Can anyone tell me about zebra finches and how they are as pets?

I haven't had zebra finches since I was a kid, but I always enjoyed them. The males (they have the orange on their head) are much more vocal,the female noises are kinda boring. We always had seed trees & a little bird bath the attached to the cage & they liked those. I remember them being very messy though. We cleaned the cage about once a week. They don't have as much personality as a parakeet, but they were fun little birds.