Finch Vocalisations Guide

Thinking of keeping finches indoors, or close to your living or sleeping areas?

One thing to consider is how much noise the different species make...

KEY

Volume: 

1 - 2 = Very quiet   3 - 4 = Quiet   5 - 6 = Moderate   7 - 8 = Loud   9 - 10 = Very loud

Note:  - 'Very loud' in finch world is still only 'Moderate' in comparison with parrot calls

          - Baby finches calling to be fed can raise the volume significantly

          - Cocks are often louder than hens of the same species

Proportion (%) of time spent calling: 

* = Rare      **** = Occasional       *********** = Continuous

Note that most finches are silent at night.

Pleasantness:   

= Melodious / Pleasant       = Neutral      = Annoying     = Grating   

Audio:   

  Click the speaker symbols to listen to sound clips.

(Some of these have Zebra sounds in the background - try to ignore the little honks!)

 

Species Most Frequent Calls Occasional Calls Song
Pleasant-ness Usual volume % of time spent calling Pleasant-ness Maximum volume Pleasant-ness
Avadavat - Green 8 ** 9
Avadavat - Strawberry 8 *** 9
Black Rumped Waxbill (?) ****** (?) (?) (?)
Canary 6 - 9 *********   10
Cordon Bleu - Blue Capped
Blue-capped Cordon Bleu Finch song - sound clip 		4 - 7 *****   9  
Cordon Bleu - Red Cheeked
Red Cheeked Cordon Bleu Finch call - sound clip 		4 - 7 *****   9
Cuban Melodious Finch 5 - 7 ******** 8   
Cut Throat Finch (?) 4

(?)

 (?) (?) (?)
Crimson Finch (?) 4 - 7

(?)

 (?) 8 (?)
Diamond Sparrow / Firetail (?) (?)

(?)

 (?) (?) (?)
European Goldfinch
European Goldfinch song - sound clip 		4 - 8 ****   9  
Firefinch - Red-billed / Ruddy   1 - 3 *   4 No discernable song (?)
Golden Song Sparrow   9 ************ 10  
Gouldian Finch
Lady Gouldian Finch calls - sound clip of cheeping   Lady Gouldian Finch song - sound clip 		3 - 5 ****   7  
Greenfinch (?)

(?)

   (?) (?)
Grenadier Weaver (?) (?) **** (?) (?) (?)
Grey/Green Singer 6 - 8 ********** 9
Jacarini / Blue-backed Grassquit 2 - 5 * Often at night 6 (?)
Java Finch / Sparrow 4 ****** 6
Lavender Waxbill 1 - 2 *** 2  
Longtail / Shaftail Grassfinch
Shaftail / Longtail Grassfinch chatter - sound clip of calls   Shaftail / Longtail Grassfinch singing - sound clip 		7 ********* 8
Masked Grassfinch 4 - 7 ********* (?) 7
Melba Finch 3 ****** 3 (?)
Munias/Mannikins 3

(?)

 (?) 3
Orange Breasted Waxbill/Goldbreast 2 - 3 **** 3  
Orange Cheeked Waxbill 4 *********** (?) (?)
Owl Finch
Owl Finch chatter - sound clip of calls  Owl Finch calling - sound clip  Owl Finch song - sound clip of singing  		6 - 7 ************* 8
Painted Firetail  5 - 7 ******   9 (?)
Parrot Finch - Blue Faced (?) 6 - 7 (?) (?) 8 (?)
Parrot Finch - Peales (?) (?) (?) (?) (?) (?)
Parrot Finch - Pin-tailed (?) (?) (?) (?) (?) (?)
Parrot Finch - Red-headed 4 - 5 **** 6
Parrot Finch - Tri-colour & Forbes (?) (?) **** (?) (?) (?)
Parson's / Black Throated Finch 4 - 7 ****** (?) 7
Pictorella (?) 1 - 2 ** (?) 2 (?)
Plumheaded / Cherry Finch (?) 1 - 4 ** (?) 4 (?)
Pytilias (?) (?) (?) (?)
Silverbill (?) 4 - 5 ********** (?) (?)
Siskins (various)
Siskin singing - serinus mozambicus sound clip of songs 		5 - 6 (?) (?)
Society / Bengalese Finch
  Society Finch / Bengalese hen - sound clip of calls  Society Finch / Bengalese singing - sound clip of song  		8 ************* (?) 9  
Spice Finch (?) **** (?) (?) (?)
Star Finch   4 - 5 ************* 7
Swee Waxbill 8 **** (?) (?) (?)
Twinspot - Dybowski (?) (?) (?) (?) (?) (?)
Twinspot - Green (?) (?) (?) (?)  
Zebra Finch
Zebra Finches chattering - sound clip  Zebra Finch warning call - sound clip  Zebra Finch cock singing - sound clip of song  		  5 - 7 ************ 8

Help us to complete the above chart!

Please send any information about calls made by finches that you have kept, and/or sound clips, to finches 'at' finchstuff 'dot' com.

Thank you!!

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