- Poephila cincta
Disambiguation: This is the species occurring in Australia. For the species Melanodera melanodera of South America, see White-bridled Finch
Identification
- Bluish-grey head
- Pale blue ear patch
- Black throat and upper breast
- Light brown flanks, belly and lower breast
- Beige back
- Black bar on rump
- Black patch between eye and bill
- Black bill
- Orange-red legs
Males may have a comparatively larger throat patch.
Distribution
Queensland to just into New South Wales in Australia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Two subspecies are recognized, cincta and atropygialis; the most significant variation is in the colour of the rump, white versus black.
- P. c. atropygialis:
- Northern Queensland (Cape York Peninsula)
- P. c. cincta:
- Eastern Australia (Burdekin River, Queensland to far north-eastern New South Wales)
Habitat
Grassy woodland dominated by eucalypts, paperbarks or acacias and savanna.
Behaviour
Nomadic.
Diet
The diet includes grass seeds, small insects, ants and spiders.
Breeding
Both sexes build the nest. The clutch consists of 4-5 white eggs which are by both adults for about 14 days starting from the fourth egg. The young usually fledge at around 21 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Feathered Flyer
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-throated Finch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-throated_Finch
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
