Gouldian Finch
Gouldian Finches are Australia's most spectacularly coloured grassfinches, and are perhaps the most spectacularly coloured of all Australian birds. They are small birds, measuring just 11 to 14 cm. They have a bright green back, yellow belly and ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Australian Finches
The Australian Finch belongs to the family of birds known as Estrildidae. They are small, native, grass seed eating birds whose popularity as captive birds is only exceeded by the budgerigar, also native to Australia. Although finches are not ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Firetail Finches
The Beautiful Firetail finch (Emblema bella) has an olive back, finely-barred underparts and a bright red rump. The males are blacker underneath than the hens, and the juveniles are duller in colour than the adults. Beautiful firetails live in ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Zebra Finch
Zebra Finches measure 10 to 11.5 cm. The plumage is generally grey, with characteristic black 'tear drop' eyestripes and 'zebra like' black and white barring on the rump and uppertail. The throat and upper breast are pale grey, with fine black ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Long-tail Finch
Of all of the Australian finches certainly one of the most stylish is the Long-tailed grass finch. Also called the Blackheart finch and more commonly just the Long-tail finch, they are an elegant looking bird naturally distributed in northern ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Housing and feeding
There is a large range of finches available in specialist bird shops around Australia including many native but also foreign birds in a range of colours. Native finches commonly kept in backyard aviaries include the Emblema Finch, also known as a ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Aviary Update
The Burke's Backyard aviaries, built last year were landscaped and irrigated to maintain an environment for breeding finches. Rare and endangered finches were released including two pairs of Red-eared Firetail finches. The finches have bred and ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Backyard Birds
There is nothing as satisfying as breeding your own birds, whether they be budgies or finches. You can also attract native birds to your garden by putting in some native plants, which provide them with food and shelter. Australian finch species, ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a large (14 - 17 cm) finch. It is usually seen in small to medium-sized groups, but may occur in huge numbers. The male has a conspicuous grey crown, black face and throat, and dark black and brown upperparts. The House ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Incredible Colours in Parrots
Dr Terry Martin first became interested in birds at the age of 10, when given a pair of Zebra Finches. Terry's love of birds has continued through to the present day. He is now an avian veterinarian and aviculturist, and has just published a book ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Christopher Finch
The ultimate gift for Muppet lovers everywhere, this extraordinary tribute celebrates 40 years of Henson's creative genius--from his best-known inventions to his lesser known but equally fascinating notions for everything from designs for ... [... more]
Random House |
George Plimpton
George Plimpton, the originator of "participatory journalism," is the editor of The Paris Review. His books include Paper Lion, Out of My League, The Bogey Man, Open Net, The Curious Case of Sidd Finch, and, most recently, The X Factor. He [... more]
Random House |
