Painted Firetail
Latin Name: Emblema picta
Other Names: Emblema, Emblema Finch, Mountain Finch, Painted Finch

Identification Painted Firetail
Slim, brown backed. Scarlet face, rump and mid-belly. Bill long, tapered to fine red tipped point. Large white flank spots. Female: face duller; red bill, lores and rump; white flank spots larger. Size 10-12 cm. Juv: duller than female; red rump only.

Voice Painted Firetail
Call: Loud, harsh chirped 'chek' or 'chek-did-did-dit' for identification and contact, sometimes soft,sometimes loud, staccato and repeated, especially in flight. Loud rattling terrait in alarm by female; male gives louder contact call. Song: Wheezy chattering followed by long whistles, 'che-che-che-che--che-che-werreeeee-oooeeeee', by male with up pointed part opened bill. Repeated in bursts.

Habitat Painted Firetail
Stoney hills on spinifex plains and grasslands bordering watercourses. In pairs or small flocks. Food: seeds.

Distribution Painted Firetail
Mid-western and north-western Australia, Northern Territory, Central Australia, northern South Australia, and north-western Queensland.

Nest Painted Firetail
Bottle shaped, composed of dried grasses on a base of small pieces of soil or gravel; placed in a low bush.

Breeding Painted Firetail
Breeding Season: Any time. Eggs: Four or five; white. Incubation 14 days, by both sexes. Young fledge in about 21 days.

Breeders Price Guide (Aviary bred pairs) Painted Firetail
$30 to $40

Aviary Licence Requirements Painted Firetail

Aviary Notes Painted Firetail
They prefer an aviary that is dry and away from cold and drafts. They can be kept in a collection of small seed eaters. Paired up or as a colony. A lot of time is spent on the ground foraging.