Zebra Finch
Latin Name: Taeniopygia guttata
Other Names: Chestnut Eared Finch, Spotted Finch, Spotted Sided Finch

Identification Zebra Finch
Grey body. Wax-red bill; black and white tear stripes. White rump and zebra-barred tail. Male: chestnut ear patch, black chest bar; fine black and white barring on throat. Flanks chestnut, spotted white. White abdomen. Female: abdomen buff. Size 10 cm. Juv: as female but bill black.

Voice Zebra Finch
Call: Nasal twang, 'tiah', often in flight. Soft, repetitive "tet' in close contact; hissing 'wsst' in chases. Song: Harsh, nasal trill in series of phrases, each one two seconds.

Habitat Zebra Finch
Most open country, frequenting grasslands bordering watercourses and plains intersected with scrub; also common in partly cleared and cultivated lands. In pairs or flocks.

Distribution Zebra Finch
Australia generally, except the coastal districts of northern Australia, South Australia and forested south-western Australia.

Nest Zebra Finch
Domed, with a side entrance, composed of dried grasses and lined with feathers or other soft materials; placed in a low bush, in vines or shrubs growing in gardens, in hollow limbs or holes in trees, in houses or sheds, or even in rabbit burrows.

Breeding Zebra Finch
Breeding Season: Most months. Eggs: Four to eight; faint bluish-white. Incubation 14 days, by both sexes. Young fledge in about 21 days. Able to breed at 10 weeks old.

Breeders Price Guide (Aviary bred pairs) Zebra Finch
$10

Aviary Licence Requirements in Qld Zebra Finch
No licence required.

Aviary Notes Zebra Finch
They are a good finch to have in the aviary because they breed very easily and are easy to care for. They tend to get a little boisterous so in a mixed collection it is best to keep an eye on them to see if they disturb other birds. They will use a variety of artificial nests, sometimes taking over other bird's nests. They can be kept as a pair or as a colony.

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