Facts on Zebra Finches

Taxonomy (Biological System)
Family	Estrildids / waxbills & grass finches (Estrildidae)
Genus	Poephila (also: Taeniopygia)
Species	Poephila guttata
Subspecies	Poephila guttata guttata (on the Lesser Sunda Islands) Poephila guttata castanotis (in Australia)

Data for keeping in the aviary
Length, weight	approx. 11 cm, approx. 12 grams
Habitat	dry grass steppe with little high vegetation
Temperature	in arid climate: from 6° C; brooding: from 12° C; no humid climate.
Nutrition	in nature: grass seeds (ripe and half ripe); in the aviary: small to medium-sized millet varieties.
Life expectancy	nature: uncertain (depending on weather, food and predators); aviary: with good housing and care: approx. 9 years, under very good conditions also: 10 years or a bit more
Nest	spherical (Ø 12–20 cm) with short lateral entrance tunnel
Clutch	4–6 with eggs (fewer from young females), 10–11 mm im diameter and approx. 15 mm long
Incubation	at least 11 days, counted from the 3rd/4th egg
Rearing food	nature: ripe(ning) grass seeds, little animal diet (insects) – always soaked in the crop; aviary: dry and sprouted millet, purchasable rearing food mixed with some egg and cottage cheese – always soaked in the crop.
Nestling time	at least 21 days
Weaned	from the 5th or 6th week of life (2–3 weeks after leaving the nest)
Juvenile molt	from the 8th week of life; at the age of 3 months fully coloured.
Sexual maturity	female: at the age of 3 months (end of juvenile molt) male: at the age of 3½ months