Star Finch
Latin Name: Neochmia ruficauda
Other Names: Red Faced Finch, Red Tailed Finch, Ruficauda Finch

Identification Star Finch
Male: red face. dark olive above, yellow-olive below. Chest, flanks, rump and tail spotted white. Female: duller; red only on lores and forehead. Size 10-12 cm. Juv: brownish-olive; bill black.

Voice Star Finch
Call: Loud identity call 'sseet' mainly in flight; soft call 'pslit' in contact while feeding or in small groups. Song: Soft, high, toneless twitter.

Habitat Star Finch
Tall grass beside swamps and rivers. in pairs or flocks.

Distribution Star Finch
Northern Australia, as far south as the Ashburton River (in the west) and northern New South Wales (in the east).

Nest Star Finch
Bottle shaped, composed of dried grasses and lined with fine grasses and feathers; placed in a low tree or a bush.

Breeding Star Finch
Breeding Season: September to May. Eggs: Three to five; white. Incubation 14 days, by both sexes. Young fledge in about 21 days.

Breeders Price Guide (Aviary bred pairs) Star Finch
$25 to $30

Aviary Licence Requirements in Qld Star Finch
No licence required.

Aviary Notes Star Finch
They prefer an aviary that is open. They can be kept in a collection of small seed eaters paired up or as a colony. They will defend their nest vigorously. A lot of time is spent on the ground foraging.

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