These toys look like nesting material to the bird but do not detach from the cage bars as he tugs at it. All that could be seen of his baffled zebra finch family were their eyes and beaks poking out! Place a few canary tassel-type toys around the cage or a few strands of clean jute string tied near a perch to distract an overzealous zebra finch from picking at his babies. I once had a male zebra finch build a nest directly on the backs of his mate and babies. Male zebra finches can become so stimulated when given fresh nesting material that they build a new nest right over a current one. Do not offer more nesting material when eggs or babies are already in the nest. Normally this kind of picking is not too serious, but you can deter it. When no nesting material is available, the parents sometimes pluck their babies for building supplies. The male zebra finch is eager to build a fresh nest and start another family before his current babies are fledged. The usual explanation for parent zebra finches picking at the babies’ feathers is that they are desperate for nesting material. All four are doing great, but the parents are picking feathers off all four of the babies.
![baby finch baby finch](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/b5/4f/b3b54f59a305fd30244808793ca03f3a.jpg)
The second one was not growing, so I took it from the parents and put it in with the other three.
![baby finch baby finch](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/backyard-house-finch-baby-2021-01-judy-tomlinson.jpg)
One pair recently had three babies and the other pair had two, but one died. I have two pairs of zebra finches in a flight cage with a center separation due to constant fighting between pairs.