Their wings are black with white wing bars, and the black tail is etched with white. They are buff-coloured below and olive brown above. The summer female is olive yellow, with a bib of yellow on her neck and breast.Īfter a complete moult in the fall, the birds grow plumage that is almost identical in colour for both sexes. In flight, a white rump contrasts with the black tail. The male assumes brilliant canary yellow plumage and a striking jet black cap. In spring the birds moult, or shed, all but their black wing and tail feathers, and the bills of both sexes turn orange. The goldfinch averages 11 cm in length, much the same size as the English Sparrow, and weighs about 11 g. Angus and Robertson and the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.With its short, heavy, conical beak, the American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis is typical of North American seed-eating birds that are members of the finch ( Fringillidae) family. Finches, Bowerbirds and Other Passerines of Australia. Reader's Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sydney. Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds (2nd Edition). This illegal trapping, along with other factors such as alteration of habitat, predation, the effects of fire and the susceptibility of the species to the parasitic air-sac mite, Sternastoma tracheacolum has reduced its numbers alarmingly. Unfortunately, its bright colouration has lead to the Gouldian Finch being a target for the illegal bird trade. Two or three broods may be reared in a season, with both parents sharing incubating and brooding duties. (Rarely, birds will construct a dry grass nest in a bush or tree). It is the only grassfinch that nests exclusively in tree hollows or holes in termite mounds. The Gouldian Finch breeds in small social colonies, with breeding normally taking place from. The Gouldian Finch is mostly silent, although a high-pitched whistling 'ssitt', may be uttered from time to time. Birds feed in small to large groups, and food may be taken on the ground or in flight. Insects are rich in protein and help satisfy the demanding appetite of the young birds. During the breeding season, however, the diet consists almost entirely of insects. Feeding and dietįor most of the year Gouldian Finches feed mostly on ripe or half-ripe grass seeds. Birds move in quite large flocks to more coastal areas and return back inland to breed when the rainy season arrives. Outside the breeding season the Gouldian Finch is partly migratory. The Gouldian Finch is patchily distributed in tropical northern sub-coastal areas from Derby, Western Australia, to the Gulf of Carpentaria and thinly to central Cape York Peninsula, but is locally common in the north and north-western parts of its range. Throughout its range the species inhabits the edges of mangroves and thickets, and savannas dotted with trees. HabitatĪs with most other grassfinch species, the Gouldian Finch is seldom found far from water, and needs to drink several times during the day. The end of the beak is tipped with red and there are pale nodules on the gape. The upper bill is blackish and the lower bill is pinkish white. The underparts are brown white, paler on chin, and have a faint yellow tinge on the belly. Young Gouldian Finches are dull ashy grey on the head and hind neck, becoming olive on the back and tail. The males are brighter in plumage than the females. The yellow colour results from a lack of red pigment in the red-faced birds. Red-faced forms make up about 25% of the population, and rare, yellow-faced birds occur from time to time. The facial colour is usually black, and is found in about 75% of the birds. They are small birds, with a bright green back, yellow belly and a purple breast. Gouldian Finches are Australia's most spectacularly coloured grassfinches, and are perhaps the most spectacularly coloured of all Australian birds. The Gouldian Finch is the only grassfinch that nests exclusively in tree hollows or holes in termite mounds.
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