Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a fairly large cage with a mixture of finches... I have a Zebra with 2 eggs in her nest. Recently I saw one of my spice finches in with the eggs and I *thought* it was pecking the eggs open. I went in for a closer look and it was using the nesting material to cover up the eggs! It does this any time mom leaves the nest. (She uncovers them when she returns.) Also, during the day the male and female zebras sit on the eggs but at night they sleep in a different nest. I would worry about the eggs but, as soon as they settle into the other nest, another finch comes and spends the night with the eggs. Is this behavior common among finches? It's been fascinating to watch!

Finches LOVE to take care of eggs! It's not uncommon for them to foster another bird's clutch of eggs and raise the chicks. They are fascinating to watch .