far more suitable for those starting out.

Housing and Compatible Species

Many bird species should never be housed with Gouldian Finches. Ideally, Gouldians should be kept with their own species to avoid stress or aggression. Even normally placid birds can become aggressive under the wrong conditions, sometimes resulting in serious injury or death.

Male Gouldians often spend much of their time singing quietly, while hens are generally calm and relaxed. Although they do have bursts of activity, these are usually short-lived.

The only species I would trust to be housed with Gouldian Finches are Society Finches, also known as Bengalese Finches. I have often seen Society Finches feeding juvenile Gouldians, and in some cases they will foster abandoned eggs or chicks and raise them successfully.

Common Myths About Gouldian Finches

A common claim is that Gouldian Finches are hard to keep or always die, but this is simply not true. As mentioned earlier, success comes down to knowledge and preparation.

Too many people buy Gouldians on impulse without learning how to care for them, and failure follows. This misinformation is enough to discourage many potential keepers, but those who are willing to learn and prepare properly often succeed. Any bird can be difficult to keep if nothing is known about its needs.

Night Frights and Injury Prevention

If you already keep Gouldian Finches, you may notice that they are easily startled at night by sudden noises, flashes of light such as lightning or car headlights, or vibrations. This can cause panic flights, leading to injuries as birds collide with cage walls.

For indoor birds, switching on a low-level dim light can help them find a perch and settle after falling. Most injuries occur because birds cannot see wire mesh or perches in the dark. Older birds are usually less prone to panic as they become familiar with their surroundings.

Gouldian Finches and Children

I encourage anyone with children to involve them in keeping Gouldian Finches. These birds can be very friendly once tamed and are incredibly rewarding to care for.

Children may even learn to hand-rear abandoned chicks or observe embryo development using an incubator. My younger sister once bought an incubator for her children after some eggs were abandoned. Each morning they rushed to check the eggs, and after nearly two weeks, they witnessed them hatch. Their excitement was unforgettable.

Experiences like this teach children where birds come from and foster a deep appreciation for life.

Final Considerations Before Buying

Before buying Gouldian Finches, or any bird, ask yourself: Can you afford to care for them for their entire lifespan? Do you have enough space? Are you planning to breed or keep them as pets? Do you have access to a local avian veterinarian? Can you provide the correct environment for a comfortable life?

If you can confidently answer yes to these questions and are willing to commit fully, then I wish you the very best of luck as a proud keeper of Gouldian Finches.