Lady Gouldian Finch Information

The Lady Gouldian finch is a colorful bird local to Australia. The Lady Gouldian finch is an endangered species despite captive breeding programs. The number of mature adult finches has declined to below 2,500 in terms of viable population size. The Lady Gouldian Finch is a passerine bird, meaning that the species falls into the order passeriformes, indicating perching birds. Unlike most bird species, both genders of the Lady Gouldian finch are brightly colored.

  1. Taxonomy

    • The Lady Gouldian finch takes its name from a British ornithological artist named John Gould, who described the species in 1844, naming it after his wife. The Lady Gouldian finch is a member of the family of weaver finches known as estrildidae, which is referred to as being a subfamily of the order passeridae. The Lady Gouldian finch is exported to Japan, Europe and the United States though the species is best known in the wild in Australia.

    Description

    • The Lady Gouldian finch is between 5 and 5.5 inches long. Both genders of this species are colored brightly, featuring green, yellow, black and red features. Some varieties of the species feature feathers in additional colors. Males feature purple feathers on their chest while females have mauve feathers on their chest. Wild varieties of the Lady Gouldian finch have black, red or yellow heads. Selective captive breeding has created additional mutations, including silver, blue and yellow heads.

    Habitat

    • The Lady Gouldian finch hails from Northern Australia between Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula, as well as the Northern Territory through to Kimberley in the Western part of Australia. This species prefers a tropical savanna habitat. This is a nomadic species that prefers to stay close to a relatively small area until food or water becomes too scarce for the birds to remain. Most of these finches will prefer to remain in a 25 square-mile area.

    Endangered Status

    • The population numbers for Gouldian finches have decreased as their preferred habitats have been altered or reduced. These finches are especially susceptible to viral infections and diseases, as well as predators. Their bright plumage makes these finches an easily caught prey. Fires also have played a role in threatening the natural populations of these birds. Although this species is popular as a pet, and their captive numbers are not low, wild Lady Gouldian finches are classified as endangered.

    Feeding

    • The Gouldian finch, like other members of the finch family, is a seed-eating bird. Grass seeds are the meal of choice during the breeding season. Fallen seed is the meal of choice during the dry season, though during the wet season this finch will seek out spinifex grass seed. These finches have been known to consume at least six species of seed from grass, though have not been observed eating any other category of food, such as insects.