Ozzy is a grey Zebra Finch, and his lady-love is Sharon, a chestnut flanked white. They became an official pair when my friend, Jody, picked them out and brought them home. Being a big fan of the Osbournes, she had no trouble deciding on names for them. Ozzy had always been a very lovely bird. He helped raise a clutch of six, and was a patient and devoted father, feeding his young LONG after they had already weaned. Sharon was one of the young from my other clutch, and in no way related to Ozzy. We don't want any risk of inbreeding if Jody eventually decides to breed them. Sharon is a couple months too young to breed, yet.

After Jody had the finches at her home about a week, she noticed that, instead of squaking when she entered their room, they would squak when she left, and remain noisy and excited until she'd move their cage into whatever room she was in. They watch her from across the room like a kid watches cartoons. When she's near the cage, they move clost to her and cock their heads, as if asking for attention. When she puts her hand in there to change their food and water, they make a game of landing on her hand. This behavior seems unlike any finch behavior I've ever heard of, ecxept if the finch was handraised. That is why I consider Ozzy and Sharon to be a very strange couple, indeed!

Article © Laura Boyer 2005