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Red-browed Finch

Did you know?

The Red-browed Finch is one of only a very few small Australian birds that can be attracted to bird feeders.

Calls
Short, high-pitched whistles.
Facts and Figures
Research Species: 
No
Minimum Size: 
10cm
Maximum Size: 
12cm
Average size: 
11cm
Average weight: 
11g
Breeding season: 
October to April
Clutch Size: 
4 to 5
Incubation: 
14 days
Nestling Period: 
22 days
Conservation Status
Federal: 
Secure
NSW: 
Secure
NT: 
Not present
QLD: 
Secure
SA: 
Secure
TAS: 
Not present
VIC: 
Secure
WA: 
Not present
Associated Plants
Plants associated with this species
Lantana camara
Poa spp.
Themeda spp.
Basic Information
Scientific Name: 
Neochmia temporalis
Atlas Number: 
662
What does it look like?
Description: 

The Red-browed Finch is most easily recognised by its bright red eyebrow, rump and beak, on an otherwise green and grey bird. Upperparts are olive green with grey underneath. Both sexes are similar in appearance. Often observed in small flocks, which feed on the grass. They will fly into dense undergrowth when disturbed by a passer-by. Red-browed Finches may also be called Red-browed Firetails.

Similar species: 

Silvereye

Where does it live?
Distribution: 

The Red-browed Finch occurs mostly east of the Great Dividing Range, between Cape York in Queensland and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia

Habitat: 

The Red-browed Finch is found in grassy areas interspersed with dense understorey vegetation, often along creek lines.

Seasonal movements: 

Largely sedentary.

What does it do?
Feeding: 

The Red-browed Finch feeds on seeds and insects on the ground, but sometimes perches on seeding grass heads.

Breeding: 

The nest of the Red-browed Finch is large and domed, with a side tunnel for an entrance. It is a rough construction of twigs and grass stems built in a dense shrub between 1 and 2 metres from the ground. Both parents share nest-building, incubation of the eggs and feeding of the young when they hatch.

Living with us

Its preference for open grassy areas surrounded by dense shrubbery enables the Red-browed Finch to survive well in weedy areas along railway tracks and creek lines, where seeding grasses escape the lawnmower. It may also benefit from bird feeders, provided the seeds are small and larger competitors are excluded.

References: 
Field guide to Australian Birds.
Field guide to the birds of Australia, 6th Edition
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.
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