Jump to navigation
My file at the vet's office is fairly thick these days, after so many years and so many finches. But specializing in small birds and animals as they do, the folks at the office know how to handle people like me: If the bird has a name, if I'm looking particularly worried, the name is carefully inscribed on a clean sheet of paper. If the bird doesn't have a name, if I'm concerned but not desperate, a new entry is added to the "Miscellaneous Finches" page.
In fact, I haven't had any "miscellaneous" finches for several years now. I had most of them during my Zebra finch population explosion, and when I was still new to birds and they hadn't yet wrapped me around their little toes. But for breeders who have lots of birds, or for people with a bunch of short-lived pets, a "miscellaneous" page makes sense for bookkeeping. Unfortunately, should any of the Spice Finsters need to be taken to the vet tomorrow, they might still end up on that miscellaneous page.
You can see my dilemma. Most of the Spice finches really do look alike. The bird at the start of this entry may have a bit of silver at the base of its beak — but wouldn't you know it's probably only this right side, so you couldn't tell who it was if it were facing the other way. The bird in the first photo below looks like it has some lighter brown at the top of its head — but no. No. No. That's a trick of the light, and a second bird hiding behind it.
When some of the birds aren't hiding behind each other, or turning their heads away from the camera, the two with leg bands are standing on one foot to hide them. For all I know, these photos may all be THE SAME BIRD.
It doesn't help that I can't take very good pictures without opening the Finsterium door, and once I do that all the photos will be of frantic birds, beaks open to instill terror, clutching the back wall in fear. As if that will make it any easier to tell them apart.
But don't worry, most of the time I can tell three — and maybe even four — of the six Spice finches apart. That's not so bad. Is it?
The Finster Log
Miscellaneous Spice Finches
Posted on: 11/23/04, 15:23:00
In fact, I haven't had any "miscellaneous" finches for several years now. I had most of them during my Zebra finch population explosion, and when I was still new to birds and they hadn't yet wrapped me around their little toes. But for breeders who have lots of birds, or for people with a bunch of short-lived pets, a "miscellaneous" page makes sense for bookkeeping. Unfortunately, should any of the Spice Finsters need to be taken to the vet tomorrow, they might still end up on that miscellaneous page.
You can see my dilemma. Most of the Spice finches really do look alike. The bird at the start of this entry may have a bit of silver at the base of its beak — but wouldn't you know it's probably only this right side, so you couldn't tell who it was if it were facing the other way. The bird in the first photo below looks like it has some lighter brown at the top of its head — but no. No. No. That's a trick of the light, and a second bird hiding behind it.
When some of the birds aren't hiding behind each other, or turning their heads away from the camera, the two with leg bands are standing on one foot to hide them. For all I know, these photos may all be THE SAME BIRD.
It doesn't help that I can't take very good pictures without opening the Finsterium door, and once I do that all the photos will be of frantic birds, beaks open to instill terror, clutching the back wall in fear. As if that will make it any easier to tell them apart.
But don't worry, most of the time I can tell three — and maybe even four — of the six Spice finches apart. That's not so bad. Is it?
Comments
no comments yet