Description
Head grey-blue, throat black, back and wings brown. The pale pastel brown of the belly is separated from the white rump and vent by a black bar. Tail long and black. Birds from Top End and Gulf (subspecies hecki) have a red bill; birds from the Kimberley (subspecies acuticauda) have a yellow bill. Juveniles are duller, with a dark bill and short tail.
Usually in pairs or small flocks. Resident. Forages mostly on or near the ground, eating grass seeds and occasionally invertebrates. At night pairs sleep together in a roost-nest, which is a rougher version of the breeding nest. May live for more than 6 years. Reproduces Feb-Nov, although may breed at any time depending on food availability. Pairs probably bond for life. One of only two finch species (the other being the Gouldian Finch) that nest in tree hollows. It builds a dome or pear-shaped nest made from grass or other plant material inside the hollow. Domed grass nests may also be set high in the fork of a tree or in a tree hollow. Females lay 3-8 white eggs. Incubation takes about 2 weeks. Young leave the nest when about 3 weeks old, and are probably fed by the adults for around a further 3 weeks.
Author credit: Lindley McKay
Habitat
Open woodland, especially near water.
Food
Omnivore
Range
Northern Australia.
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Passeriformes | | Family: | Estrildidae | | Genus: | Poephila | | Species: | acuticauda | | Common Name: | Long-tailed Finch |
Relatives in same Genus
Black-throated Finch (P. cincta)
Masked Finch (P. personata)
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