Crimson Finch
Latin Name: Neochmia phaeton
Other Names: Blood Finch, Pale Crimson finch, White Bellied Crimson Finch

Identification Crimson Finch
Male: slender 'upright' crimson finch with long tapered tail. Nape and crown grey. Upperparts washed grey. Belly and undertail coverts black (white on Cape York Peninsula morph). Fine white flank spots. Female: crimson, washed brownish-olive; centre belly pale creamish-fawn. Size 12-14 cm. Juv: duller than female; black bill. Flicks tail.

Voice Crimson Finch
Claa; Loud, penetrating chatter, 'tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee', soft and one or two syllabled in contact, or loud and repeated rapidly in alarm or identification. Song: Soft, rapid rasping ending in three low descending notes.

Habitat Crimson Finch
Watercourses with tall grass, pananas; cane fields. In pairs or flocks. Feeds on the seeds of grasses and other plants, also on termites.

Distribution Crimson Finch
Tropical northern Australia (except Cape York Peninsula) and south in small numbers to the Dawson River (Qld).

Nest Crimson Finch
Bulky bottle shaped, composed of dried grasses, bark, and leaves; lined with grass and feathers or fur; normally built in tall grass, a bush, or a pandanus palm-tree.

Breeding Crimson Finch
Breeding Season: August to May. Eggs: Five to eight; white. Incubation 14 days, by both sexes. Young fledge in about 21 days.

Breeders Price Guide (Aviary bred pairs) Crimson Finch
(Black bellied) $80 to $100 ; (White bellied) $300 to $350

Aviary Licence Requirements in Qld Crimson Finch
Recreational Wildlife licence required.

Aviary Notes Crimson Finch
They prefer a covered aviary away from cold and drafts. They are best kept with their own kind or birds with no red on them at all as they are aggressive, even small amounts of red can set them off. They are not a good bird for beginners.

Australian Field Guides

The Field Guide To The Birds Of Australia - Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight Save 33%

Field Guide To Australian Birds - Michael Morcombe Save 22%

What Bird Is That? - Neville Cayley

Simpson & Day Field Guide To The Birds Of Australia - Ken Simpson

The Slater Field Guide To Australian Birds - Peter Slater

Photographic Field Guide To Birds Of Australia - Jim Flegg

Australian Birds: A Concise Photographic Field Guide - Donald & Molly Trounson

A Photographic Guide To Birds Of Australia Peter Rowland