.[b said:Quote[/b] ]Not to mention their lack of brains.
are you SURE? I know most people greatly understimate other animal intelligence. for example lovebirds. I read in many places that they would very probably never learn to step on your finger and stuff, but not only do they step on our fingers (when THEY want to ) but call us when they just want company, treats, to go to bed, to annoy us (LOL)... They also (believe it or not) try not to poop on their cage. We've seen them run out of their cage and kind of back up to the edge of their cage and THEN poop so that it would land away from their cage, then go back inside to finish eating or whatever they were doing.[b said:Quote[/b] ]But theyr as dumb as the preverbial door knob.
also with guineapigs... I have one and he follows us, he squeals for food, he squeals for us to let him come inside (he's usually out in the balcony), etc...
most people keep lovebirds and guineapigs locked in a cage so they don't get to see their brains and think they don't have any.
now... I don't know with finches... and I do think you have to keep THEM in cages (big cages ) otherwise they'd fly away and get themselves killed, but maybe they're smarter than you think.
even chickens and cows, which are so "common" are underestimated. They have their own personalities and degrees of smartness just like humans...